Union: No more than 11 free agents were asked to speak with Mitchell

By: Associated Press - | Thursday, November 8, 2007 11:30 PM PST ∞

No more than 11 players from this year's free-agent class were asked to speak with George Mitchell as part of his investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, a union official told agents this week.

Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel, made the statement Wednesday to agents attending a meeting in New York, two people with knowledge of the session said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the remarks were intended to remain private.

The Boston Globe's Web site Thursday afternoon reported agents were told at the meeting that 11 current free-agent players are named in Mitchell's report, but Weiner said the union didn't know whether any names would be included, those with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.

"Under the collective bargaining agreement between the 30 major league clubs and the players' association, any request by me for an interview with a current player must be made through their representative, the players' association," Mitchell said in a statement.

Approximately 160 players are eligible for free agency.

Many general managers at the GM meetings in Orlando, Fla., this week said the possibility of particular players being implicated by Mitchell would not be considered when they pursue free agents.

In other news, the baseball players' union is worried commissioner Bud Selig is trying to hold down the price of Alex Rodriguez's next contract and that teams might be sharing information about their free-agent plans.

General managers, in an innovation, each spoke at their annual meeting Tuesday about their offseason goals, and many mentioned what players they were making available. The idea was suggested by this year's co-chairs, Boston's Theo Epstein and Florida's Larry Beinfest, and many GMs said they found it to be useful.

"Over the past few days, press reports coming out of the general managers' meetings relating to the sharing of information between clubs as to their plans regarding players potentially raise serious questions concerning the fairness and integrity of the free-agent market," the union said in a statement Thursday night. "Such questions are amplified by reports stating that the commissioner is attempting to influence the market for at least one player."

A person familiar with the union's statement said the player in question was Rodriguez. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the statement didn't refer to A-Rod by name.

Rob Manfred, executive vice president of labor relations in the commissioner's office, denied that there was any improper conduct.

Also, GMs decided base coaches will wear some sort of head protection next season, a move that came four months after Mike Coolbaugh was killed by a line drive while coaching first base in a Double-A game. GMs will decide on the exact form of protection when they meet next month at the winter meetings.

New name

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are gone. Trying to reinvent itself, the perennial last-place team officially shortened its nickname to simply "Rays."

Et cetera

DODGERS: Three days after Joe Torre was introduced as manager it was announced that Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa would be part of his staff.

NATIONALS: 3B Ryan Zimmerman had surgery to remove a broken piece of bone from his left wrist and should be able to begin light rehab in about a week.

WORLD CUP: Andy LaRoche drove in four runs, Evan Longoria homered and the United States beat Panama 7-0 at the 37th Baseball World Cup at Taipei, Taiwan.

ATHLETICS: The team's ownership group applied to the City of Fremont to develop 226 acres for a new ballpark and surrounding village.

HALL OF FAME: Billy Martin, Marvin Miller and Doug Harvey are among 20 former managers, executives and umpires on the new Hall of Fame ballots to be considered by the revamped Veterans Committee when it votes next month. Former Padres manager Dick Williams also is on the list