Analysis: Steroids bogeyman on deck, By: Murray Chass
Baseball urges cooperation with Mitchell probe
Bud Selig and George J. Mitchell, his chief steroids investigator, have unleashed the threat of Congress on Major League Baseball. However, Henry Waxman, the chief bogeyman, apparently is not ready to speak publicly about what he might be prepared to do if Mitchell's investigation does not satisfy him.
With the Democrats snatching control of Congress from the Republicans, Waxman, of California, has become chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
He was the only ranking Democrat on the committee when it staged the March 2005 hearing that produced the memorable Mark McGwire moment in which he uttered repeatedly, "I'm not here to talk about the past," dooming himself and his baseball past to a pitiful purgatory.
Now, however, Waxman can thrust himself front and center on national television and have his own 15 hours of fame. Waxman has not commented on the Mitchell investigation, but Mitchell invoked the specter of Congress two or three times in a briefing for baseball owners two weeks ago.
"I don't have subpoena power," Mitchell told the owners. "Unlike the Congress or other federal and state authorities, I cannot compel cooperation. They can, and if they get involved, they will."
His comments were aimed at the clubs, but he was sending his message to the players as well. Selig has heard a message himself. He has heard that if baseball does not do a credible investigation, meaning if people do not cooperate with it, baseball will hear from the congressman from California.
Waxman did not respond to interview requests Monday and last Friday. When Tom Davis, R-Va., was the chairman of the committee, he did not respond to requests for interviews, either.
I wanted to ask Davis and Waxman about steroids, but I also wanted to ask them why they are so concerned about the potential dangers of steroids when they ignore the 400,000 deaths each year that the U.S. surgeon general has said are related to smoking.
The number of deaths by steroids is minuscule compared with deaths by smoking, but steroids apparently are sexier.
Congress, however, can take credit for pushing baseball and its union into adopting a tough testing program. It is also responsible for the Mitchell investigation. Had it not been for Congress, Selig would not have hired Mitchell to look into steroids use in the sport.
Why baseball should have to dredge up its dirty past and the NFL does not creates the double standard that must rightfully make Selig crazy. Baseball might have had a few home run hitters whose totals soared, but the NFL has all of those behemoths stomping each other, and no one seems to notice or care.
The NFL strengthened its testing program and received a standing ovation. As part of the new program, the league added EPO to its list of banned substances. EPO is a synthetic hormone that improves stamina. Baseball did 500 tests for EPO in 2005, and no one noticed. When all of the tests came back negative, baseball decided that EPO was not an issue.
The NFL will increase its use of carbon isotope tests, which examine the atomic makeup of testosterone in urine. Baseball already does that. The NFL has pledged funds for the development of a test for human growth hormone. Baseball has already given money for that research.
Yet the NFL is credited with having the most stringent testing policy among the major American sports leagues.
Congress has not asked why football players have grown enormously. It has not demanded a history of steroids use in the NFL, where and how it started and where did the stuff come from.
But Selig, in no uncertain terms, and Mitchell have told the clubs they better cooperate or the bogeyman Waxman will come looking for them.
Mitchell's remarks were aimed at the owners, but he knew the players would hear them, too. Investigators are said to have interviewed many former players but have not begun to approach active players.
There is nothing in it for players to cooperate with Mitchell. Even if they have never used steroids, they will be asked if they know of or suspect anyone of using or supplying them. They then could find themselves in the position of lying (they would not be under oath) or ratting, like Jose Canseco, on friends and teammates.
