Anyway, yesterday, in his First Big Public Move, Mitchell ... asked for the medical records of some old Baltimore Orioles. And some of these names will SHOCK YOU: Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, David Segui, Jason Grimsley ... seriously! Those guys!

Investigators have looked deeply into the Orioles, among other organizations. Mitchell's staff has interviewed at least nine members of the Orioles' front office and training staff, and has searched at least six of their personal computers for evidence relating to performance-enhancing drugs, the official said.

You know, at this rate, by 2011, Mitchell could end up getting a hold of a guy who once glanced at Barry Bonds' medical records while waiting in line to pee in a cup. Go get 'em, George!

Sosa And Palmeiro Cited In Steroid Investigation [New York Times] (via Steroid Nation)

In an interview with The New York Times this morning — his first since the season ended — he says he knows nothing about this whole steroid business.

"I wish I could pinpoint exactly what happened," he said. "I would think it was the B-12. I'm not certain of that; I can't prove it. ... I wish I could have turned in the vial for testing, but when I found out, it was long gone and I couldn't come up with it. If something happened that I'm not aware of, an intentional act by someone else, I don't know. I can't rule out anything."

Actually, that last line is even better than the Sosa excuse: It's the old "Family Circus" technique of "Not Me." Who broke that lamp? "Not Me," the little ghost says, sneaking off to inject another unsuspecting previously accused 'roider with stanozolol. Hey, look out, Tejada ... he's coming for you next. Don't fall asleep!

Palmeiro Cites His Own Navet And Ponders Mystery Of It All [New York Times]

Palmeiro hasn't officially announced his retirement or anything, though it seems impossible that he would play for anyone next year. (We bet the mustache would go over big in Japan, however.) We were talking to a friend of ours a while back as to who is the most hated athlete in sports. He said Terrell Owens. We tend to go with Palmeiro; the guy's the only person we can think of who's hated equally by fans (for lying and for sucking), by the media (for lying and for blaming them for everything) and by teammates (for breaking the locker room code by implicating Tejada. Oh, and sleeping with Ryne Sandberg's wife). That's the trifecta: Very rare.

Palmeiro Speaks, Sort Of [Baseball Musings]

Tejada has been cleared by Bud Selig of any wrongdoing and has to be wondering what kind of fun he could have alone in a room with Palmeiro and a polo mallet. Fortunately, Palmeiro will not return to the Orioles this season and his career is likely now over. Which is probably for the best. A little known fact: Every picture of Palmeiro now looks like the one above, scared, evasive, mustachey.

Vitamin Given To Palmeiro "Clean" [Baltimore Sun]
B-12 Info [Vegsoc.org]
Raffy's Mystery Roiding Buddy [Deadspin]

We're clueless as to which Orioles teammate that Palmeiro didn't know very well — perhaps even might have just met him — and might have had access to steroids (or even, we dunno, cork), but we are certain, no matter what, that baseball has been very, very good to him.

Teammate Linked To Palmeiro [Baltimore Sun]
Congress Leaves No Steroid Unturned [Deadspin]

Palmeiro: I never used steroids.
Congress: Promise?
Palmeiro: Totally.

As you know, just a few months later, Palmeiro tested positive for steroids and now Congress is feeling all betrayed. Typical of Congress' "inquiries," they're just shooting at anything that moves, even interviewing Rockies outfielder Jorge Piedra, who tested positive for steroids earlier this year. Piedra, who is 26 years old and has never played on the same team as Palmeiro, told investigators that he didn't know Palmeiro and they didn't really hang out. The fact that they asked cracked us up; we imagine Congress thinking that all one-time steroid users hung out in a little club, like the Elks, and wore funny hats and said chants and paid dues and injected each other's butt cheeks and sold Tootsie Rolls on the street and drove those little cars during parades.

Congress Interviewing Players Who Know Palmeiro [Washington Post]

Another Sorry Chapter In Pitt Era [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
A Chapter Closed, But More To Palmeiro Story [KC Star]

Everyday I Love Raffy Less And Less [Scoresreport]

But here's what we think: We think the "big name" steroid casuality is going to be announced this weekend, when the "Around the Horn" idiots won't be able to get at him, and Raffy will then be put in the lineup, because he won't be the big story anymore. That's a guess, of course. But it makes sense. Though we still think fans would embrace him if he'd just shave the mustache.

Palmeiro Not In Lineup [MLB]

But we hope he plays, of course, because we're the type of dark souls who just love players being booed by their own fans. We think, to show that he's a changed man, he should shave the mustache. Best case, hey, they don't even recognize him.

Palmeiro Set To Return [Washington Post]

Also in Carroll's column: The rumor that another big-name player is about to be nailed for steroids. Let us know your most likely suspect. We're still going with Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein. Don't sue us, Dave!

A Joe Valachi By Any Other Name [Baseball Prospectus]

We love it when old white men get in middle-aged scuffles. It's all rumors, but still: Mustache rides. That's funny.

Ryno, Raffy, Cindy Love Triangle [Can't Stop The Bleeding]

He was a little tardy, but former Orioles great Brooks Robinson has checked in with his take on the Rafael Palmeiro steroids controversy. We have to say we're impressed:

Needless to say, Rafael Palmeiro has disappointed all of us — myself, his team, the fans and baseball in particular. Jose Canseco's book is looking better all the time. ...

Palmeiro owes the fans an explanation. Stanozolol is something you can't buy over the counter so Palmeiro's argument gets even weaker. You have to know what you put in your body. I'm getting tired of hearing people say they didn't knowingly put anything into their body. That's the weakest answer.

Sadly though, elsewhere in MLB Blogs, it's business as usual, like over at Ten of Diamonds for the Remdawg:

What the ****! You spend some time on a Saturday morning posting to the damn weblog site, and it comes out looking like Michael Jackson's face. Why doesn't a simple copy and paste function work in this thing?

Brooks Robinson's World [MLB Blogs]
Ten of Diamonds for the Remdawg [MLB Blogs]

"To accomplish this, you need to have consistency, hard work, determination and good health."

Congrats, Raffy! [Brooks Robinson Blog]