"Outfielder/designated hitter Jack Cust has always had issues with the Mitchell Report from the moment it was released roughly 20 months ago. And he's started to wonder why certain names were not included in the 409-page document about steroid use in baseball.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Cust, who is in his third season with the A's, blasted the report for having no member of the Boston Red Sox among the 85 players mentioned. The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, reported last month that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among the 104 players who allegedly tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance during Major League Baseball's survey in 2003, when they both played for Boston.

Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, who compiled the report that was released in December 2007, has been a director of the Red Sox since 2002.

"With all the other stuff going on, with a lot of the guys coming out recently - big-name guys - to me it's kind of funny they spent all that money on the Mitchell Report and a bunch of hearsay and the guy who made all the money off it happened to work for the Red Sox," Cust told AP. "Were there any Red Sox on the report? To me, that's kind of a joke. How does that happen? It's coming out now with guys on that team."

Cust didn't wish to talk about the Mitchell Report when approached by Bay Area News Group on Tuesday afternoon, saying, "Someone asked me

the other day and I answered the question. That's over with.""