New York ? Nearly one year later, George Mitchell wouldn’t change a word of his report.

His investigation of drugs in baseball tarnished the reputation of Roger Clemens and dozens of other players, led to a toughened drug agreement and created an impression that clubhouses were teeming with performance-enhancers.

“The impression I get is that it’s had a significant impact of reducing usage, although that still remains very difficult to measure with any complete precision,” the former Senate Majority Leader said during an interview in his midtown Manhattan office.

Mitchell’s 409-page report implicated seven MVPs and 31 All-Stars — one for every position. It identified 85 players to differing degrees, a list of baseball’s famous that included Clemens, Eric Gagne, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi and Troy Glaus.

“Obviously as a human being, I regret and don’t take pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, whether I have any relationship to it or not,” Mitchell said. “What we did was to try to meet the obligation which we’d undertaken, and we did so. Each player involved made his decision on how to respond.”

Still, Mitchell doesn’t think baseball’s drug problem has been totally solved.

“I would be very doubtful that it is completely clean in the sense nobody is using,” he said. “You don’t know whether this is a temporary response because of the attention it’s gotten and whether over time it will begin to resume an increase. I think that’s unlikely given the aggressive nature of the response, but it’s something you have to be continuously concerned about.”

Mitchell’s new evidence was based primarily on interviews with Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets clubhouse attendant who pleaded guilty to illegally distributing steroids, and Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former personal trainer. It also recited the government’s case against Barry Bonds and collected various media reports.

Some players implicated bounced back with relatively little stigma, a group that included Rick Ankiel, Glaus and Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte. Some disappeared from the majors, such as Jay Gibbons, released by Baltimore during spring training.

BASEBALL

Blue Jays might pass

Toronto — Paul Beeston thinks the Blue Jays still have a shot at re-signing pitcher A.J. Burnett. With the economy sinking, however, the team’s interim CEO acknowledged Thursday that Toronto might choose to save the $24 million Burnett passed up this offseason rather than spend it on other free agents.

“It’s a possibility,” Beeston said. “We can spend $100 million, but if it doesn’t make sense, why do it?”

Burnett recently opted out of the final two seasons of his five-year contract, deciding to test the free-agent market and forgo $24 million the Blue Jays would have owed him.

Judge lifts restrictions

San Francisco — Thousands of pages of grand jury testimony related to the long-running steroids investigation of Barry Bonds and other athletes were unsealed by a federal judge.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston signed an order that allows prosecutors to share grand jury transcripts, medical lab reports and search warrant affidavits with Bonds’ lawyers. It came in response to a request from the U.S. Attorney’s office last week that the protective order on the documents be lifted to avoid possibly delaying Bonds’ trial, scheduled to begin March 2.

NBA

Pistons punish Iverson

Detroit — Allen Iverson apparently chose family and food over practice — and he’ll be fined for it.

Iverson was the only player who didn’t show up when the Detroit Pistons worked out on Thanksgiving.

Coach Michael Curry confirmed Iverson will be fined, will not start tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks and might not play in the game for missing the practice.

After Detroit traded for the superstar, Iverson insisted he would do whatever Curry wanted him to and even mocked his famous rant about practice while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Pistons are 5-5 since acquiring Iverson from Denver for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb. McDyess and the Nuggets reached a buyout agreement and the power forward’s agent said he will re-sign next month in Detroit.

NFL

Steelers re-sign RB

Pittsburgh — The Steelers re-signed running back Najeh Davenport and released rookie cornerback Roy Lewis on Thursday.

Davenport spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons with Pittsburgh but was released in June. He was re-signed in October after Willie Parker injured a knee, first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall was lost for the season with a shoulder injury and fullback Carey Davis sprained an ankle. He was released again Nov. 8.

Bills linebacker returns

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Bills linebacker Keith Ellison returned to practice Thursday, a day after the starter was held out because of a sore ankle, and is likely to play Sunday when Buffalo entertains San Francisco. Coach Dick Jauron said Ellison was feeling better, which was good news for an already depleted linebacking corps that could be without top reserve Teddy Lehman, who missed a second straight day of practice because of a hamstring injury.

GOLF

Two tied in Australia

Melbourne, Australia — South Africa’s Tim Clark waited out a three-hour suspension due to a severe thunderstorm to pull into a tie for the first-round lead with a 5-under 67 at the Australian Masters on Thursday.

Australian Scott Hend was in the clubhouse with a 67 when a hail-laced storm hit Huntingdale, forcing nearly 80 golfers off the course. When they returned, Clark, 3-under when play was suspended, birdied Nos. 15 and 16 on what he said was a “totally different course.”

Four players — Daniel Wardrop of England and Australians Chris Downes, Michael Wright and Anthony Brown — were tied for third at 3 under. American John Daly played in the morning and shot a 76.

German team leads

Shenzhen, China — Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka combined for a 10-under 62, giving Germany a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Richard Green and Brendan Jones after the first round of the World Cup of Golf on Thursday. Three teams — Spain, Canada and the United States — were two shots behind.