March 28 (Bloomberg) -- Major League Baseball may get off scot-free financially after an offseason clouded by steroids probes and congressional hearings.

Even after an investigation by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell named 89 players as users of performance-enhancing drugs and the indictment of the home-run king Barry Bonds, baseball is poised to grow this season, according to major- league officials and a study by Seton Hall University.

When it comes to the game itself, fans don't care whether a few players used steroids or if doping is pervasive, said Vince Gennaro, a business consultant to several major-league teams who formerly ran PepsiCo Inc.'s fountain beverage division.

``I don't think, one way or the other, it's a huge factor for the fan who's spending his money on the ballgames,'' Gennaro said.

The new season opens in the U.S. on March 30, when the Washington Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves at the Nationals' new stadium in the nation's capital. The season officially began this week in Tokyo with two games between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.

Baseball's revenue has more than tripled to $6.1 billion since the players' strike that forced the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. Attendance has set records for four consecutive seasons, with more than 79 million going to games in 2007.

Tainted Stars

That growth probably will continue this year, Commissioner Bud Selig said this week in Japan. He projected that revenue will reach $6.5 billion in 2008, up from $1.8 billion in 1996.

Some of the game's biggest stars may not be as fortunate. Three congressional hearings were held following Mitchell's December report, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into whether All-Stars Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada lied under oath in connection to steroid probes. Both denied during congressional hearings that they had taken steroids.

Bonds, who broke Hank Aaron's career home run record in August, was indicted Nov. 15 on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. Bonds pleaded not guilty.

Eighty-eight percent of sports fans surveyed by Seton Hall in March said they'll watch as much or more baseball this season than before, compared with 42 percent who said the league is doing enough to deal with steroids.

``There really is only one conclusion from that, which is that what they're doing a bad job on isn't of particularly high importance to fans,'' Gennaro said.

Steroids-Era Growth

Attendance at spring-training games was up entering the final week of exhibitions in Florida and Arizona.

``From a spectator standpoint, we haven't heard anything about it,'' said Mark Jackson, president of Florida's Grapefruit League. ``It was a blip on the radar screen.''

Revenue growth over the past decade largely coincides with the era of steroid use Mitchell investigated. That may not be a coincidence, former Texas Rangers President Mike Cramer said.

``I think it did help,'' said Cramer, now a professor at New York University. ``During the time called the steroid era, the fans didn't know for the most part that steroids were abused as we're seeing now. They enjoyed the offense, and the offense helped to create the greater interest in the game.''

Tim Brosnan, baseball's vice president for business, said the game is ``good and strong,'' and not because of steroids.

``All indications are that we will continue to move ahead in all of our business areas from what's amounted to a run of 6- 8 record years,'' Brosnan said in a telephone interview from his office in New York. ``To suppose that that is a result of the `steroids era' largely ignores a whole bunch of things that transpired since the 1995 season.''

New York Records

Brosnan cited Cal Ripken's eclipsing of Lou Gehrig's consecutive games-played mark in 1995, as well as competitive balance, an influx of Japanese players and sustained successes of big-market teams.

New York's Yankees and Mets project record ticket sales this season, their last before moving into new stadiums. The Yankees have reached the postseason every year since 1995, while the Mets made the biggest offseason splash in acquiring pitcher Johan Santana, two-time winner of the American League Cy Young Award.

The World Series champion Red Sox likely will break Cleveland's record for consecutive sellouts (455) in early September. The Los Angeles Angels won their division and the Dodgers hired Joe Torre, who left the Yankees after taking them to the playoffs each of his 12 years with the team.

Baseball's exposure will increase in 2009 with the launch of the MLB Network. The television channel will reach about 50 million homes when it debuts, making it the broadest launch of any cable channel ever.

``It's reason for continued optimism,'' Gennaro said. ``I don't see any of the enthusiasm and strength baseball has abating anytime soon.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 28, 2008 00:01 EDT