During Wednesday morning’s Boston-Oakland tilt in Tokyo, ESPN thoughtfully took the time to promote another of its televised events: Saturday’s Civil Rights Game against the White Sox and Mets. Steve Phillips made a compelling argument after the Civil Rights Game promo for the progress of minorities in baseball in the last half-century or so:

Phillips noted the Detroit Tigers could reasonably field a starting nine that did not have a single white person. As he rattled off the starters for such a squad (including Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordoñez, Curtis Granderson, and Jacque Jones), he built a strong case for the widening influence of baseball internationally and shrinking domestic (i.e., African-American) influence.

Gary Thorne’s wizened response? “Pretty good international team.”

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MITCH REPORT FINDS ONE LESS STRIPPER GOT MO’S MONEY: Time to curl up with the Mitchell Report!

UPDATE: After now having had time to scan the report, there’s nothing new in there about Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.Keep in mind that just because players are listed in the report (and as listed below) does not mean that the report concluded that those players took or purchased steroids. In many cases, player names (like, for instance, Jeff Kent) are cited only in reference to media reports. Kent didn’t do anything wrong, but was quoted making a comment about MLB combating the problem of performance enhancing drugs.

Not that we were expecting anything, but the report, besides the Clemens injections, is a letdown. Not much to get excited about. No major superstars implicated (what a surprise!).

Players of note from the Mitchell Report’s “Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball“:

Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Scott Schoeneweis
Paul Byrd
Matt Williams
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Rick Ankiel
Jose Guillen
John Rocker
Darren Holmes
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Jose Canseco
Jason Grimsley
Ismael Valdez
Steve Woodard

Players of note from the Mitchell Report’s “Information Regarding Purchases or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball“:

Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Kevin Brown
Eric Gagne
Matt Herges
Miguel Tejada
Gregg Zaun
David Justice
F.P. Santangelo
Glenallen Hill
Mo Vaughn
Fernando Vina
Kent Mercker
Mike Lansing
Todd Hundley
Brendan Donnelly
David Segui
Gary Bennett, Jr.
Paul LoDuca
Rondell White
Chuck Knoblauch
Denny Neagle
Ron Villone
Ryan Franklin
Lenny Dykstra
Kevin Young

NOT in the report:
Albert Pujols
Johnny Damon
Jeff Bagwell
Brady Anderson
Bret Boone
Aaron Boone
Milton Bradley
Carl Everett
Andruw Jones
Manny Ramirez

Here’s the Roger Clemens mentions of note in the Mitchell Report (DEADSPIN has a full-size version):

And finally, we salute our favorite Dodger of all-time:

No, thank YOU Paul (LoDuca)!

#2 MORE CONSIDERED ABOUT PITCH, CATCH THAN LADIES?: The NEW YORK POST has a story this morning that seems to validate Derek Jeter’s sexual prowess.

Page Six reports that early Sunday morning there were “two scantily clad women screaming at the front desk because they had spent the night at Jeter’s penthouse and were then charged for parking.”

Pretty cool, eh? But no one actually saw Jeter at that time. He was though seen at a couple nightclubs in South Beach that weekend, “surrounded by throngs of women five rows deep. He was hanging with a guy friend, though, and didn’t seem to take much interest in the hordes of ladies.”

And at a place called Skybar, Jeter’s pals “took over the table in the back and drank Grey Goose all night. Five girls were dancing around him, but he didn’t seem interested.”

We’re starting to get the real picture of Jeter now - he just can’t let go of the bats and balls.

• Paging Doug Llewelyn: THE WIZARD OF ODDS opens the chambers to Round 2 of Charlie Weis’ malpractice suit:

• SIGNAL TO NOISE is colored confused by Gary Sheffield’s recent comments that Derek Jeter “ain’t all the way black.”

• Paging Jenny Craig: RUMORS AND RANTS reports that Oscar de la Hoya plans to move back to the welterweight division:

• Get the Lead Out: The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reports Lance Armstrong & Floyd Landis appear ready to face off in the Leadville 100 mountain bike race in Colorado.

• 100% INJURY RATE smacks its gums about the latest in-style offerings of mouthguards:

• NYJER PLEASE via BIZ OF BASEBALL has example #5,280 of the Commander In Chief not having command of his vocabulary.

• Neil Best of NEW YORK NEWSDAY is shocked (shocked!) to discover that Eva Longoria is more exciting than Roger Federer:

• Like the Energizer Bunny, PACKERS REPORT is charged up with news that Brett Favre may keep going and going and going….

• LION IN OIL makes some new friends as the Indianapolis Colts start their own version of MySpace:

• ULTIMATE BEARS FAN is getting excited for the season premiere of “Monday Night Ditka”.

• After all the will-he/won’t-he speculation, Darren Rovell of CNBC reports Kobe Bryant is finally re-signing with his old team - Nike:

• Your vote counts, as FAN IQ invites you to choose this week’s Stephen A. Shut the F Up Award.

• Yum! BUGS & CRANKS takes a venture behind the counter to work at a ballpark concession stand:

• Color me impressed: DC SPORTS BOG offers up a wartime diary of the fierce battle between the Redskins and Ravens - in paintball.

• LION IN OIL gets a note from Texans RB Samkon Gado, whose studying to become a doctor:

• In response to Scottie Pippen’s comments, MONEY PLAYERS gets a tip from Michael Jordan on how wingmen like Scottie are needed.

• OFF WING OPINION digs up some classic Don Cherry clips, where Grapes is warning women of flying pucks, and wondering why everyone thinks the Russians are so great:

• GIRLS AND SPORTS finds a way to keep Kobe quiet.

• 100% INJURY RATE compiles the best zingers of the ever-quotable Gary Sheffield.

• Easy-Does-It Rider: WBRS SPORTS BLOG offers you the chance to get your own Joe Paterno motorcycle:

• DEADSPIN learns