Selig says disciplining Giambi would be 'unnecessary'

[BoCcc2832]

TORONTO -- Jason Giambi will not be disciplined by Major League Baseball for admitting that he has used performance-enhancing substances, commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday.

The New York Yankees slugger has cooperated in former Sen. George Mitchell's investigation into steroid use in baseball and met with Mitchell and his team last month to answer questions about his experiences using banned substances. He agreed to speak with Mitchell after Selig threatened to discipline him if he refused to cooperate.

"Jason was frank and candid with Senator Mitchell," Selig said in a statement. "That and his impressive charitable endeavors convinced me it was unnecessary to take further action."

In a letter to Giambi, Selig wrote: "In the days since your interview, your representatives have discussed with my office your commitment to off-field charitable activities. For example, your agent has informed my office that you intend to donate $50,000 to the Partnership of a Drug Free America. You have also committed to make an additional donation of $50,000 in cash or equipment to the Harlem RBI."

In May, Giambi told USA Today that the sport should apologize for use of performance-enhancing drugs and that he was "wrong for doing that stuff."

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi told the newspaper at that time. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said: 'We made a mistake.'"

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it," he said.

Giambi told a grand jury during the BALCO investigation in December 2003 that he used steroids and human growth hormone, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in December 2004. Before the start of spring training in 2005, Giambi made repeated general apologies at a news conference but wouldn't discuss whether he used steroids or admitted to the grand jury in 2003 that he did.

A former American League MVP, Giambi missed more than two months this season with torn tissue in his left foot. He's batting .270 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs in 51 games.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2977294

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Not only is steroids rampant in today's baseball (among other sports), but apparently the only man in baseball with the power to do anything about decides against it. Here is a man who has shunned the steroids accusations and has pretended that they don't exist. Bud Selig's regime as commissioner has been a complete failure in many various ways, but this statement to Giambi and all other steroids users (whether they be past or present) caps them all by saying that it is okay that they used as long as they admit their mistakes and give money to charity. Are you kidding me? What Selig should be doing is banning Giambi from ever representing baseball again because he admitted to it. So now that Bonds is the new "home run king" (even though I still acknowledge Maris and Aaron as the leaders), the San Fran Slugger can read into this by admitting to it and getting away scotch-free and not have to worry about anything. This is unbelievable to me. Another sad day in baseball world.

[WMR]

Selig is a worm.

Calling him a 'Commissioner' is unnecessary.

[Degenerate39]

Woah when did I post that

[BoCcc2832]

no, you didn't post that...i was just using a quote...my bad...i fixed it

[Degenerate39]

no, you didn't post that...i was just using a quote...my bad...i fixed it

Oh gotcha you had me scratching my head for a few minutes

[GoReds33]

MLB players should take a page from Jasons life. He made a mistake, and he admitted it. Jason is a true American.

[Degenerate39]

MLB players should take a page from Jasons life. He made a mistake, and he admitted it.

What about Jose Canseco

[GoReds33]

What about Jose Canseco

Canseco is doing it for a completly different reason. I disagree with everything he does. If he had info on A-Rod he would have put it in his first book.

[Muggerd]

Canseco is doing it for a completly different reason. I disagree with everything he does. If he had info on A-Rod he would have put it in his first book.

In Cansecos defense he said the info he had is new

[Vada Pinson Fan]

In a perfect world- Selig would be back selling used cars!

[Slyder]

If Im Bonds Im taking note of this. Just in case something goes south.

And writing a big check for some charity.

I wish there was some way to find some way to take Selig's jelly fish persona and combine it with Goddalls hardline stances toward everything and get 1 guy.

[Jr's Boy]

The idiot's in MLB screwed up when they took the ''interim commissioner'' tag from his name.

[rotnoid]

What we don't know is what Giambi told Mitchell. If he was using steroids in San Francisco (seemingly one of the hubs of steroid use), he might have some good information. Him not being punished could be a situation like a plea deal. Give us the dirt, and you'll get off easy.

[George Foster]

I think MLB is sending the message that telling the truth, not lying to a grand jury, and paying off your drug trainer to keep his mouth shut, is the best thing to do.

Giambi told what he did, he said he made a mistake. I can forgive a guy that tells the truth. That's the message.