House panel subpoenaes seven ballplayers

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- A House panel subpoenaed seven Major League Baseball players Wednesday to testify about steroid use in the national pastime.

Among those summoned to the March 17 Capitol Hill hearing are Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Frank Thomas. They will answer lawmakers' questions as part of the House Government Reform Committees investigation into the League's steroid policies.

In addition, players' association chief Donald Fehr, baseball executive vice presidents Rob Manfred and Sandy Alderson, and San Diego General Manager Kevin Towers were also summoned to testify.

Canseco, who makes various allegations about steroid use in professional baseball in a new book; Manfred, who is appearing on behalf of baseball commissioner Bud Selig; and Fehr previously agreed to testify before the committee.

"The remaining witnesses, however, made it clear either by flatly rejecting the invitation to testify or by ignoring our repeated attempts to contact them, they had no intention of appearing before the committee," panel Chairman Tom Davis, R- Va., and ranking Democract Henry Waxman of California said in a joint statement.