Batboy's confessions beefen up baseball drug report

The confessions of a former batboy for the New York Mets was the centerpiece of the report on performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball, reports the San Fransisco Chronicle. Kirk Radomsky was required to confess by federal authorities as part of a plea bargain in a steroid-dealing case.

Former Senator George Mitchell will release his report to the public in New York. MLB retained the former lawmaker to investigate the so-called Steroid Era. According to the Chronicle, the report will identify at least 60 active and retired major-league players as users of steroids and other banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig ordered the probe after ex-Giants star Barry Bonds' involvement with the BALCO scandal. Though federal prosecutors kept BALCO witnesses from cooperating in Mitchell's report, the Chronicle reports Mitchell will address alleged steroid use by Bonds. Bonds told a federal grand jury in theBALCO case he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs, and is now awaiting trial on perjury charges.

The 300-page Mitchell report is also expected to include suggestions on reforming MLB's drug control. Inside sources told the Washington Post that Mitchell will recommend baseball to use an independent, outside agency to run the entire drug-testing program.