George Mitchell doesn't know this Lou Merloni guy

[Bugg]

Seems that while compiling his vaunted report, Red Sox Director and stockholdr failed to interview former Red Sox player Lou Merloni, or anyone form the Duquette regime and medical staff.Apparently Roger Clemens took this advice to heart before he set off for Toronto and the needles in his ass

. Again, my point is they are all to some degree or other cheating. Which is why singling out any team or excluding any team was pretty much intentional by Mitchell.

Also heard a report by John Stossel, a reporter I respect greatly, stating that despite all the horror stories, there is no scientifically peer-reviewed studies that conclusilvey prove steroids are necessarily bad. The name people automatically bring up is Lyle Alzado. But retired NFL players experience lief-long health problems wehtehr they abuse steroids or not. Look at Namath or Unitas or Jim Otto. Further Alzado was notorius for using street drugs.

Let's end the silent treatment

By Nick Cafardo | May 11, 2009

It will take more ex-players like Lou Merloni - those who were in the game at a time when steroid use was at its height - to chip away at this enormous story, which seems to consume baseball almost daily.

So many players, active and retired, have adopted a silly code of silence and refused to even acknowledge they saw or heard anything about steroids. Until more speak openly about it, there will be only a trickle of information, one that can only keep damaging baseball.

Yesterday, Merloni wasn't backtracking from comments he made on Comcast SportsNet's "The Baseball Show" Saturday, when he told of a meeting in spring training in which a doctor, speaking on behalf of the Red Sox, educated players on how to use steroids properly without abusing them.

Merloni was adamant that neither the Sox nor this doctor was encouraging the use of steroids, but said the doctor was simply informing players that, if they were using, there was a right way and a wrong way to do so.

"It was like teaching your teenage daughter about sex education," said Merloni. "The organization acknowledged that there were likely players using steroids and basically 'if you're gonna use them, this is how you use them so you don't abuse them.' "

However, former Sox general manager Dan Duquette, strongly denied that anyone associated with the team would counsel players on how to take steroids.

"It's ridiculous. It's totally unfounded," said Duquette, who was GM from 1994-2002, covering virtually all of Merloni's tenure (1998-2003). "Who was the doctor? Tell me who the doctor is.

"If there was such a doctor, he wasn't in the employ of the Red Sox. We brought in doctors to educate the players on the major league drug policy at the time, at the recommendation of Major League Baseball.

"This is so ridiculous I hate to even respond to it."

Merloni said he did not remember the name of the doctor, nor the year the meeting took place.

Troy O'Leary, who played for the Sox from 1995-2001, also was asked about such a meeting.

"Don't really remember anything like that," said O'Leary. "I remember the normal union meetings in spring training where they'd talk about drugs and steroids, and I remember doctors talking negatively about them, but I don't remember ever hearing anything like, 'OK, this is the right way to do steroids.' If that happened, I missed that one."

Merloni's revelations came two days after MLB handed out a 50-game suspension to the Dodgers' Manny Ram

[Otter]

Lou Merloni Will Blow This Steroid Business Wide Open

[*]By Dashiell Bennett, 10:15 AM on Mon May 11 2009, 4,194 views (Edit post, Set to draft, Slurp)

Here's one more tidbit that should cap off Boston's excellent weekend of excellence

[Guido Monzino]

Real thorough and unbiased report, Senator

[Lil Bit Special]

Why did Lou Merloni open his mouth in 2009 and not when the steroid issue was exploding?

How would George Mitchell know to interview him? Why didnt he seek out George Mitchell?

And nobody ever said it was a thorough investigation. The only real info he got was from a guy who the feds made talk.

[Blackout]

LOL **** George Mitchell

if he comes back to Maine he's gonna get jumped

[Garb]

Merloni has made a nice transition to broadcasting - most specifically - tv analysis. He comes off educated and honest. I beleive him. Duquette? Not so much.

[PFSIKH]

Why did Lou Merloni open his mouth in 2009 and not when the steroid issue was exploding?

How would George Mitchell know to interview him? Why didnt he seek out George Mitchell?

And nobody ever said it was a thorough investigation. The only real info he got was from a guy who the feds made talk.

Self preservation.

I doubt management or fellow players would think too highly of Lou Melroni for NARCing on them.

IMHO this is much ado about nothing. We already know baseball from player to MLB management knowingly turned a blind eye towards steroids, PEDs or whatever.

A dark little secret that most probably thought necessary to compete with peers and bring baseball back from the brink of their strike. Seeing the 'alleged' meeting took place prior to the MLB drug testing policy,it is even less newsworthy.

[Guido Monzino]

Why did Lou Merloni open his mouth in 2009 and not when the steroid issue was exploding?

How would George Mitchell know to interview him? Why didnt he seek out George Mitchell?

And nobody ever said it was a thorough investigation. The only real info he got was from a guy who the feds made talk.

Mitchell claimed it was thorough. The commissioner did too. Otherwise, what was the point of the report in the first place?

It was Mitchell's responsibilty to seek out guys like Merloni, not vice-versa. Instead, he worked through the contacts of ONE GUY.

