Safe at Home

While Mitchell recognized the seriousness of the breach of law, baseball policy and the fans' trust, he urged MLB commissioner Bud Selig not to punish any of the players named in his report. He says a "fresh start" is the only way for baseball to move past this tarnished past. But there are a lot of different people and organizations that face decisions on this matter, from Major League Baseball to the Hall of Fame to, perhaps most important of all, the players' union. Mitchell offered up his report as a reflection on the past and a potential balm for the future. But the players' union is the toughest in all of sports. And it may not be as sanguine about sacrificing so many of its members' reputations to a vague future and a purported higher purpose.

© 2007