Mitchell’s Baseball Ties Raise Questions

NEW YORK —  Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday that former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell would conduct a “thorough and fair” investigation of steroid use in baseball, despite his connections to one of the game’s valued franchises and a television partner of Major League Baseball.

Mitchell, a Washington lawyer and a former Senate majority leader, is a director of the Boston Red Sox and chairman of the Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN.

He said he would not sever his ties to the Red Sox during a probe whose initial focus apparently will be the players identified in the federal investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield among them.

“I do not intend to resign from the Red Sox,” Mitchell said. “I don’t believe there’s any reason for me to do so. If in any way anyone associated with the Red Sox is implicated, they’ll be treated just like everyone else.”

Selig defended his choice, saying he’d selected Mitchell from a list because of his work as a federal judge and prosecutor, his role in the Northern Ireland peace agreement of 1998, and various previous investigations. A biography distributed at baseball’s Park Avenue headquarters made no reference to Mitchell’s relationship with the Red Sox.

“Every time we looked at the list, and I had a fair number of people looking at it, everybody would say to me, ‘But he’s the best qualified guy,’ ” Selig said. “Frankly, his reputation is impeccable.

“This man would not, in his career, in the end accept an assignment where he didn’t have complete autonomy. As time goes on, you will see this very dramatically. He’s going wherever this takes him. You can be assured of that.”

Red Sox owner John Henry did not respond to an e-mail inquiring about Mitchell’s appointment.

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), a Hall of Fame pitcher who has been critical of baseball’s past steroid policies, supported the investigation, but in a statement condemned Selig’s decision “to choose one of their own to lead this important project.”

“While George Mitchell is certainly a man of great integrity, I believe that baseball would have been wiser to pick someone who is not as close to the game,” Bunning said.

Mitchell has been asked to investigate players “associated with BALCO or otherwise,” according to Selig, primarily after baseball banned steroids following the 2002 season, but not limited to that time frame.

“Should Sen. Mitchell uncover material suggesting that the scope of the investigation needs to be broader,” Selig said, “he has my permission to expand the investigation and to follow the evidence wherever it may lead.”

Mitchell asked that anyone with information regarding performance-enhancing drugs “come forward with that information so that it might be considered in the context of all the evidence.

“I further request full cooperation from all those we contact who might have relevant information.”

Neither Selig nor Mitchell raised the name of Bonds, who could pass Babe Ruth in career home runs in the first weeks of the season. Bonds is the focus of “Game of Shadows,” the recently released book that prompted the investigation. Selig did, however, say that the role of Greg Anderson, Bonds’ trainer and a key figure in the BALCO investigation, would again be considered in this investigation.

Victor Conte, who founded BALCO, was released from prison Thursday. Conte told the Associated Press he did not supply Bonds with steroids and that “Game of Shadows” was about “the character assassination of Barry Bonds and myself.”

Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, would not comment on whether Bonds would cooperate with Mitchell’s investigators. Bonds would not retire under their pressure, he said.

“Barry’s talent will dictate when he is no longer able to play baseball,” Borris said. “Because Barry has not shown a decline in skill, there’s no reason to retire.”

The players’ association was only recently made aware of the investigation.

“Obviously we need to do whatever we need to do to ensure players are granted the due process they’re entitled to,” union chief Don Fehr said.

Moments after the news conference, Selig paced in his corner office. A framed black-and-white photo of Hank Aaron, the game’s all-time home run leader, leaned against a window behind him.

He said he believed players and other baseball personnel would cooperate with Mitchell and his investigators, despite potential legal ramifications and the BALCO investigation. He said he was uncertain if he would discipline players found to have used performance-enhancing drugs.

“The only person I’ve talked to about that, ad nauseum -- I was up most of the night last night and most nights lately -- is myself,” Selig said. “So, the answer is, I’m just not going to get to that.”

Selig and Mitchell said all findings would be made public.

Asked if he were afraid the investigation would cast a pall on the regular season, which opens Sunday, Selig shrugged.

“I feel a great sense of integrity here,” he said. “I don’t care about that. I’m thrilled that the sport has never been more popular, we’re going to set a record at every level this year, both in gross revenues and attendance. ... That’s why I had to find the best guy and tell him just go do it now. And you’ll see when you walk out there, they’re all in the conference room. They’re at it already. Whatever they do, they’ll do. Whatever they find, they’ll find.”