Congressional Hearings on Steroids in Baseball

The House Government Reform Committee, which has zero jurisdiction over sports or health care, began its hearings into steroid use in Major League Baseball today, getting testimony from several current and former players. From the hour or so worth I listened to on the radio or have seen on television (live coverage has preempted regular programming on the news channels) the players are coming across as much more serious and sophisticated than the Members.

McGwire won't be 'naming names' in testimony (SI-AP)

Retired slugger Mark McGwire told Congress' investigation of drugs in baseball that he would not "participate in naming names" of players who used steroids. McGwire, one of six current and former stars appearing Thursday before the House Government Reform Committee, did not say whether he used steroids. He said his lawyers advised him not to answer certain questions. "If a player answers, 'No,' he simply will not be believed," McGwire said. "If he answers, 'Yes,' he risks public scorn and endless government investigations."[...] McGwire, choking back tears, said he knew that steroid use could be dangerous and would do whatever he could to discourage young athletes from using them. "What I will not do, however, is participate in naming names and implicating my friends and teammates," said McGwire, who ranks sixth in major league history with 583 homers.

Most will take McGwire's refusal to say he didn't use steroids as proof that he did. However, given the farcical nature of these hearings, one can hardly blame him.

See also:

• Fans get in line early to watch the hearings


• Waxman: 'Baseball did nothing over the years'


• 'The truth needs to come out'


• Congress bashes baseball for 'puny' testing policy


• Players ho-hum about hearings

Update: FindLaw Columnist Edward Lazarus disagrees that the GRC has no jurisdiction here and thinks congressional investigation of this matter is a wonderful idea.

The Government Reform Committee is the principal investigative committee of the House. It possesses oversight jurisdiction to conduct investigations of any matter falling under the purview of the legislature. Without question, the issue of steroids in baseball qualifies as a matter within the power of Congress to oversee and regulate. After all, the use of performance enhancing drugs is governed by federal statute, specifically the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Thus, it is simply beyond cavil that steroid use in baseball is within the purview of the Government Reform Committee.

Oddly enough, the Committee itself doesn't claim anything near that scope of power [PDF format] :

The Committee on Government Reform has existed in varying forms since 1816. It first appeared as the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, which was created in 1927 by consolidating the 11 Committees on Expenditures previously spread among the various departments of the government to oversee how taxpayer monies were spent. The Committee’s immediate predecessor, the Committee on Government Operations, was established in 1952. The name change was intended to communicate to the outside world the primary function of the committee: to study “the operations of Government activities at all levels with a view to determining their economy and efficiency.” It is the Committee’s government-wide oversight jurisdiction that sets it apart from other House committees.

On January 4, 1995, Republicans assumed control of the House of Representatives for the first time in over 40 years. Republicans immediately implemented several internal reforms of the House, including one that applies all of the laws the rest of America lives under to Congress, and another that downsizes the congressional committee system. Perhaps more than any other committee, the Government Reform Committee embodied the changes that occurred. The Committee’s name was changed to highlight the Republican view that the federal government needs to be reformed to ensure accountability. The Committee on Government Reform is unlike most other committees in that its jurisdiction has grown. While retaining the agenda of the former Committee on Government Operations, the Committee also has the responsibilities of the former Committee on Post Office and Civil Service and the Committee on the District of Columbia. The Committee now has seven subcommittees responsible for the same jurisdiction previously covered by 3 full committees and 14 subcommittees. This consolidation has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in budget savings and a nearly 50 percent cut in staff. The Committee’s government-wide oversight jurisdiction and expanded legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful committees in the House. The Committee serves as Congress’ chief investigative and oversight committee, and is granted broad jurisdiction because of the importance of effective, centralized oversight. Because it authorizes on a few agencies and programs, it is able to review government agencies and programs with an unbiased eye.

So, even in this broadly expanded mission, it's job is still to reform the operations of the government itself.

