SI: Steroid Era, A-Rod won’t go away but give MLB a break here

Major League Baseball has suffered its share of indignities because of the Steroid Era: reacting slowly to a growing problem, issuing the heavily criticized Mitchell Report (which was maligned for being incomplete and seemingly ineffectual) and watching as cherished milestones were reached and records set by players later linked to PEDs. Just three weeks ago, a Hall of Fame ballot brimming with statistically deserving players failed to produce a single inductee.
But perhaps it’s time that thinking changed somewhat. In this case Major League Baseball—through its Department of Investigations, which was created on the recommendation of the Mitchell Report—was already aware of the clinic in the Miami area. Soon after the Miami New Times report was published, the league released a statement that began as follows:

“We are always extremely disappointed to learn of potential links between players and the use of performance-enhancing substances. These developments, however, provide evidence of the comprehensive nature of our anti-drug efforts. Through our Department of Investigations, we have been actively involved in the issues in South Florida.”

We don’t have to take just MLB’s word for it. The New York Daily News, citing a law-enforcement source, reported on Saturday that a league investigation into Anthony Bosch was already underway. The league’s investigation is continuing, and the players named by the Miami New Times will likely be interviewed about the allegations. The league’s capacity to conduct such an investigation comes from a recommendation of the Mitchell Report, which wrote that “the Commissioner should establish a Department of Investigations.”