USA: BASEBALL - Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announces an investigation into steroid use by players after renewed allegations against slugger Barry Bonds and other players

Record ID: 491880

  • Title: USA: BASEBALL - Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announces an investigation into steroid use by players after renewed allegations against slugger Barry Bonds and other players
  • Date: 31st March 2006
  • Summary: FILE: SPECTATORS WATCHING BONDS IN BATTING CAGE (REUTERS) (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 15th April 2006 13:00
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  • Location: Usa
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  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA76MGPI28X0BUM9GY6N49J1EM2
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  • Story Text: Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on Thursday announced an investigation into steroid use by players after renewed allegations against slugger Barry Bonds and other players.
    Selig said the investigation would be headed by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, a former federal judge and U.S. attorney who has earlier been engaged in efforts to secure peace in Northern Ireland and in the Middle East.
    Mitchell, who joined Selig for the announcement, said he was given full authority to pursue his investigation wherever it leads, with the findings to be made public.
    The probe was top begin immediately. Selig he had been moved to act by a recent book outlining steroids use by Bonds and his connection to the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO), which was the subject of federal investigation in San Francisco.
    "Nothing is more important to me than the integrity of the game of baseball," Selig told reporters at major league headquarters. He spoke days before Sunday's opening of the new season.
    "The unique circumstances surrounding BALCO and evidence revealed in a recently published book have convinced me that Major League Baseball must undertake this investigation," Selig said.
    There was no timetable announced for the investigation.
    "The allegations ... have caused fans and observers to question the integrity of play at the highest level of our national game," Mitchell said. "These allegations require close scrutiny."
    There has been considerable pressure on baseball to deal with the steroid issue, especially since publication of "Game of Shadows," written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters. Major League Baseball also faces questions from the United States Congress, which has held hearings on the issue.
    Bonds is six home runs away from Babe Ruth's career total of 714 homers that is second on the all-time list behind Hank Aaron's mark of 755.
    Performance enhancing drugs were not officially banned by Major League Baseball until after the 2002 season. Bonds has denied ever knowingly using any performance-enhancing drugs.
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