Clemens Vehemently Denies Steroid Use

Tells Mike Wallace Trainer Only Injected Legal Drug

(CBS)  Update: Clemens filed a defamation suit against former trainer Brian McNamee on Jan. 6, 2008, the day this interview was broadcast and 10 days after it was filmed. Clemens filed the suit in Harris County District Court in Texas, listing 15 alleged statements McNamee made to the baseball drug investigator George Mitchell. Clemens claimed the statement were "untrue and defamatory."

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With 354 wins, Roger Clemens is one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball. There's no question about it. But as Mike Wallace reports, there are questions now about whether Roger Clemens cheated to enhance his record and prolong his career.

One of his former trainers, Brian McNamee, says that he himself injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone. McNamee's accusations were the biggest revelations in George Mitchell's report on steroid abuse for Major League Baseball.

But Clemens insists the charges are phony and that he never used steroids or any other banned substance. Clemens agreed to answer 60 Minutes' questions at his home outside Houston, where we found him to be frustrated, even furious, that so many people have been so quick to believe he cheated.

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"I'm angry that that what I've done for the game of baseball and the personal, in my private life, what I've done, that I don't get the benefit of the doubt," Clemens says. "The stuff that's being said, it's ridiculous."

"It's hogwash for people to even assume this," Clemens says.

"Twenty-four, twenty-five years Mike. You'd think I'd get an inch of respect. An inch," he adds. "How can you prove your innocence?"

"Apparently you haven't done it yet. People I talk to say, 'Come on. 45 years old? How does he still throw a ball and compete' and so forth? Impossible," Wallace remarks.

"Not impossible. You do it with hard work. Ask any of my teammates. Ask anybody that's come here and done the work with me," Clemens says.

"I was down here in 2001. You were pitching to a guy by the name of Brian McNamee," Wallace says.

"Brian McNamee, that's right," Clemens replies.

McNamee helped Clemens work out, on and off for ten years. Clemens is famous for his exhausting workouts; he's been called the hardest working man in throw-business. But now he's been thrown by what McNamee told George Mitchell.

"He gave very specific examples of times he says that he injected you with steroids. During the '98 season, you were pitching for the Blue Jays. McNamee was their strength and conditioning coach. From the Mitchell Report, quote: 'Clemens approached McNamee, and for the first time, brought up the subject of using steroids. Clemens said that he was not able to inject himself and he asked for McNamee's help. McNamee injected Clemens approximately four times in the buttocks over a several week period, with needles that Clemens provided. Each incident took place in Clemens' apartment in the Sky Dome,'" Wallace reads.

"Never happened," Clemens says. "Never happened. And if I have these needles and these steroids and all these drugs, where did I get 'em? Where is the person out there gave 'em to me? Please, please come forward."

"Mitchell Report, quote: 'According to McNamee, from the time McNamee injected Clemens with Winstrol, a steroid, through the end of the '98 season, Clemens performance showed remarkable improvement. Clemens told McNamee that the steroids, quote, had a pretty good effect on him. McNamee said Clemens was also training harder and dieting better during this time,'" Wallace reads.

"Never. I trained hard my entire career. It just didn’t happen," Clemens says.

Why would Brian McNamee want to betray him?

"I don't know," Clemens says. "I'm so upset about it, how I treated this man and took care of him."

"I imagine he's watching the two of us right now, wouldn't you?" Wallace asks.

"I hope he is," Clemens says.

"Okay. Anything you want to tell him?" Wallace asks.

"Yeah. I treated him fairly. I treated him as great as anybody else," Clemens says. "I helped him out!"

"Again, from the Mitchell Report, quote, 'According to McNamee, during the middle of the 2000 season, Clemens made it clear he was ready to use steroids again. And during the latter part of the season, McNamee injected Clemens in the buttocks four to six times with testosterone. Also injected Clemens four to six times with human growth hormone,'" Wallace reads.

"My body never changed," Clemens says. "If he's putting that stuff up in my body, if what he's saying which is totally false, if he's doing that to me, I should have a third ear coming out of my forehead. I should be pulling tractors with my teeth."

[jbryant793]

I find it very interesting that the trainer told the truth about everybody but Roger.

[harunksteve]

Baseball took their time recognizing public opinion of steroid use - they decided to ban it - I do not want Congress getting tied up in Baseball, let pro-ball make their rules and go from here - as far as roger and the hall of fame, he isn''t even in and all I know is that he does not want to wear a Boston uniform

[raine_man200]

its interesting to see roger and his lawyer say they will talk to this government committee as he has a law suit pending against his former trainer... hummmmmmmm sorry cant answer that question as it will affect the outcome of a upcoming court case. and ..... i also will note that most steroid using people that are accused all say "who me i''m innocent", just ask any person who has a finger pointed at em.. they''ll tell you that they are innocent and low and behold they have used steroids........

Recently there was a person who finally admitted using steroids and she lost her medals but when it was first brought up by someone way back when.......didnt that remind you a bit like this episode and i can still remember ben johnson... fastest man in the world ..yup ran like a stallion in heat.. say "who me..not me i never took any enhancing drugs".........
so please when names are brought forward and the public hears em.. we are usually the last to hear the talk.. itd be interesting to hear honest athletes be asked what they have heard.. but then the union wouldnt want that ..is this making any sense?

I''m amazed that Mike Wallace didn''t ask Roger Clemens why he had asked his trainer, not his physician, to inject him with Lidocaine, and B12. Who would you want providing and administrating injectable substances into you - a trainer, or a physician?

[egprescott]

I''ve been a Red Sox fan for as about 37 years, born and raised 15 min. from Fenway Park. When Clemens was with them, I thought he was the most arrogant player we''d ever had. Today though, his arrogance doesn''t make him guilty until proven innocent. Personally, although I''ve never liked him, I believe him. More so, I believe in the American Justice System - Innocent until proven guilty.

