Former Senator George Mitchell has released the long-awaited Report to the Commissioner of Baseball on the use of illegal steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. "Those who have illegally used these substances range from players whose major league careers were brief to potential members of the Baseball Hall of Fame," Mitchell said. Many top players are named in the report including Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Mo Vaughn and Gary Sheffield. MLB as well as media websites like CNN, NPR and the New York Times are providing extensive coverage.

I think a lot of people we're waiting with bated breath to see who would be on here. Sheff has had some steroid talk around him for a while, and I am curious how this will impact his season next year. I was surprised to see former Tiger Rondell White on the list. I'm interested to see the fallout over the next few days of what's going to happen. With all the Black Sox comparisons this is drawing, I think pundits are underestimating the impact of this. I mean, baseball has such an innocent and pastoral nostalgia around the game, even if neither of those adjectives have accurately described the game for some time. And, you know, if baseball is dirty, could other sports, where being burly and ripped are much more important factors, also be tainted? Of course, we can't deny baseball is rather unique in that while the play isn't necessarily that intensive (save for pitchers and catchers,) baseballmen tend to have much longer careers into their 40s (50s if Julio Franco can hold on.)