I don't disagree with Lazarus that Congress has some interest in the operation of baseball as a business, although its unclear how the steroids issue impacts interstate commerce. Nor do I disagree that cleaning up the sport would have all manner of salutory effects. I just disagree that it's the job of Congress, let alone a committee charged with cleaning up the government itself. Although, if they actually get the government to the point where it no longer needs any reform, I'll gladly remain quiet while they clean up team sports.

via OTB

Bill Parcells Praises Bobby Cox

Praise from Big Tuna

Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was visiting with his pal Tony La Russa on the field Monday when the two walked over to the Braves dugout so the Cardinals manager could introduce Parcells to Bobby Cox. "I just want to tell you, what you've done will never be done again," said Parcells, putting his right hand on the Braves manager's left shoulder. "I mean it. Nobody will ever do it again. It's amazing."

It was clear from Cox's reaction that the comment meant a lot, coming from Parcells. The fraternity of coaches and managers transcends different sports. "It's all competition," Cox said. "They [coaches from other sports] appreciate what we do, and we appreciate what they do."

Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight visits La Russa each spring and usually sits beside the manager during a few Grapefruit League games.

Cox, Knight, Parcells, and LaRussa is some fraternity.

Smoltz's return to starting has skeptics

Smoltz's return to starting has skeptics

John Smoltz says he has "zero doubts" about making a healthy, successful return to the Braves' starting rotation. Others aren't as optimistic. Dennis Eckersley, the Hall of Fame pitcher who set the standard for moving from ace starter to elite closer, couldn't imagine doing the starter-to-closer-to-starter conversion Smoltz is trying at age 37. "The thought of even having to do what he's doing, that's outrageous to me," Eckersley said. "He's not getting any younger, and he's had arm trouble. I really think it's a crapshoot. They've got to watch him close. "To tune it up to 125 pitches again, you've got to wonder if he'll last."

Mets pitcher Tom Glavine has concerns for his friend and former Braves teammate of 15 seasons. "As much as everybody is thrilled about John coming back and wants to see him do well, myself included," Glavine said, "in the back of your mind . . . you know, he's doing something that nobody's ever done. I don't think anybody knows what to expect, including him. "You know he's going to put his work in and do everything he thinks he has to do to stay healthy, but it's up to his elbow to cooperate."

Smoltz, who's had four elbow surgeries -- including two since he was last a full-time starter in 1999 -- and turns 38 in May, said: "I'm not going to let myself be consumed or even think about people saying how hard it's going to be. . . . I believe if you enjoy something and work hard enough, you can do things that have never been done."

[...]

No pitcher as accomplished in both roles as Smoltz (163 wins, 154 saves, 3.27 ERA) has made the move from starter to closer and then back to starter.

"But if anybody's capable of doing it, it's him," Eckersley said, "because he's not a two-pitch pitcher. He's got the stuff. And he's still got the gas [fastball], too. The biggest thing will be, does he have the stamina? He might be all right for a while, but then come August . . ." Smoltz said, "I'd be very surprised if I had to take a start off. And I don't think I ever came out of a game because I was tired."

[...]

The Braves agreed to move Smoltz back to the rotation after trading for former Milwaukee closer Dan Kolb in December. Smoltz knew there would be naysayers.

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus wrote, "While Smoltz was a very good starting pitcher in his time, he was moved to the bullpen because his elbow couldn't hold up under the workload. Incomplete seasons in 1998 and 1999 preceded a move to the bullpen, and even there, Smoltz pitched through pain. Watching him in the 2003 division series was agonizing. "His desire to help the Braves win and his belief that he can do a better job of that in the rotation are sincere, but misguided. He's unlikely to get through the season without at least one DL trip. I figure him for 140 innings, max, with the most likely scenario being a strong start followed by regression and then injury. It will end up as a $10 million hole blown in a roster that just can't afford that kind of thing any longer."

