By Ronald Blum
Associated Press
NEW YORK ó Baseball management officials implicated in the Mitchell Report apparently will escape suspensions and fines.
Speaking Thursday at his annual meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors, baseball commissioner Bud Selig indicated public service will be required of officials found to have acted improperly.
As part of Seligís announcement April 11 that players wouldnít be disciplined, management and the playersí association agreed that players will join Major League Baseball in iefforts designed to educate youth and their parents regarding the dangers of performance-enhancing substances.î The union also agreed to contribute $200,000 to ian anti-drug, charitable, educational or research organization.î
iI donít use the word amnesty. I donít think there is amnesty because I think that whatever theyíre doing, theyíre doing something as a result of what they did. And the club officials and the clubs will be treated in exactly the same manner,î Selig said. iThat would be unfair if they werenít.î
Asked as a follow-up whether that meant management officials wouldnít be suspended of fined, Selig responded: iTheyíre going to be treated the same way.î
San Francisco Giants owner Peter Magowan said in February that he and general manager Brian Sabean had met with Selig about the clubís prominent mention in the Mitchell Report, which was released in December.
The report said former Giants athletic trainer Stan Conte told Sabean in 2002 that a player had come to him with questions because he was considering buying steroids from Greg Anderson, Bondsí former trainer. Longtime Giants equipment manager Mike Murphy discovered syringes in the locker of catcher Benito Santiago, the report said.
Mitchellís report also said Conte asked Sabean to remove Anderson and others like him from the clubhouse but the GM wasnít willing to do it.
iAt this point, our organization hasnít been notified by Major League Baseball officially of what the plan is, so we really donít have a comment,î Giants spokesman Blake Rhodes said.
The joint announcement by MLB and the union was made as part of an agreement by the sides to toughen the sportís oft-criticized drug-testing program. The announcement stated imajor league players, including players named in the Mitchell Report,î would participate in the educational efforts. Questioned whether participation was voluntary, Selig responded: iItís part of the program.î
Mitchell recommended that players not be punished unless Selig determined discipline was necessary to maintain integrity in the sport.
iDon Fehr has said this, and I wonít disagree with him, just the announcement of all their names was punishment enough,î Selig said, referring to the union head.