MLB is planning to sue individuals connected to a South Florida clinic tied to performance-enhancing drugs. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Major league baseball is frustrated by an overall lack of progress in its investigation of a South Florida anti-aging clinic connected to performance-enhancing drugs, and is planning to file suit against some of the individuals tied to the clinic.

The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt reported late Thursday MLB is planning the suit, which will allege the individuals connected to the clinic, Biogenesis of America, damaged baseball by providing top players access to performance-enhancing drugs.

From Schmidt’s report:

The suit will seek to recoup money from its targets — including the clinic’s owner and a person who worked for two prominent baseball agents — and baseball officials also hope it will produce cooperation with their investigation into the clinic’s activities. [...]

[B]aseball is trying a new tactic. A lawsuit, if allowed to proceed, would give the sport the ability to subpoena records from the clinic, which is now closed, and compel depositions. Some of the information uncovered could then conceivably be used by baseball to justify disciplinary actions against players.

The Miami New Times reported in January that a number of big names — including Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, Gio Gonzalez and others — were tied to the clinic. But because these players and others have yet to fail MLB-sponsored drug tests, MLB investigators need “documentary evidence or witness testimony” to make a case against them, Schmidt reported.

The extent of the suit wasn’t immediately clear, but Schmidt reported it will include Anthony Bosch, who ran the clinic.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig will announce the decision to begin in-season testing of HGH. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Baseball will expand its drug-testing program to include in-season testing for human growth hormone (HGH) and testosterone, according to the New York Times. The league and players union reached a deal which is expected to be officially announced on Thursday during the owners meetings.

Random, unannounced tests will begin this season, and punishments will be the same as those for steroids: a 50-game suspension for the first positive test, a 100-game suspension for the second positive test and a lifetime ban after a third positive test.

MLB agreed to begin testing for HGH in November 2011 but only in spring training and the offseason; there were concerns that player performance would be affected by blood tests before or after regular season games.

The new agreement also includes a new testing procedure for testosterone — establishing baseline levels of the substance in players and citing them for a positive test if there is a substantially higher amount in their system.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig said MLB replay is on track to be expanded in 2013. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

As controversial calls continue to engulf the MLB playoffs, commissioner Bud Selig told The Los Angeles Times that the league will expand instant replay next season to include calls determining whether a ball is fair or foul.

From the Times’ Q&A:

Q: You have said you want to expand instant replay to include reviews of fair or foul balls and trapped balls. Will that expanded replay be in place for next season?

Selig: “I think we’ll have it for sure. They’re working on cameras in all the ballparks. We need the right cameras. Should we have them by next year? We’d better.”

It comes a little more than a week after the St. Louis Cardinals were aided by a controversial infield-fly rule call in their one-game wild-card playoff win over the Atlanta Braves. And it comes after Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected on Sunday for arguing a missed call by second-base umpire Jeff Nelson that led to two Detroit Tigers runs in their 3-0 win.

The Times asked Selig, in light of the call in the Cardinals-Braves game, if he would consider reducing the postseason umpiring crew. In the postseason, crews are expanded from four to six, with two additional umpires on the foul lines in left and right field. He said to not expect any change on that.

“I think, overall, having umpires on the lines is OK,” Selig said. “I appreciated Atlanta. They’re a classy organization. What they said is, ‘Look, our defense beat us, not the umpiring crew,’ which is true.”

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said he will expand replay beyond determining the legitimacy of home run calls. ( J. Meric/Getty Images)

Major League Baseball is making steps to expand instant replay to include trapped balls and line drives down the foul lines.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced the plans on ESPN Radio Friday. 

“We’re now going to add it on trapped balls in the outfield and as I call them bullets down the right and left field line,” Selig said

Currently, replay is only used to determine home runs that are fair or foul and if they clear the ballpark’s fences.

Selig did not say when the changes would be in place. The commissioner said he would continue to review the policy and that he was “very cautious” to make the changes. He expressed concern over the effect it could have on the pace of the game, but added that if umpires adhered to the rules already in place, the pace of the game would not be an issue.

Selig doesn’t think that replay is getting in the way of the game, despite complaints from baseball purists.

“There are some people who believe that by going to the last two things, maybe I’ve gone too far and I don’t think so,” Selig said.

Bud Selig, major league baseball’s commissioner, spoke with White Sox television announcer Ken Harrelson on Thursday about Harrelson’s on-air outburst on Wednesday. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig spoke with television announcer Ken Harrelson on Thursday about his on-air rant against umpire Mark Wegner, reported ESPNChicago on Friday:

“I talked to Bud Selig yesterday,” Harrelson told ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine on Friday morning. “We had a talk. Actually, Bud talked and I listened. If it was a prize fight, they would have stopped it in the first round.

According to the report, Harrelson also confirmed that he spoke with Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, but wouldn’t go into details. Harrelson will talk about the incident during Friday’s broadcast when the Sox play the Seattle Mariners.

Wegner ejected Jose Quintana, the White Sox rookie pitcher, for throwing a pitch behind Tampa Bay Rays Ben Zobrist in the fourth inning of the Sox 4-3 win. Harrelson then went on a rant while Sox manager Robin Ventura was tossed for protesting:

“What are you doing? He threw him out of the ballgame, you’ve got to be bleepin’ me! What in the hell are you doing? What are you doing Wegner? You got to be kidding me. That is so bad, that is absolutely brutal. That is unbelievable.

According to the report, Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN, the company that employs Harrelson, said that the outburst will not happen again:

“I could certainly be wrong but I think this was a good way for him to understand the importance of what’s going on on the field,” Boyer said. “I think moving forward those type of bursts and snaps will be limited if not eliminated.”

Bud Selig just moved one step closer to re-upping as Commissioner of Baseball, as the MLB executive council voted today to approve a two-year contract extension for the longtime leader. A confirmation vote by the full ownership is now scheduled for tomorrow.

Selig turns 78 this year, and he said four years ago when his contract was extended through 2012 that he was entering his last term. He has publicly has maintained that position, but now it appears Selig will remain at the helm through 2014.

“I’m not even going to let you ask the question,” Selig told MLB.com when asked for comment. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Selig has been in charge for nearly two decades — he replaced Fay Vincent as interim commissioner on Sept. 9, 1992. He lost the interim title and took over officially in 1998. Whenever he walks away, he’ll be remembered for the three-division system with an extra playoff round, interleague play, his handling of the Steroid Era, and his controversial move to award home-field advantage in the World Series to the winning league in the All-Star Game.