FIT TO BE TARNISHED: THE MITCHELL REPORT

Well, Senator George Mitchell submitted his report on steroid and HGH abuse among major league baseball players, and the list of retired AND active players is an extensive one. That list is highlighted by Barry Bonds, of course, and teammates,training partners and Yankee players Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens. Maybe now we know the secret of his longevity. Maybe we don't. I was listening to WFAN, the leading sports radio station in the New York City area, and a couple commenters, not terribly bright ones, questioned why there were so many Yankee and Mets players and former players on the list, and the idiot talk show host and some of the callers said that Mitchell has always been anti-Yankees and anti-Mets. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is from a great Friday column by Hartford Courant sportswriter Jeff Jacobs, my favorite sports scribe. The entire article is available when you click on the title, but read on...

"Without former Yankees strength coach Brian McNamee and former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, the Mitchell Report would have been long on perspective and short on any, ah, real juice.
Radomski gave up the canceled checks, mail orders, shipping receipts and telephone records that document involvement. In McNamee's case, well, he claims he stuck the biggest name in the butt himself with a needle full of Winstrol in 1998 and Sustanon 250 or Deca-Durabolin in 2000.
Mitchell landed his big fish in Roger Clemens. He got the name that would make America stop and listen for a snowy day. For good measure, he landed the big fish's buddy, Andy Pettitte, too."

Peter here, and I know sports talk show hosts AND callers are sometimes a little biased, mistakenly using truths based in fallacy, but that one takes the cake. At least for now. This much we know.....Roger Clemens' illustrious legacy will be dimmed by these allegations. Andy Pettitte is pitching next year for the New York Yankees. I'm sure he won't back out of his current contract and retire. Not at this point. But he is sure to hear the boos and taunts whenever and wherever he takes the mound next season. And the only active, now ex-Red Sox player, was "Mr. Clutch'.....Eric Gagne. Right now, since he's a Brewer and sucked last year, I COULD CARE LESS. But Mo Vaughn was on that list....was his use of "something" a contributing factor to his many injuries and weight problems? We'll never know.

Hey, thanks for being here, and for the entire superlative Jeff Jacobs' Hartford Courant column, just click on the title, and then leave me some comments, if you can. It's the off-season, and I can tell by the numbers of comments. I'll respond to every one of them. Have a wonderful weekend, Constant Readers, and just for the record, we ended up here in Farmington with 11 inches of beautiful, light and puffy snow. Beautiful, that is, if you weren't on the roads yesterday afternoon and evening. 30 minute trips took 4 hours! Gotta go.....be well. Be safe. Forever. Read that Jeff Jacobs column....sportswriting at its best. Promise!