REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL OF AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE ILLEGAL USE OF STEROIDS AND OTHER PERFORMANCE ENHANCING SUBSTANCES BY PLAYERS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GEORGE J. MITCHELL DLA PIPER US LLP December 13, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Summary and Recommendations ............................................................................................SR-1 I. Scope of this Investigation................................................................................................. 1 II. Major League Baseball and Other Sports Must Combat the Illegal Use of Performance Enhancing Substances .................................................................................. 4 A. Health Risks from Abuse of Steroids and Other Widely Used Performance Enhancing Substances............................................................................................ 5 1. Adverse Effects of Anabolic Steroid Abuse .............................................. 5 2. Adverse Effects of Human Growth Hormone ........................................... 9 B. Threat to the Integrity of Baseball Posed by the Illegal Use of Performance Enhancing Substances.......................................................................................... 11 C. The Effects on Young Athletes............................................................................ 15 III. The Governing Laws and Baseball Policies Regarding Possession or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances ................................................................................ 18 A. Laws Regarding Performance Enhancing Substances......................................... 18 B. Baseball’s Drug Policies Before 2002 ................................................................. 24 1. Bowie Kuhn and Baseball’s First Drug Policies...................................... 26 2. The Ferguson Jenkins Decision ............................................................... 29 3. Cocaine Suspensions of 1983-84............................................................. 31 4. The 1984 Joint Drug Program.................................................................. 34 5. Drug Policies Under Peter Ueberroth ...................................................... 36 6. 1991: Fay Vincent Adds Steroids to Baseball’s Drug Policy.................. 41 7. Baseball’s Drug Policies Under Bud Selig .............................................. 42 8. 2001 Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program ............... 44 C. Informal Reasonable Cause Testing .................................................................... 47 D. The Joint Drug Program Under the Basic Agreement, 2002 to Present .............. 50 IV. Early Indications of Steroid Use in Baseball (1988 to August 1998).............................. 60 V. Androstenedione and Baseball’s Broadening Awareness of the Use of Performance Enhancing Substances ................................................................................ 77 VI. Incidents Providing Evidence to Baseball Officials of Players’ Possession or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances............................................................................ 86 A. Operation Equine ................................................................................................. 89 B. Steroids Found in Boston Red Sox Player’s Car, June 2000............................... 91 C. Discovery of Steroids in Florida Marlins Player’s Locker, June 2000................ 92 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page D. Shipment of Steroids to Arizona Clubhouse, September 2000............................ 94 E. Canadian Border Service Seizure of Steroids in Toronto, October 2001............ 95 F. Bullpen Catcher Admits to Supplying Steroids to Eight Major League Players, September 2002...................................................................................... 99 G. Infielder Disciplined For Steroids Shipment, July 2004.................................... 101 H. Cooperation in Law Enforcement Investigation, Late 2004.............................. 103 I. Investigation Following Rafael Palmeiro’s Positive Drug Test, May 2005 ...... 103 J. 50-Game Suspension of Jason Grimsley for Reported Admissions of Human Growth Hormone Use, Summer 2006................................................... 106 K. Procedures Followed for Players Implicated in Recent Government Investigations ..................................................................................................... 108 L. Unreported Incidents.......................................................................................... 109 VII. Major League Baseball and the BALCO Investigation ................................................. 112 A. The BALCO Raid and Grand Jury Investigation............................................... 112 B. Information Learned During this Investigation Concerning BALCO and Major League Baseball ...................................................................................... 121 1. Information About Possible Steroid Sales By Greg Anderson Before the Raid on BALCO................................................................... 121 2. Players’ Links to Performance Enhancing Substances.......................... 127 VIII. Information Obtained Regarding Other Players’ Possession or Use of Steroids and Human Growth Hormone ..................................................................... 138 A. Background........................................................................................................ 138 1. Kirk Radomski’s Cooperation ............................................................... 138 2. Radomski’s Employment with the New York Mets.............................. 141 3. Radomski’s Distribution of Performance Enhancing Substances to Major League Baseball Players ............................................................. 142 B. Information Regarding Purchases or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball.............................................. 145 C. Additional Information Concerning Players’ Use of Performance Enhancing Substances........................................................................................ 230 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page IX. The Threat Posed By Internet Sales of Steroids and Human Growth Hormone ........... 234 A. Two Methods for Illegal Internet Distribution of Performance Enhancing Substances.......................................................................................................... 234 1. Drug Dealers’ Use of the Internet to Sell Illegal Performance Enhancing Substances............................................................................ 234 2. Internet Trafficking in Performance Enhancing Substances by Rejuvenation Centers and Compounding Pharmacies........................... 238 B. Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball ..................................................................... 242 X. Review of the Major League Baseball Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.................................................................................................. 258 A. Development of the Essential Elements of an Effective Drug Testing Program........................................................................ 259 B. Review of the Administration of the Major League Baseball Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program ................................................. 263 C. Allegations of Advance Notice of Tests ............................................................ 278 1. Alleged Advance Notice of 2003 Survey Testing ................................. 278 2. Alleged Advance Notice During 2004 Season ...................................... 281 XI. Recommendations.......................................................................................................... 285 A. Recommendations for Investigation of Non-Testing Based Allegations of Performance Enhancing Substance Possession or Use...................................... 286 1. The Commissioner Should Establish a Department of Investigations ......................................................................................... 287 2. The Commissioner’s Office Should More Effectively Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies........................................................... 290 3. The Commissioner’s Office Should Actively Use The Clubs’ Powers, as Employer, to Investigate Violations of the Joint Program.................................................................................................. 291 4. All Clubs Should Have Clear, Written, and Well-Publicized Policies for Reporting Information Relating to Possible Performance Enhancing Substance Violations ...................................... 292 5. Logging Packages Sent to Players at Major League Ballparks ............. 294 B. Additional Actions to Address Performance Enhancing Substance Violations........................................................................................................... 295 C. Educational and Related Recommendations to Decrease Use of Performance Enhancing Substances .................................................................. 296 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page 1. The Design and Implementation of the Educational Program Should Be Centralized with the Independent Program Administrator ........................................................................................