Dowd Faults Mitchell--AP seeks evidence, Mitchell Balks...

This might be getting interesting....

• NEW YORK (AP) -- "The lawyer who led baseball's investigation of Pete Rose said
• George Mitchell's failure to release most of the evidence from his probe on doping in baseball undermined the credibility of the report.

Mitchell refused a request from The Associated Press to make public more than 50 documents referenced in footnotes. The former Senate majority leader also has not released notes from his interviews with witnesses who implicated Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada and others...

• "That's ridiculous," chief Rose investigator John Dowd said Thursday. "That surprises me. I'm sorry to hear that."

When Dowd's 225-page report on Rose's betting was made public in 1989, 84 exhibits accompanied it, including transcripts of interviews with the Cincinnati Reds manager and his associates. The report and the exhibits remain readily available at www.DowdReport.com.

• Mitchell, according to lawyers involved in his probe, did not create transcripts of interviews. However, aides took notes.

"It's a subject I never talked to George about or his people," Dowd said. "They went about it their way. I think the way we did it was better and stronger....

• And now we've got this problem with Clemens, and I don't know how the hell they sort that out."

John Clarke Jr., a spokesman for Mitchell, said Mitchell would not release the documents.

• "Other than Senator Mitchell's testimony before congressional committees, our work has been completed," Clarke said in an e-mail to the AP. "The documents that you requested in your e-mail were provided to us for purposes of conducting the investigation and preparing the report. We suggest that you direct your request for copies of the documents
• to the parties who provided them to us."

Most of the documents requested originated from the commissioner's office.

• Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, did not respond to several telephone calls and an e-mail....

****Two committee staffers declined to comment Thursday on whether the panel has asked for or will seek evidence gathered by Mitchell....

• Commissioner Bud Selig repeatedly said Mitchell was independent of Major League Baseball,"

(Why does anyone care what he "says?" There are actual facts out there). sm

• (AP report): "but the union and many lawyers for players argued that was untrue.
• They cited Mitchell's continuing role as a director of the Boston Red Sox,
• his past role as a director of the Florida Marlins,
• his participation in Selig's economic study committee and his tenure as a
• director and chairman of The Walt Disney Co., the parent company of
• baseball broadcast partner ESPN."

AP report published on SportingNews.com, "Dowd Faults Mitchell for Not Releasing Evidence," 1/10/08

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