Clemens: I Never Took Banned Substances

Pitcher Denies Taking Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Calling Them A "Destructive Shortcut"

(AP)  Roger Clemens denied allegations by his former trainer that he took performance-enhancing drugs, calling them "a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take."

The accusations against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner from former trainer Brian McNamee were the most striking in last week's Mitchell Report. Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell said McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids in 1998 while with the Toronto Blue Jays, and steroids and human growth hormone in 2000 and 2001, while with the New York Yankees.

"I want to state clearly and without qualification: I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, my entire life," Clemens said Tuesday in a statement issued through his agent, Randy Hendricks. "Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take.

"I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand that Senator Mitchell's report has raised many serious questions. I plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. I only ask that in the meantime people not rush to judgment."

Another former McNamee client, Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, said last weekend that he took HGH twice while rehabbing from an injury in 2002. Mitchell said McNamee told him he injected Pettitte with HGH two-to-four times that year.

Baseball players and owners didn't have an agreement banning steroids until September 2002. They banned HGH in January 2005.

McNamee's lawyer, Ed Ward, said he would attempt to reach his client to determine whether McNamee wanted to respond to Clemens' statement.

Clemens' lawyer, Rusty Hardin, issued a denial Thursday, hours after Mitchell's report was issued. Tuesday marked the first public comments by Clemens, an 11-time All-Star who spent 24 years in the major leagues with Boston, Toronto, the Yankees and Houston.

The 45-year-old right-hander was 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA for the Yankees this year and may retire. He said he planned to retire after the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons, only to return each time.

A six-time 20-game winner, Clemens was considered by most to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer before McNamee's allegations.

[sgtrds]

Who cares anymore? These overfed fat with money athletes have pis*sed on every major sport so many times that I can''t get excited about any of them anymore. They''ve turned baseball, football, basketball, etc into nothing more then pro-wrestling. Why bother?

[kevzgrl]

Ramos931: Absolutely right - Mr. Mitchell gave them all the opportunity to hear the evidence against them and that he would consider their statements in writing the report. He did say that 2 players talked to him, but didn''t say which 2 players - maybe Mr. Clemens was one of them, and he denied it then, but the report still went out as planned. I guess the point I am trying to make is, so many years after the fact, it is "your word against mine" here, with Mr. Clemens and Mr. McNamee in opposing corners, and no way to get at the truth short of a polygraph on both (and even THAT can be beaten or faked.) I think Mr. Clemens ought to be given the benefit of the doubt.

[keithle1]

"Baseball is an exceptional collection of the finest atheletes with unsurpassed ethics and values."

Are you serious, Pensacola88? Modern baseball?

[keithle1]

Can''t say p e n i s or s e x here. Two dirty words. Someone might be offended. A 105-year-old Mormon lady in Utah. Can''t even say "h e double hockey sticks."

Wash your mouth out, America. Good thing CBS News is brave enough to take a stand & say, "Enough is enough!"

[keithle1]

I guess hockey & basketball are the only major pro sports where the players aren''t taking steroids/performance enhancing drugs.

Or am I mistaken?

These players denied everything in the hopes that they wouldn''t get found out. The guys selling the steroids might come forward early on & cooperate but the players definitely weren''t going to. They weren''t going to "rat" on other players either.

Not everyone is afraid of cogressional committees. The ones that investigate this & that. Example: look at the bold-faced lies & b.s. that the big tobacco execs spewed out when they were up on Capitol Hill.
A farce & a sham.

Should tell the players:

"Tell us the truth or say goodbye to your ***!" Cue chainsaw.

[ramos937]

Unless I was dreaming, I remember hearing Mitchell stating clearly during his press conference that he had offered all of the players an opportunity to correct the report prior to release if a player would meet with him or contact him but none did.

If Clemons is innocent, why did he not meet with Mitchell prior to the report''s release?

[kaelinda]

Lance Armstrong was wrongfully accused - why not Roger Clemens? None of the others named in the report have denied it - why would Clemens? If he were guilty, don''t you suppose he''d think they had some kind of proof before accusing him? After the Lance Armstrong "scandal," I don''t automatically believe these accusations anymore.

[grmcgee]

I for one give Roger Clemens the benefit of the doubt. I have always thought that he was open and bluntly honest. Sure, he can come across as somewhat arrogant sometimes, but when he is the best pitcher of his generation and one of the best ever, he deserves to be proud of his confidence. I will seriously listen to his refutation of the charges, believing him to be innocent unless he is proven to be guilty.

[pensacola88]

Roger Clemens is a truth-telling individual. Brian McNamee is a wishful and fame-seeking person looking for an audience at the expense of the truth. Baseball does have their share of villains, but no one can last long being a villain in baseball. Baseball is an exceptional collection of the finest atheletes with unsurpassed ethics and values. If Roger was doping himself, someone would have known it a lot sooner and said something.

[keithle1]

Bonds is the supreme punk. The whole league stinks. But then all pro sports stink. There aren''t any saints.

[Krazcarl]

fibonacci.....COOL so I wasn''t alone...

[pummel2-2009]

thank goodness clemens wasnt looked up to as a role model!!!

[fibonacci_]

I smoked fat in high school.

[pummel2-2009]

why is it when bonds did it .. it was shame of bonds.. then clemens does it and its management not caring. barry did wheat they wanted and so did clemens. but i''m so glad that arrogant sob got caught!!

[Krazcarl]

When I played high school ball you asked me if I smoked weed I''d give you the same line of BS, what does anyone expect him to say

[dowjones20k]

Odd how McNamee would name the rocket & Pettitte ... Pettitte admits using ... and the rocket denies it ... its not like McNamee did not know who or what he was injecting !!

Heck they have known each other for decades ..this guy set up Clemons'' gym in his home for god sakes !!

If your innocent Roger ... then get your lawyer to stop blabbering and start filing some lawsuits !!

How bout them Red Sox !!!

[bogusbones]

Then Mr. Clemens, sue everyone that ever accused you of taking steroids. Take them to court so you can prove, not in the court of public opinion, but in the legal system that you are innocent. I bet I can count over 30 million reasons why you would take HGH or steroids.

[buddhabman]

B.S Roger

[williamfold]

clemens is obsessed with media attention. if the fat POS just kept his mouth shut, people would forget it in six months. but that''s just what he''s afraid of, that people will forget him, so he''s got to open his fat mouth.

message to Roger: just ****.

[jn122736]

Babe Ruth hit a record 60 homeruns in 1927, in a 154 game season, that stood for 34 years when Roger Maris hit 61 homers in a 162 game season to break it.

McGuire hit 70 in 1998, and Bonds hit 73 in 2001.

Babe Ruth hit 714 homers over a 21-year career, which included 5 years as a pitcher and pitchers don%u2019t get to hit in every game (When I was watching the St Louis Cardinals regularly, pitchers rotated every three or four games).
That record lasted until 1974 when Hank Aaron finally surpassed it.

Performance-enhancing drugs notwithstanding, One wonders what kind of record the Babe would/could have set with today%u2019s longer seasons and baseballs and baseball bats designed for more and longer hits/homers?