updated 11:54 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2007

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Friday that baseball players and owners must take seriously the Mitchell Report on steroid use, but cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the individuals named.

“My hope is that this report is a part of putting the steroid era of baseball behind us,” he said, surrounded by Cabinet members in the Rose Garden.

Bush, who once owned the Texas Rangers, said, the Mitchell Report means that “we can jump to this conclusion: that steroids have sullied the game.”

“The players and the owners must take the Mitchell Report seriously,” Bush said. “I’m confident they will.”

In a report issued Thursday, former Sen. George Mitchell linked 85 players to the illegal use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

The 409-page report identified an array of players, from those who have had brief stints to prospective members of the Baseball Hall of Fame — including seven MVPs, two Cy Young Award winners and 31 All-Stars.

Barry Bonds showed up more often. So did Jose Canseco. Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagne and Miguel Tejada also became part of baseball’s most infamous lineup since the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

But they didn’t get the worst of it Thursday. That infamy belonged to Roger Clemens, the greatest pitcher of his era.

The Steroids Era.

Lawyers in baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s office will have to determine whether any of the active players deserve punishment, a process that will spill into next year.

“I think it’s best that all of us not jump to any conclusions on individual players named,” Bush said.

As an intense fan of baseball, Bush seemed pained by the extent of the problem. He spoke about the issue in answer to a question from a reporter.

“I understand the impact that professional athletes can have on our nation’s youth,” he said. “I just urge those in the public spotlight, particularly athletes, to understand that when they violate their bodies, they’re sending a terrible signal to America’s youth.”

Bush had called for a voluntary crackdown on steroids in his 2004 State of the Union address.

This August, Bush called to congratulate Barry Bonds when he broke the home run record. The president didn’t weigh in on the steroids controversy surrounding the slugger’s smashing of the vaunted major league record.

“There is a lot of speculation about Barry Bonds, and my only advice for people is to just let history be the judge,” Bush said during a television interview. “Let’s find out the facts, and then everybody’s opinion — one way or the other — will be verified or not verified.”

If it’s later proven that a lot of Bonds’ strength came from drug use, Bush said, there will be a lot of disappointed people.

“As you know, I’m a baseball fan — I love the sport, I love the game,” he said. “I’ve been troubled by the steroid allegations.”

On Thursday, White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush does not recall being aware of any steroid use during his time as a baseball executive. Pushed about whether Bush regrets being in the dark about that, Perino said: “The president said he thought long and hard about it. He just does not recall hearing or seeing it. And I don’t think it’s time for regret. I think it’s time to do what the president has done, which has been to take time in his State of the Union to shine a light on the issue. Now we have the result of a report that is getting a lot of attention, and deservedly so.”

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On Friday, Mitchell insisted he provided opportunities for the players identified in his report to respond to the allegations.

Almost without exception, he said on CNN’s “American Morning,” they declined. So Mitchell turned to union head Donald Fehr.

“I wrote a letter to Don Fehr’s office setting forth the names and the dates and I wanted to tell them, here is what happened, come in and explain it to me,” Mitchell said. “They refused to do so.”

Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr., Paul Byrd, Jose Guillen, Brian Roberts, Paul Lo Duca and Rick Ankiel were among other current players cited. Some were linked to human growth hormone, others to steroids. Mitchell did not delve into stimulants in his 20-month investigation.

While he vehemently denied it through his lawyer, Clemens was the symbol.

Considered a lock for the Hall of Fame earlier this week, Clemens’ path to Cooperstown was thrown in doubt after he was singled out on nearly nine pages.

Seven-time Cy Young Award winner, eighth on the career list with 354 victories, an MVP and All-Star himself, Clemens suddenly had more to worry about than simply whether to play next season.

“It is very unfair to include Roger’s name in this report,” said Clemens’ lawyer, Rusty Hardin. “He is left with no meaningful way to combat what he strongly contends are totally false allegations. He has not been charged with anything, he will not be charged with anything and yet he is being tried in the court of public opinion with no recourse. That is totally wrong.”

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