It was another dumb call by Selig, and a horrible job done by a person who once voted on the floor of the US Senate. In summary, some of the most powerful people in this country are totally inept.

[Lil Bit Special]

Mitchell claimed it was thorough. The commissioner did too. Otherwise, what was the point of the report in the first place?

It was Mitchell's responsibilty to seek out guys like Merloni, not vice-versa. Instead, he worked through the contacts of ONE GUY.

It was another dumb call by Selig, and a horrible job done by a person who once voted on the floor of the US Senate. In summary, some of the most powerful people in this country are totally inept.

Wrong. How could it be thorough if the players association was largely uncooperative? The players themselves refused to talk.

Anytime there is information withheld there is no way it is thorough. Yes he collected a lot of information, yes he spoke to a lot of people. But the most important people- the players and their union- refused to cooperate.

[Lil Bit Special]

FYI-

If you never read this boring report, here is the link for it.

http://files.mlb.com/mitchrpt.pdf

[Guido Monzino]

Wrong. How could it be thorough if the players association was largely uncooperative? The players themselves refused to talk.

Anytime there is information withheld there is no way it is thorough. Yes he collected a lot of information, yes he spoke to a lot of people. But the most important people- the players and their union- refused to cooperate.

How does this dispute my exact point that the Mitchell Report was a useless piece of trash? Explain please.

[Lil Bit Special]

How does this dispute my exact point that the Mitchell Report was a useless piece of trash? Explain please.

You really have no clue?

Have you even read the report?

[Guido Monzino]

You really have no clue?

Have you even read the report?

Yeah, I read the report. I'll point out that it read as if it were writen by a 4th grader.

So if you agree with me that the report is not even remotely thorough, then what purpose did it serve? Is baseball today any better off that it was before it was released? What did we get out of it, really? Other than a few laughs?

[Lil Bit Special]

Yeah, I read the report. I'll point out that it read as if it were writen by a 4th grader.

So if you agree with me that the report is not even remotely thorough, then what purpose did it serve? Is baseball today any better off that it was before it was released? What did we get out of it, really? Other than a few laughs?

It was impossible for it to be thorough due to the users.. I mean players.

What purpose? To give as much information about steroids in baseball and recommendations to fix the problems. All the allegations and stories were compiled and put into one place.

Is baseball better off now? Yes. Its no longer an issue swept under the rug by both the greedy owners who allowed it to happen and most likely encouraged it, and the players who benefitted by using it. There are real consequences to breaking the rules now. Do people still use and break the rules? Yes. But far less than just a few short years ago.

WHat had the biggest impact? Sadly, our gov't threatening MLB's antitrust exemption forced most of the change. Steroids have been in baseball since the early to mid 80's yet the issue was ignored for 15-20 years.

[Guido Monzino]

It was impossible for it to be thorough due to the users.. I mean players.

What purpose? To give as much information about steroids in baseball and recommendations to fix the problems. All the allegations and stories were compiled and put into one place.

Is baseball better off now? Yes. Its no longer an issue swept under the rug by both the greedy owners who allowed it to happen and most likely encouraged it, and the players who benefitted by using it. There are real consequences to breaking the rules now. Do people still use and break the rules? Yes. But far less than just a few short years ago.

WHat had the biggest impact? Sadly, our gov't threatening MLB's antitrust exemption forced most of the change. Steroids have been in baseball since the early to mid 80's yet the issue was ignored for 15-20 years.

The Mitchell Report isn't responsible for any awareness or change. Those wheels were already in motion and were inevitable. It was a complete and utter waste of time. There's no getting around the fact that Selig and Mitchell only made themselves look even dumber.

What are you anyway? Mitchell's kid?

You're right, baseball should have dealt with this 15 years ago. But this report was meaningless. Did it really tell you anything you didn't already know? A few names representing a small percentage of the users? What good is that?

[Bugg]

Yeah, I read the report. I'll point out that it read as if it were writen by a 4th grader.

So if you agree with me that the report is not even remotely thorough, then what purpose did it serve? Is baseball today any better off that it was before it was released? What did we get out of it, really? Other than a few laughs?

The purpose was to give MLB and Selig cover to pretend they cared after years of making money first with McGwire and Sosa and then Bonds for a time.It's a whitewash. And after A-rod's test results were leaked-miraculously- the MLBPA will never trust the Commissioner's Office. I understand the media likes to make it sound like the PA are bunch of jerks and they may be. But how can you trust Selig any further than you can throw him?

[Guido Monzino]

The purpose was to give MLB and Selig cover to pretend they cared after years of making money first with McGwire and Sosa and then Bonds for a time.It's a whitewash. And after A-rod's test results were leaked-miraculously- the MLBPA will never trust the Commissioner's Office. I understand the media likes to make it sound like the PA are bunch of jerks and they may be. But how can you trust Selig any further than you can throw him?

BINGO.

As for the rest of us, we got nothing out of it.

[talisaynon]

i for one support Damon's ongoing quest to hit 40 homers this season.