ESPN reports that federal agents haven’t been able to track down ex-big-leaguer Chuck Knoblauch to serve him with a subpoena to appear before a House panel investigating steroid use in baseball:
When the committee didn’t hear from Knoblauch or a representative, it issued a subpoena to force the 1991 AL Rookie of the Year to submit to a deposition next Tuesday.
As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, though, that subpoena had not reached the former infielder who, like Clemens and more than 80 other players, was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs in last month’s Mitchell Report on baseball’s steroids era.
Knoblauch swiped 407 …read more

“Witch Hunt Backlash” sounds like some crazy dance from the ’60s, but the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols might have other ideas. Seems he “was incorrectly linked to the Mitchell report” and now the media outlet that did the linking has lost the privilege of listening to Pujols speak:
Pujols asked Cardinals media relations director Brian Bartow to make a reporter and cameraman from St. Louis Fox affiliate KTVI leave the room where Pujols’ news conference was taking place on the final day of the Cardinals’ winter warmup.
Not that you can blame Pujols. Assuming he’s clean, someone has tarnished his reputation, which is …read more

Wrestling legend and bastion of integrity Pete Rose weighs in with his thoughts on steroids in baseball. Well, it’s about damn time. Quoth the hit king:
I’ve been suspended 18 years for betting on my own team to win. I was wrong … but these guys today, if the allegations are true, they’re making a mockery of the game.
Rose should stop complaining. At least he got a big, nasty report all to himself and didn’t have to share it with hundreds of other guys.
Seriously, dude, not everyone gets their own report. Let it go already.

Sounds kind of kinky, don’t it? Yeah, well, it’s not:

Jim at AZ Snakepit wonders about the Diamondbacks pitching staff.
Eric at Philliesflow searches for hidden gems in right field.
Harper at Oleanders and Morning Glories reacts to news of Paul LoDuca’s inclusion in the Mitchell Report.
Kurt at Goat Riders of the Apocalypse muses on the nature of hypocrisy in sports, specifically as it relates to the current steroid flap.
Lisa at Astros Dugout rejoices in the signing of right-hander Jack Cassel.
Dave at U.S.S. Mariners fantasizes about how much better the world would be if he ran the Mariners.
Eric at Rays Anatomy calls for …read more

As I continue to wade through the report and digest the large number of names contained therein, a few questions come to mind:

How surprised is anyone by the magnitude of this?
How surprised should we be?
Should players and others be held accountable for their actions?
If yes, how forthcoming will athletes be in the future?
If no, what is the incentive for not trying to cheat the system?
Why do we, as fans, continue to support these people and provide them — through our purchase of tickets, merchandise, and the like — with the means to perpetuate their actions?
How will future generations view the …read more

I’m working my way through the Summary and Recommendations. It will take me weeks to read this entire document, by the end of which I’ll probably hate everyone and everything associated with MLB. A few initial notes:

MLB was slow to respond to steroid issue. Although baseball is moving in the right direction, it needs to do more.
The report claims to be a “deliberate and unbiased examination of the facts.” In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that George Mitchell is part of the Red Sox ownership group (he is listed as “Director” in the Front Office directory …read more

The Mitchell Report has been released. The entire 409-page document is available at MLB.com in PDF format. I’m reading it now.

Ready for the Mitchell Report? Totally psyched? Man, it’s just like the World Series, only with allegations of drug use instead of baseball games. I can’t believe it’s almost here, just in time for [insert winter holiday of choice].
Howard Bryant at ESPN writes a detailed piece outlining the troublesome nature of this investigation (hat tip to Baseball Musings). You really need to read the entire article, but here are a few little nuggets worth mentioning:
The teams’ general managers, too, felt pressured by questions that led them to believe the Mitchell report will judge them harshly for condoning widespread drug use …read more

Recently signed Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen and Baltimore outfielder Jay Gibbons have been suspended for the first 15 days of the 2008 season for “violating baseball’s drug policy.” The issue is human growth hormone. Others accused of such violations but not suspended include Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr., and Scott Schoeneweis.
Guillen is filing a grievance, while Gibbons is accepting his fate as-is.
Guillen, you may recall, just signed with the Royals for beaucoup bucks. It will be interesting to see how his signing and subsequent suspension affect Mike Cameron, who will miss the first 25 games of ‘08 …read more