Pirates in the Mitchell Report

by Vlad on Dec 13, 2007 3:30 PM EST Comment 4 comments

I've seen a number of jokes about Pirates and performance-enhancing substances recently ("They should ask for a refund!", etc.), and as such, the number of ex-Pirates named in the document was surprising to me. No current Bucs were implicated, but a large number from the last few years ended up in the spotlight: Kevin Young, Denny Neagle, Jose Guillen, Josias Manzanillo, Jason Christiansen, Ron Villone, Armando Rios, Gary Matthews, Jr., Benito Santiago, and Tim Laker. (Surprisingly, given the amount of space dedicated to the history of steroids in baseball, Matt Lawton isn't mentioned.) Big names like Roger Clemens will draw most of the attention, but there are all kinds of players mentioned, right down to minor bench players like Nook Logan. The fact that so many guys from one of the league's worst teams are there really illustrates the breadth of the problem.

The report is pretty remarkable, and I'd encourage all of you out there on the intertubes to download a copy and read it for yourselves.

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Management

If you do decide to read it, keep an eye out for cameos by Jim Leyland and Frank Coonelly.

by Vlad on Dec 13, 2007 3:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pseudo-Pirates in the report

Two guys in the report wore black and gold in spring training, but not during the regular season: Howie Clark, who played for us in the minors in 2005, and Matt Herges, who was notoriously acquired at the cost of Chris Young and then cut at the end of spring training in 2003.

by Vlad on Dec 13, 2007 4:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yet, how effective are these drugs when

"...so many guys from one of the league's worst teams are there...."

The relationship between PEDs and actual performance is assumed. It's not a proven fact.

by steve_z on Dec 13, 2007 5:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Seriously.

At the absolute, bare-minimum least, the presence of Kevin Young causes reasonable doubt. I'm not suggesting PEDs shouldn't be banned, for the same reason guys ought to get suspended for use of illegal drugs. But before we make it mandatory to disregard everything a player has done based on allegations of Jose Canseco or the Mets clubhouse guy, I'm thinking this issue ought to be explored a little. I'm aware that the exploration of the issue won't sell much advertising space on "Around The Horn," but it seems to me worthwhile to prove or disprove the assumption that makes this at all an issue, no?

by KPatrick on Dec 13, 2007 6:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs