Hot Topic: The Mitchell Report Part I

The Mitchell Report has been on every major news outlet. It has been on ESPN. It is all the rage on sports talk radio. But, what exactly is the Mitchell Report. Well officially it is the "Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball". It is my hope to bring my educated opinion upon this document and shed some light into it and what it means, not only to baseball but for all of Athletics. It is my hope that Baseball and all sports can learn from this and we can get back to a level playing field where Athletes are clean and Athletic feats are honest.



The Mitchell Report was released last Thursday at 2pm. It is 409 pages long and I will break it down over a series of posts. At first glance my opinion of the Mitchell Report is that it is a very flawed document. For what is supposed to be an independent investigation in to Performance Enhancing Drugs or PEDs by Baseball Players how can it be independent when the guy running it is on the Board of Directors of one of the teams in MLB. Senator Mitchell is a Board member for the Boston Red Sox. So I ask how can something be independent when this is the case. Also, I am not very happy with the fact that players names were released. I don't see how this is going to help solve the problem. If anything I think it glorifies the use of PEDs because kids look up to these Athletes. I just hope that because Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are linked to PEDs that young athletes view PEDs as the way to the Majors.



In beginning the document the first section goes over the purpose of the document. Again, I don't see how it is an independent investigation because of my explanation above. Also, it is only an investigation between 2002 and 2006. The 2002 Agreement between the MLB owners and the Players association initiated the MLB Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Basically this was the first time that PEDs were tested for and banned by MLB. But, everyone knows that the game of Baseball was infiltrated by PEDs way before 2002. Bud Selig the Commissioner of Baseball did give Senator Mitchell the freedom to investigate out side the 2002 to 2006 time period. But, it was only if it was deemed necessary.


To sum up the opening to section II PEDs are dangerous to ones health, Pro Athletes who use PEDs are a bad role model for youths, MLB Players who use PEDs and it is rumored is a blackeye for MLB, and finally it is unfair for those who don't use PEDs.

Mitchell Breaks down the the effects and side effects of Anabolic Steroids very nicely from page 5 to of page 17. I think that every coach, athlete, and parent should read his synopsis of the effects of steroids and Human Growth Hormone. It is laid out simply and it is very easy to understand. He describes how Steroids aid in Muscle Growth and Recovery from workouts and why this would benefit an athlete. Then he breaks down the side effects. Basically Steroids effect every system of the human body. lets just say increase risk of psychiatric problems, Cardiovascular problems, Liver Damage, Stunted growth in youths, risk of tendon tears, and last but not least it can damage the reproductive organs. When he describes HGH he indicates how it is not that much of a performance enhancer. But, that it aids in recovery. Also, the side effects of HGH use is laid out again in very plain and easy to understand english. Mitchell explains the main attraction to HGH for athletes is that it is relatively undetectable by conventional methods of testing and that it aids in recovery and repair from injury. Like steroids there are severe side effects. Some of them are as follows: gigantism, cancer, impotence in men, cardiomyopothy, arthritis, and hypothyroidism.

In closing section II the Mitchell Report discusses in detail how the use of PEDs is considered by the office of the commissioner for MLB as Cheating. It also talks about how the impact of the use of PEDs by MLB players effects the use of PEDs by youths. An example of Mark McGwire using Androstenedione in 1998 when he was trying to break Roger Marris' Home Run record for a season. Sales of that supplement sky rocketed by 1000% after it was proven that McGwire had used it. The sales increased even though it was well documented that there were health risks associated with its use.


There will certainly be more on this topic from me. Stay tuned for more.