MILWAUKEE -- The baseball commissioner's office has been investigatingallegations of cocaine use among some members of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1982, a newspaper said Saturday.
The Milwaukee Journal reported a baseball spokesman said there were indications the probe includes reports of cocaine use in Milwaukee involving other major league baseball players.
The Milwaukee Sentinel reported earlier Saturday in a copyright story that federal court documents it had obtained quoted a former drug runner as saying at least five players, including third baseman Paul Molitor and pitcher Mike Caldwell of the Milwaukee Brewers, were involved.
The documents, which are not public record, quoted the drug runner as saying the players bought the cocaine in 1981 from Anthony Peters, 27, on trial in Federal Court on charges of being the kingpin of a multi-million dollar per year cocaine ring.
'We've been following this particular investigation for some time and obviously will continue to do so,' said Bob Wirz, director of information for the commissioner's office.
He emphasized the commissioner's office routinely looks into drug reports involving players, and that it was much too early to say what, if any action, would be taken.
Severe penalties, including suspensions, have been imposed by the commissioner on players who have been involved with drugs.
Attorneys for Peters asked for a mistrial because of disclosure of information in the non-public documents.
The Sentinel identified the players as Caldwell and Molitor; pitcher Len Barker of the Atlanta Braves, then with Cleveland; outfielder Dick Davis, traded from Milwaukee to Philadelphia in 1981; and Joe Charboneau, American League Rookie of the Year in 1980 with Cleveland, now a minor leaguer.
Michael Schroeder, 24, of Palo Alto, Calif., made the allegations during a Jan. 10, 1983 interview with federal agents. Defense attorneys used two government reports of the interview in attacking Schroeder's credibility but did not ask him about the athletes in court..
Schroeder told the agents he was at a 1981 party in Milwaukee where the five players and others were 'purchasing cocaine from Anthony Peters.'
The documents were not offered as evidence, the newspaper said. They were found with documents that had been introduced in Peters' trial.
Schroeder testified during the trial this week he was a drug runner for Peters from 1979 to late 1981. Charboneau's name came up during the trial Wednesday, but it was not clear at the time why his name was mentioned.
Third baseman Toby Harrah of the New York Yankees, with Cleveland at the same time as Charboneau, said: 'Charboneau is a crazy Frenchman and did a lot of crazy stuff, but I don't think he was a drug user at all.
'All Joe ever did with me was drink tequila.'
Barker, reached by the newspaper at a Montreal hotel, said the accusation 'as far as I am concerned is false.
'I know of Tony Peters. But as far as being a cocaine customer, that's very far-fetched. I don't do cocaine, and I don't accept anybody doing cocaine,' Barker said.
Molitor had no comment and Caldwell was sent home ill from Friday night's game with New York and could not be reached. Davis also could not be reached.
Allan 'Bud' Selig, president of the Brewers, and Harry Dalton, general manager of the Brewers, also had no comment. Neither did prosecutionaor defense attorneys.
A spokesman for Charboneau said the player would have no comment before talking with the baseball commissioner's office. Charboneau is with a minor-league club in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization.
American League officials could not be reached for comment.
A spokesman for the baseball commissioner's office said today it was standard procedure to 'look into any report linking baseball players to possible drug involvement.
'At the moment, the commissioner's office is not aware of the situation as printed in the Milwaukee Sentinel, but Mr. Kuhn will be notified of the story,' the spokesman said.