Report: Sosa, Palmeiro In Steroid Probe

(AP)  The medical records of Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro are being sought by investigators in baseball's steroids probe, The New York Times reported in Wednesday's editions.

The investigation, led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, is seeking the files of dozens of other players, an unidentified baseball official with direct knowledge of the request told the Times.

Sosa and Palmeiro both played for Baltimore in 2005. The Times said investigators have also asked the Orioles to send medical records pertaining to Jason Grimsley, David Segui and Fernando Tatis to those players, hoping they will release them to Mitchell.

The New York Daily News reported in Wednesday's editions that Mitchell's panel wants information from former Orioles player Jerry Hairston Jr., along with Palmeiro, Segui and Tatis.

Major League Baseball and the players' union reached an agreement earlier this week that players will decide whether to release their medical records, unidentified baseball sources told the Daily News. Under the compromise, when Mitchell asks for a player's history, the team will give it to the player. After that, the player will decide whether he wants to cooperate.

"We can't comment on any of that, the medical records," Mike Flanagan, the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations, told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

Asked if he had been contacted by Mitchell's panel, Flanagan replied, "I have not."

Mitchell's staff has interviewed at least nine members of the Orioles' front office and training staff, and has checked at least six of their personal computers for evidence pertaining to performance-enhancing drugs, the Times said.

Mitchell told the Times on Tuesday: "While it is our practice not to comment on the investigation, any suggestion that the investigation is focused on any single team is incorrect."

Sosa, now with the Texas Rangers, declined to answer any questions after Tuesday night's game at Yankee Stadium.

Earlier Tuesday, Michael Weiner, general counsel for the players' union, told the AP there had not been any developments in Mitchell's requests for interviews with active players or medical records.

Earlier this month, Mitchell said he expected interviews with active players to begin soon.

Mitchell, picked by commissioner Bud Selig last year to lead the investigation, does not have subpoena power and has faced resistance in his effort to interview players and get medical records.

Mitchell has not set a timetable for his report.

[comfortmd1]

just think, if they donate to the republican election now THEY TOO can have their investigation dropped and their prosecutor "reassigned"...

remember the tom delay investigation???

[randalds]

I have to admit that I watched as my Detroit Tigers put on a Cinderella story last year, but still it's difficult to get excited about baseball any longer with all of the juiced up players. I just hope none of them ever make it into the Hall of Fame because none of them deserve to be there among the true greats of the game. I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a kid and a fan of a team or player these days. I know it would have broken my heart if it turned out that my hero Al Kaline had cheated and kids need heroes like that.

[griking]

Speak for yourself. Illegal drugs are illegal drugs. You can't pick and choose which laws you want enforced and which you don't. I'd rather see my tax dollars spent on cleaning up the game of baseball than wasted in Iraq.

[tacayto]

I can find a few other was to spend federal tax dollars other than on Baseball players.

After all its baseball. We are talking baseball! Baseball is a game!

Fix the nations drug problems and not problems for which 2/3 of American's could care less about.

Sosa & others have done more to help people than any result of this fishing expedition.

[ekucrew]

Might as well review Ol' Big Mac's med records too.

Mark McGwire looked like college boy in his Oakland days compared to his popeye puffed arms he suddenly developed later and put on display in St Louis.

Maris' single season home run record should STILL be intact!

[rushman71]

Buy me some peanuts and steroids!!!!!
Talk about a major strikeout!!!!!

[rushman71]

Buy me some peanuts and steroids!!!!!
Talk about a major strikeout!!!!!

[rushman71]

Talk about a major stikeout!!!!!