(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-02 09:37

WASHINGTON - Major League Baseball players linked to doping in the Mitchell Report might yet be asked to testify before lawmakers in January, a House of Representatives committee chairman told the Baltimore Sun.

Some 131 years after US professional baseball began, it was rocked by the worst doping scandal in US sports history when 78 players linked to doping were named in a report by former US Senator George Mitchell. Roger Clemens, pictured August 2007, denied allegations by his ex-trainer Brian McNamee that he ever used performance-enhancing drugs. [Agencies]

Bobby Rush - an Illinois Republican chairing the House subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer protection - told the newspaper that players might be sought for a January 23 hearing.

"There is a possibility we would invite some ballplayers," Rush said. "Of course that's a sensitive subject."

Players have been reluctant to appear before Congressional panels in the past but US lawmakers have subpoena powers to compel testimony.

"It's kind of early to have those kinds of discussions," Rush told the Sun. "It's certainly within the authority of the committee. There might be some ballplayers who are eager to get the story out."

The Mitchell Report, a 20-month probe into doping by Major League Baseball players, named more than 80 players with links to drugs, including home-run king Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and his friend and teammate Andy Pettite.

Players notably attended a 2005 hearing in which Mark McGwire refused to repeat under oath his oft-made denials of taking steroids and Rafael Palmeiro waved a finger and declared he never took steroids, only to test positive for them five months later.

The drama of former players at another hearing could also include Jose Canseco, who plans a sequel to his 2005 book on baseball's doping culture that promises to name more cheaters.

Star pitcher Clemens was linked to performance-enhancing drugs by his former trainer but has denied any wrongdoing. He is set to answer questions on the matter in one week after the airing of a television interview.

The House's Government Reform and Oversight Committee has also scheduled a January 15 hearing that will include report author George Mitchell, a former US Senator, plus major league union boss Don Fehr and commissioner Bud Selig.

No players were expected to be invited to that hearing, but lawmakers in both sessions are expected to add their ideas to those in the Mitchell Report aimed at cleaning away the drug taint from America's national pastime.

Mitchell pushed for an independent oversight group to handle doping tests for major league players and Rush said his group might introduce a bill that would mandate such a move given the woeful result of current anti-doping rules.

"Vigorous testing by a third party, that would be at the core of any bill that would come out of our subcommittee," Rush said.

The Sun reported that some lawmakers are so concerned about human growth hormone (HGH) and other drugs being used by players that they are pondering asking baseball officials to save urine samples so they can be analyzed when an effective HGH test is created.

Mitchell's report indicated many athletes have started using HGH in place of steroids because there is no urine test for HGH. Lawmakers worry how many more cheaters will use HGH before a proper test is developed.

Baseball officials have not wanted to save samples in the past, citing handling issues and the validity of testing older samples, but in the wake of the crushing drug probe might reconsider their reluctance.