Albany D.A. questions MLB

The district attorney of Albany County, N.Y., told Yahoo! Sports that he is not yet willing to provide Major League Baseball with the names of players linked to a far-reaching investigation into an illicit steroid-distribution ring because he is unconvinced baseball would assist in the ongoing case.

David Soares, the district attorney, praised the National Football League for its cooperation and questioned whether baseball is prepared to offer the same commitment while Albany County prosecutors move forward with their case against Signature Pharmacy of Orlando, Fla.

Asked if he would furnish MLB with a list of players who allegedly received steroids from Signature, Soares said: "Let’s think about this in the context of the National Football League. We’re working together. So I feel comfortable providing access and giving information to an agency that is working in collaboration with our offices for the purposes of our criminal prosecution."

Baseball, stung by three embarrassing leaks in the last week, hired two private Albany-area attorneys, who met with Soares on Monday. Those attorneys subsequently requested that Soares meet with MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred, Yahoo! Sports learned Wednesday. Furthermore, representatives from the George Mitchell steroids investigation are scheduled to meet with Soares and his staff Thursday.

According to anonymous sources cited by SI.com and the New York Daily News, major leaguers Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus and Jay Gibbons procured performance-enhancing drugs several years ago. An MLB executive said the league wants to cooperate with Soares and "hopefully get ourselves into a position where we aren't learning this information from media reports."

With the playoffs only three weeks away, the season is entering its most critical period. The next leak could involve a key player on a contending team or disrupt the postseason. The New York Times on Wednesday reported that "baseball expects" the names of perhaps 10 more players to emerge as the investigation unfolds. However, sources from the MLB office told Yahoo! Sports that they are unaware of any such estimate.

Soares said the leaks regarding Ankiel, Glaus and Gibbons did not come from his office. His spokeswoman, Heather Orth, said those names were not even on the list seized during the Albany office's raid of the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center, which allegedly sent steroid prescriptions to Signature Pharmacy. However, names Soares provided to the NFL that resulted in disciplinary action were on the list.

Soares and his staff first met with MLB officials in March, and a source with direct knowledge of baseball's response said MLB offered to examine the evidence in the hopes of identifying players. At around the same time, Soares also met with associates of Mitchell, the former Senate Majority Leader who was appointed by MLB commissioner Bud Selig in March 2006 to launch an independent probe into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

"When the story broke in March, we were the first professional sports league to send representatives to Albany," Manfred said.

MLB then periodically checked in, in person and by phone, hoping to expand on the relationship, Manfred said, "In an effort to re-emphasize our interests in being cooperative and have a two-way dialogue."

Selig declined to respond to Soares' comments, but Manfred said that an offer to assist the investigation stands.

"At the direction of commissioner Selig," he said, "we will make every effort to try to ensure cooperation between baseball and the district attorney in Albany. We remain interested in a cooperative relationship."

MLB's efforts to this point have not been hampered by the powerful players' union or language in the collective bargaining agreement, according to baseball sources. Yet the perception lingers that the union slows MLB's ability to react to issues involving players.

"If you're handcuffed, you're handcuffed," Soares said. "This is a criminal prosecution. You have to be able to assist us in a criminal prosecution. That's what this is all about."

Soares developed a strong relationship with the NFL from the outset, saying the league facilitated interviews with potential witnesses and took action. As a result of the investigation and the NFL's cooperation with Soares, New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was suspended for four games, Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach Wade Wilson was suspended for five games and Pittsburgh Steelers assistant team doctor Richard Rydze was fired.

Soares praised NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for taking a tough stance against misconduct by NFL players and chided baseball for its response when New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi publicly admitted using steroids and avoided punishment.

"Mr. Giambi made his admissions, and the first reaction of Major League Baseball was to belittle him," Soares said. "And when (Giambi) came to provide information, no action was taken."

Soares was disturbed by a remark he said he heard Selig make on television in August. While explaining the decision not to punish Giambi, Selig supposedly said that he could not do so because the player was not a civil servant. Soares apparently interpreted the comment as disparaging to government employees.

"It left an impression on us," Soares said. "Because you know what, we’re civil servants."

Furthermore, Soares said he heard the remark while the NFL was helping him set up an interview with a potential witness. Soares was in Dallas to question Wilson, the Cowboys assistant coach.

"Here you are with the National Football League, and they’re accommodating and making available to us prospective witnesses," Soares said. "And we’re sitting back listening to the broadcast on CNN and an interview with the commissioner of baseball, and he states that Mr. Giambi is not a civil servant, and that took us back a little bit."

A CNN employee could not find any comment from Selig regarding civil servants in the network's archives and an MLB spokesman said the commissioner did not give an exclusive interview to the cable network. A widely used quote from Selig on why he didn't punish Giambi included the following: "He's doing a lot of public-service work, and I think that's terribly important. He was forthright with Senator Mitchell – at least that was Senator Mitchell's conclusion. I think that with all the off-field charitable activities he's doing, this will do more good. Given everything, this is an appropriate decision."

On Wednesday, shortly after this story was posted, the district attorney's spokeswoman said Soares heard Selig's remarks Aug. 17 on ESPN. However, a search of ESPN's online library indicates the network aired only Selig's quote that referred to "public-service work."

Soares suggested that his dissatisfaction with MLB is in direct contrast to the cooperative stance taken by the NFL, which also initially met with the district attorney in March.

"I’ve watched Mr. Goodell and what he’s done with the National Football League, how he’s been quick to respond and he’s taking action against some of the most high-profile members of his league," Soares said. "And that speaks volumes.

"Since March, the NFL has maintained open communication with the district attorney’s office, checking in from time to time, offering assistance. Our priority has been and continues to be the prosecution of Signature Pharmacy and the wellness centers that worked with them."

Manfred sounded perplexed by Soares' comments.

"Frankly," he said, "in the course of events, we're at a loss as to the distinction between us and any other sports league."

The Albany County district attorney’s office launched the investigation two years ago. Soares pursued the case in part because Signature Pharmacy did an estimated $6 million in business in New York last year. Doctors and health clinic owners are among nine defendants who have pleaded guilty in the case. Signature Pharmacy has been charged with filling bogus prescriptions and conspiring with health clinics in a multimillion-dollar scheme.

No athlete has been charged in the case, and the district attorney said his office has no interest in prosecuting athletes or other recipients of the illegally prescribed drugs. The names of athletes are sprinkled among thousands of names on lists of clients seized in several raids. But the sports link cast a national spotlight on the case.

Those who allegedly received steroids as part of the distribution ring include boxer Evander Holyfield, Olympic wrestler Kurt Angle, several professional wrestlers, NFL players and major league baseball players.

Although MLB insists it wants to cooperate, Soares said it’s too early to say if progress was made at the meeting two days ago or if attempts to forge a working relationship will continue.

"If there is a relationship here, we’re at the infancy stage and I would not want to color that relationship at this point," he said. "But we’re at the infancy point."

Tim Brown and Josh Peter are reporters for Yahoo! Sports. Send a question or comment to Tim Brown here and a question or comment Josh Peter here.