Baseball to open steroids inquiry

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Baseball will investigate Barry Bonds and other players linked to the use of illegal steroids and will name former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to oversee the inquiry, sources say.

The investigation also is expected to involve Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield, New York Yankees teammates who, like Bonds, are key figures in "Game of Shadows," the book written by The Chronicle's Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. The book describes players' use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids provided by BALCO.

In choosing Mitchell, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig turns to a man who has helped him with big baseball issues before. Mitchell, an experienced negotiator, headed Selig's Blue Ribbon Panel on Baseball Economics in 1999. He also holds the title of director of the Boston Red Sox.

How long will the inquiry take?