LOS ANGELES - In turning to former Senate leader George Mitchell to unravel its steroid scandal, Major League Baseball enlisted a global troubleshooter with an insider's knowledge of the game.

Plainspoken, even bland, with skills honed in courtrooms, boardrooms, Washington and on the international stage, Mitchell brings a rare range of experience and a reputation for something at risk in baseball - fair play.

Colleagues in the Senate, where the Maine Democrat served as majority leader, called Mitchell ''the judge,'' a reference to his days in the federal judiciary as well as his reserved, owlish manner.

President Clinton once offered the former U.S. attorney a spot on the Supreme Court. His stewardship of the Northern Ireland peace talks made him a celebrity on another continent. He was the architect of a Middle East peace plan that won international support in 2001, and he led an investigation into alleged bribes in Salt Lake City's bid for the 2002 Olympics. Mitchell also went corporate, helping to calm disarray at Disney.

Baseball's investigation will test those sterling credentials.

Mitchell, 72, is part of the baseball establishment - a director with the Boston Red Sox who has dreamed of becoming the league's commissioner. Already there are questions about his partiality from critics who say the league needs to clean house, not redecorate.

''Of course he has some ties to baseball, but we know what they are. Everybody will be watching to make sure he plays things absolutely straight,'' said former league Commissioner Fay Vincent.

''There is enormous pressure on Mitchell and (Commissioner Bud) Selig,'' Vincent added. ''There is an enormous downside for baseball if it doesn't go well.''

Mitchell's task: Find out everything he can about the use of performance-enhancing drugs since the sport banned them in September 2002.

Mitchell's reputation is anchored to his days in the Senate, where he combined a scholarly demeanor with aggressive, savvy political skills.

In 1986, as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, he led the party to stunning gains and majority control during the Reagan administration.