Clemens hits back at doping allegation
Seven-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens has hit back at a Los Angeles Times report saying he was among six players named by a former teammate as using performance enhancing drugs.
The newspaper reported in a front page story that it had learned that the 44-year-old Clemens and his fellow Houston pitcher Andy Pettitte were among players named by the now-banned Jason Grimsley in an affidavit previously filed in federal court.
The identities of the players were blacked out when the document was released to the public.
Journeyman major league pitcher Grimsley, himself banned for doping, pointed the finger at the players, the Los Angeles Times said.
In a clubhouse interview prior to the Astros' game in Atlanta Sunday, Clemens adamantly denied he had ever taken performance-enhancing drugs and threatened possible legal action.
"I didn't see it, nor do I need to see it," he said in remarks posted in a story on the team's website. "But for the people involved, I think it's very dangerous and malicious and reckless on their part for some guys to have a document or whatever he did and supposedly put it out there with somebody else's writing on it. These are the things we're hearing.
"Grimsley never worked out with myself or Andy at any point," added Clemens, who came out of retirement to pitch for the Astros in each of the last two years. "I don't know where that's coming from. When it's going to take a serious turn for me is when one of my sponsors pull out, then somebody's going to be responsible for that. Then my lawyers will take over from there."
Pettitte, who like Clemens played with Grimsley while with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000, said he was shocked by the report.
"I haven't done anything," the two-time All-Star said in Atlanta. "I guess reports are saying I've used performance-enhancing drugs. I've never used any drugs to enhance my performance on a baseball field before. I don't know what else to say except it's embarrassing that my name would be out there with this."
Since Major League Baseball began its drug-testing program in 2003, neither Pettitte nor Clemens has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
While training for the World Baseball Classic, Clemens was subject to an Olympic-style testing programme that is more stringent than that of Major League Baseball.
"I've been tested plenty of times," Clemens said. "My physicals I've taken, they've taken my bloodwork, I've passed every test anybody wants."
Other players the Times said were named by Grimsley were Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons of the Baltimore Orioles.
According to the affidavit, Grimsley told investigators that Clemens and Pettitte "used athletic performance-enhancing drugs."
He also said Tejada used anabolic steroids.
The three Orioles players all denied the allegations in interviews with the Baltimore Sun.
"Our players have addressed the accusations quite strongly, and we support them," Mike Flanagan, the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations, said. "We have not seen the affidavit and therefore will not comment on it further."
Grimsley, Tejada, Gibbons and Roberts were teammates in Baltimore during the 2005 season.
According to the 20-page search warrant affidavit signed by Internal Revenue Service special agent Jeff Novitzky, Grimsley told investigators he obtained amphetamines, anabolic steroids and human growth hormones from a source recommended to him by former Yankees trainer Brian McNamee, who also is a personal strength coach for both Clemens and Pettitte.
A sixth player, retired first baseman David Segui, previously came forward and announced his name was among those blacked out in the affidavit provided to the public.
Major League Baseball suspended Grimsley for 50 games in June, after he admitted to taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs and also alleged wide usage throughout baseball, the Arizona Republic reported at the time.
Grimsley's case and any others it might raise come four years after the IRS began its probe of the now infamous BALCO laboratory near San Francisco.
BALCO founder Victor Conte and Greg Anderson, the personal trainer of San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, are among those convicted of illegal steroid distribution in the case which tainted elite athletes in sports ranging from athletics to baseball.
In baseball Bonds, who moved past legendary Babe Ruth into second place on the all-time home run list earlier this year, and New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi have been publicly linked to the scandal.
AFP
