The Marlins and the Mitchell Report

by craig on Dec 14, 2007 9:36 AM EST in News Comment 0 comments

Before we start, and I hate that we have to, you need to keep in mind that this isn't really an independent report. George Mitchell is a consultant to the owners of the Boston Red Sox. Before that he was on the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company when they owned the Angels. And even before that he served on the board of directors for the Florida Marlins when John Henry owned the team. Apparently John Henry and former Senator Mitchell are good friends.

In, hopefully shorter words, Mr. Mitchell is and has been part of baseball management for quite some time.

The Mitchell report named 74 players, if I counted correctly, of which 11 were former Marlins. Fish@Bat has the list of former Marlins players in the report, complete with the brief synopsis provided by ESPN. If you like read the synopsis of all players listed in the report, click here.

No current Marlins are named in the report.

Of the 11 mentioned, only 3 used performance enhancing substances while a part of the Marlins organization.

Dan covered Ricky Bones in yesterday's Chum Bucket. If you want to read about Bones degenerative hip condition and eventual surgery that led to the replacement of both hips, check it out. Bones claims to have had a prescription from his hometown in Puerto Rico. But unfortunately didn't follow the proper protocol in declaring it to MLB. Bones was just one of many on the list who was trying to extend his career a year or two longer.

Paul Lo Duca is next, though it isn't completely clear he used human growth hormones while a Marlin during the regular season. It is implied. The Dodgers apparently knew he was slipping in production and wanted to trade him. This is the alleged notes from their front office meetings.

Steroids aren't being used anymore on him. Big part of this.
Might have some value to trade . . . Florida might have interest.
. . . Got off the steroids . . . Took away a lot of hard line drives.
. . . Can get comparable value back would consider trading. . . . If you do trade him, will get back on the stuff and try to show you he can have a good year. That's his makeup. Comes to play. Last
year of contract, playing for 05

Lo Duca was traded to the Marlins in July 2004 and the last evidence in the report of him buying performance enhancing drugs was in August of the same year. Lo Duca signed a three-year deal with the Marlins in January of 2005.

If the report is accurate, the Dodgers juiced him up and sold the Marlins a bill of goods and the only way I can see to right the wrong is to give us Brad Penny back and have the Dodgers pay out Penny's existing contract. And you wonder why I'm not the commissioner.

The last one is Chad Allen.

In 2001, Allen tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for the Minnesota Twins. After the injury and subsequent knee
surgery, Allen's right leg was weakened and atrophied.

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In the summer of 2003, Allen discussed this problem with Chris Donnels, who was a teammate at Albuquerque. Donnels described the benefits of using Winstrol and mentioned Kirk Radomski. Allen called Radomski at a phone number provided by Donnels. When Allen called Radomski and described his knee problem, Radomski told him that Winstrol was the best drug for him to take because it would strengthen his joints and build up muscles and ligaments in his leg. Allen recalled obtaining the Winstrol in October after the season was over; he was adamant that he never took steroids during the season. According to Allen, the 2003 off-season was the only occasion when he used steroids. Allen explained that he did not want his teammates to know that he used steroids, and he did not want to use anything during the season because he "did not want to be on a different playing field from his teammates." He also was concerned about testing positive.

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Radomski warned him to stop using the steroids by January 15 to avoid testing positive, and Allen recalled stopping his use well before that date. Allen said that the Winstrol, together with diligent exercise, had a noticeable effect on him. However, the effects of the Winstrol did not last long.

Allen was just another minor leaguer trying to hang on.

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