NEW YORK -- The medical records of Sammy Sosa and Rafael
Palmeiro are being sought by investigators in baseball's steroids
probe, The New York Times reported on its Web site Tuesday night.
The investigation, led by former Senate Majority Leader George
Mitchell, is seeking the files of dozens of other players, an
unidentified baseball official with direct knowledge of the request
told the Times.
Sosa and Palmeiro both played for Baltimore in 2005. The Times
said investigators have also asked the Orioles to send medical
records pertaining to Jason Grimsley, David Segui and Fernando
Tatis to those players, hoping they will release them to Mitchell.
"We can't comment on any of that, the medical records," Mike
Flanagan, the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball
operations, told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
Asked if he had been contacted by Mitchell's panel, Flanagan
replied, "I have not."
Mitchell's staff has interviewed at least nine members of the
Orioles' front office and training staff, and has checked at least
six of their personal computers for evidence pertaining to
performance-enhancing drugs, the Times said.
Mitchell said in a statement Tuesday: "While it is our practice
not to comment on the investigation, any suggestion that the
investigation is focused on any single team is incorrect."
Sosa, now with the Texas Rangers, declined to answer any
questions after Tuesday night's game at Yankee Stadium.
Earlier Tuesday, Michael Weiner, general counsel for the
players' union, told the AP there had not any developments in
Mitchell's requests for interviews with active players or medical
records.
Earlier this month, Mitchell said he expected interviews with
active players to begin soon.
Mitchell, picked by commissioner Bud Selig last year to lead the
investigation, does not have subpoena power and has faced
resistance in his effort to interview players and get medical
records.
Mitchell has not set a timetable for his report.