Obviously, we'll see. My preference would have been to keep him in the closer's role, simply because he's excelled at it. Still, it's frustrating to have a guy that 's probably your second best starter sitting on the bench in the postseason.

Braves Prospects Excelling

Spring of Hope

It was a memorable first Grapefruit League game Saturday for Kyle Davies, the top Braves pitching prospect. Not only did he pitch well in his two-inning stint, but the Stockbridge High School graduate had a hit.

Davies was using Jeff Francoeur's batting helmet and batting gloves when he lined the ball back up the middle against veteran reliever Turk Wendell.

Francoeur gave his longtime friend the business when he got back to the dugout, but Davies got him back. "I'll always have the edge on him," the pitcher joked. "He'll never be batting 1.000."

Davies pitched a perfect second inning, then allowed three hits and a run in the third. He was 13-3 in the minors last season, with 173 in 142 1/3 innings.

Catcher impresses with bat and arm

Catching prospect Brian McCann from Duluth was 2-for-2 with a double in his Grapefruit League debut Saturday and threw out a runner trying to steal. . . . Reliever Jorge Vasquez, acquired from Kansas City in the Eli Marrero trade, pitched two hitless innings, striking out two and walking one.

McCarthy keeps team unbeaten

After starting 0-5 in Grapefruit League play last year, the Braves are unbeaten this time, winning four one-run games.

Right fielder Billy McCarthy made a game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday, then drove in the tie-breaking run with a two-out single in the 10th inning. Andy Marte singled and Scott Thorman doubled to set up the deciding run.

Left-hander Andy Van Hekken, a former Detroit pitcher, got the victory with two scoreless innings as Pete Orr made a nice turn at second base on a game-ending double play.

Rich Mahler Dies of Heart Attack at 51

Ex-Brave Mahler dies of heart attack (AJC)

New York Mets minor league pitching coach Rick Mahler, who started five season openers for the Braves in the 1980s, died of a heart attack Wednesday morning in Jupiter, Fla. He was 51.

"It's a sad day," said Mets assistant general manager Jim Duquette, who made the announcement after the team's Grapefruit League opener against Washington.

"I didn't know he had any type of problem," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "It's awful."

The Braves, who were playing Georgia Tech at Disney's Wide World of Sports, were notified by Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, a former Brave. "It was a shock," Cox said.

Mahler, whose brother Mickey also pitched for the Braves, was 96-111 with a 3.99 ERA during a 13-year major league career (1979-1991). His best season came in 1985, when he was 17-15 with a 3.48 ERA for the Braves. The next year, he was 14-18, leading the majors in losses. The right-hander started on opening day for the Braves in 1982, when Atlanta won its first 13 games and went on to win the National League West title under manager Joe Torre. Mahler made four straight opening-day starts beginning in 1985. Cox was manager of the Braves through the 1981 season and returned to the team as general manager in 1986, reuniting with Mahler during a dismal time in the team's history. "Rick was a great competitor," Cox said. "He could pitch." Mahler pitched twice in the playoffs, with the Braves in 1982 and in 1990 with the Cincinnati team that went on to win the World Series.

Sad news, indeed.

via OTB

Hudson signs four-year extension

Hudson signs four-year extension (AJC)

Tim Hudson has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Atlanta Braves, a deal worth close to $12 million annually for the former 20-game winner. "It's good to get it done," said Hudson, who didn't want to say anything more until the team made an official announcement, which was expected at around 1 p.m. after their morning workout. The deal was completed late Monday, and includes a vesting option year tied to innings pitched. "Details," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said of the negotiations, which went almost to the March 1 deadline that Hudson had given the Braves to get a deal done. If no extension was worked out, he had said he'd become a free agent after the season and listen to offers from other teams.

It was believed he could have commanded more than $12 million annually in a five-year contract if he'd elected to become a free agent, but Hudson wanted to stay with the Braves and pitch close to the home he's building in Auburn.

Great news. And, heck, I think Hudson can live on $12 million a year if he clips his coupons.