The Mitchell Report

It's out.

Is it a big deal? I don't know. Nobody will be prosecuted for their inclusion.

It is either a baby step in the right direction for Major League Baseball or a whitewash attempt by MLB to show that it is doing something about something it did nothing about.

I still believe there are a lot more names out there.

The report confirmed steroid use was rampant and involved all types of players.

It wasn't only the hitters trying to hit balls farther. It was also the pitchers using them in an effort to recover faster and keep their bodies strong.

It wasn't just the elite players. It was also the mid-level players trying to make a name for themselves.

There were young players as well as veterans on the list. There were naturally gifted players as well as those that had to fight their way into the league. There were top draft picks and unsigned free agents.

While there was no shock value for me with the list of 80-something names, I was surprised to read about specific examples of how managers and front office folks knew about steroid use in their clubhouses. They all simply failed to forward reports given to them by fellow staff members.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. The managers and front office folks are probably the ones who indirectly benefited the most.

One thing did become painfully clear. The records broken during the Steroid Era will probably stand forever.

Ugh. That is the one thing MLB could do to rectify the problem. Either use asterisks or remove records that were broke during the era.

But it will never happen.

The only thing the report will affect is Cooperstown. The players included on the list will forever be tainted, leaving doubts in the minds of hall of fame voters. … That's good. At least one thing will be sacred.

So what does the future hold for the included players?

Either they will go down like Barry Bonds and lie or they will admit their wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness.

Andy Pettitte may prove to be the leader of the anti-Bonds faction. He admitted Saturday to using HGH on two occasions while trying to rebound from an injury. He said he stopped injecting himself because he didn't like the feeling of being a cheater and never did it again.

… Is that true? Even though he plays for the Evil Empire, you have to take his explanation at face value right now. He's a pretty thin guy. He doesn't have the physical stature of those like Bonds and Roger Clemens. I respect him for coming out.

Clemens, on the other hand, is currently following Bonds's lead. He's denying the allegations.

Given this country's aptitude for forgiveness, and his closeness with Pettitte, it wouldn't surprise me to see Clemens at a news conference in the near future, teary eyed with his family flanking him, confessing.

Will his Cy Young Awards, 300-plus victories and prospects of reaching the hall of fame be tainted? Yes.

Will fans really care? No. Our shock and dismay are numb. We will still fill ballparks and baseball will live on.

Let's hope the legends of Roger Maris, Babe Ruth and Henry Aaron live longer.

Carl Hennell is a sports reporter for the Daily Inter Lake. He can be reached at chennell@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4446.