House subpoenas "beyond the legal pale," MLB atty, 3/9/05

• photo of George Mitchell on the Maine coast from the Boston Globe, 7/4/07

WASHINGTON (CNN) (3/9/05) -- "Major League Baseball representatives said Wednesday they will fight subpoenas issued by a House committee to some of the biggest names in baseball -- including Sammy Sosa and Curt Schilling but not Barry Bonds -- as they investigate suspected use of steroids by players.

• "It is absolutely beyond the legal pale," MLB attorney Stan Brand told reporters Wednesday afternoon.
• "It is an excessive and unprecedented use of congressional power."

In a letter sent Tuesday to committee chairman Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., and ranking House member Henry Waxman, R-Calif., Brand said current and former players -- except former Oakland slugger Jose Canseco --

• will respectfully decline the invitations to testify....

(MLB attorney) Brand said lawmakers

• "have torn loose from their legislative moorings" by issuing the subpoenas.

• Rob Manfred, basball's executive vice president of labor relations, said he and Brand have offered to appear before the committee in lieu of players. But Manfred indicated that the information they provide
• will be limited to the application of MLB's new drug testing policy....

According to Brand's letter, both the MLB and baseball's Players Association accuse the committee

• of lacking jurisdiction in the steroid issue,

• because neither group is a government entity subject to committee oversight....

Brand said if the MLB objections can't be resolved by the committee,

• the issues would go to the full House

and eventually to U.S. District Court for resolution, Brand said."...

• By Ed Henry, Ted Barrett and Evan Glass, CNN, published at SI.com, 3/9/05, "Assembly Required, House Panel Issues 11 steroids Subpoenas."

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