Congress Wants to See Documents on Ephedra

The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters Wednesday to Commissioner Bud Selig and union head Don Fehr, requesting documents about ephedra use in baseball by April 16.

Congress is investigating dietary supplements containing ephedra, and baseball has come under scrutiny since the death of Baltimore Oriole pitcher Steve Bechler in February. A coroner said ephedra contributed to Bechler’s death from heatstroke.

Selig has banned players with minor league contracts from taking ephedra, and Fehr urged major leaguers not to take supplements containing the herb.

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Infielder Damion Easley signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays five days after becoming the most expensive player cut loose in baseball history when the Detroit Tigers released him with $14.3 million still owed on his contract.

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Manager Larry Bowa of the Philadelphia Phillies was suspended for one game and fined by the commissioner’s office for his role in the teams leaving their dugouts during a spring training game.

The suspension is scheduled for today’s series finale between the Phillies and Florida Marlins.

Angry that Toronto’s Roy Halladay hit Jim Thome in a game at Clearwater, Fla., on March 26, Bowa yelled at the pitcher and was ejected.

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The percentage of major leaguers born outside the 50 states rose for the sixth consecutive year, up to 27.8%.

Of the 827 players on opening-day rosters and disabled lists, 230 were born in 16 foreign countries and Puerto Rico, the commissioner’s office said.

Seventy-nine players were born in the Dominican Republic, 38 in Puerto Rico and 37 in Venezuela.

Montreal has the most foreign-born players with 14, followed by Baltimore with 12 and the Dodgers, San Francisco and Texas with 11 each.