[zibbydot-2009]

McNamee is a narcissist guilty of pushing illegal drugs. By definition he is the most extreme form of a risk taker at the expense of others credibility. We think his freedom depended on ''the truth''. For McNamee it is his self preservation at all cost that hung in the balance and lead to the report. His motivation to target Clemens and other players is nothing more than a game of deflection. He is too arrogant to believe he could actually go to prison, he just needed to cleverly organize his play on the legal system and public in a way that would redeem his credibility, all the while someone else the center of negative attention. A narcissist primary motivation is to be the one revered, and McNamee certainly accomplished that with his self titled report, how fitting.
McNamee has nothing to lose and everything to gain with this illusion. He has had great satisfaction toying with Clemens, the other players and the public at large. He is living the narcissist dream.

[bookmark440]

It comes down to credibility. I lived in Boston during Clemens'' entire run. Every season, there were nasty incidents involving Roger which don''t get national press. Things like going to a California golf course with three buddies during a West coast road trip and making a scene because they wouldn''t comp him AND his buddies with free golf. But when he''s asked about these things, he always denies or deflects and blames the other guy. Take the 1986 World Series ''Bill Buckner'' game. People forget that Clemens took himself out of that game then denied it later. The person he called a liar then was John McNamara, one of the most honorable and respected coaches in the league. That''s his pattern. And this assertion that he has ''always'' worked hard, the hardest working guy in baseball is just false. From ''93-''96 in Boston, he showed up at spring training overweight and out-of-shape. From 1993 through July,1996, he was 34-36 with an ERA of 4.00. He was 4-10 through July/96 when he suddenly realizes that he''s a free agent at the end of the season and pitches an unreal Aug (4-1. 1.85 ERA). So, I basically think the guy is a scum-bag with no credibility.

I don''t know anything about Brian McNamee at all. But I do know that the ONLY way he could blow his immunity was to lie, in which case he goes directly to jail. My guess is that Clemens treated him like garbage the same way he treats everybody else and that he didn''t hestitate to rat him out.

[karenpeterse]

As a person who was wrongfully accused of baseless lies and falsehoods in the workplace, I am sympathetic to the pain Roger Clemens has endured, and the helpless feeling of not being able to defend oneself against such allegations. I hope he fights back with a vengeance and clears his name. He deserves better, and so did I. Doesn''t ''innocent until proven guilty'' mean anything?
Karen Petersen
Former Manager, Honolulu Office
Western Temporary Services

[enoll6]

All of you idiots that keep asking for this polygraph apparetly are unaware that they are complletely unreliable and do not prove a thing. We will probably never know the the truth about what happened but until there is proof other than one guy accusing another there is no point in debating this issue any further. The man is innocent util there is some sort of proof or coroborating evidence or witness. I am sure if he did take hgh or steroids he did nont talk about it with anyone.

As for the other overly inteligent statement of cheating because he used painkillers to play through injuries all athletes do this for instance Big Papi and his shoulder all season so please get a clue!!!

[amainer]

Here I am a Red Sox fan, and now your telling me Major League Baseball bites again. I was kind of liking it where it was. Thanks, Senator Mitchell from Maine. "He said she said". Anybody got any test results?

[amainer]

Mr. Wallace, those were fair and tough questions, and Mr. Clemens, you did well to stay calm. Here''s a question for Major League Baseball, so aptly asked by Mr Clemens: Whom do I sue? My son is 14. I''ve bought packs of baseball cards for him since he was born, about one pack a day, all different brands. (Really, the only investment I have, and thought it was relatively safe) We open the packs, see who the new guy is, put the Clemens cards, etc. in sleeves and top loads. The collection contains 200 Clemens cards, 200 Bonds cards, 200 Arod cards, and on and on,everybody that''s been in the game for the last 15 years or so, rookies included. Everything is pretty much gem mint. Now they are worthless. Here''s what bugs me...At what point will MLB step up to the plate and admit they dropped the ball on testing. Show me a Roger Clemens positive test for steroids or not, not a guy trying to stay out of jail by making a claim. Do these guys get tested for steroid use, or not! Where''s the positive tests! Who else is on "the list"? ARod''s pretty big and talented, and we have alot of good Arod cards. Maybe he''s on "the list". Or, how bout Veritek. Rumors abound. My $15,000 card investment over 15 years was supposed to be something with worth when my son grows up. As this steroid investigation continues, we look at the cards differently now. The hero part becomes pretty blurry. The investment part becomes panic. MLB, I want my money back. You can have the cards, except the Clemens cards.

[ii01413]

What Mike Wallace forgot to disclose is that Mike is a Yankee fan. When Mike attends the games at Yankee stadium he sits in George Steinbrenner''s Box seats.

Mike has been a lot more aggressive interviewing people when he wants to get at the truth. Mike didn%u2019t do the follow up questions that mike usually does to get at the truth.

Why didn%u2019t Mike Wallace ask Roger if McNamee is a liar?????????? , Yes or No
Roger never answered the question why McNamee did not lie about Andy Pettitte but according to Roger lied about Roger????

[ii01413]

What Mike Wallace forgot to disclose is that Mike is a Yankee fan. When Mike attends the games at Yankee stadium he sits in George Steinbrenner''s Box seats.

Mike has been a lot more aggressive interviewing people when he wants to get at the truth. Mike didn%u2019t do the follow up questions that mike usually does to get at the truth.

Why didn%u2019t Mike Wallace ask Roger if McNamee is a liar?????????? , Yes or No
Roger never answered the question why McNamee did not lie about Andy Pettitte but according to Roger lied about Roger????

[joehat1961]

allUNknowing - Obviously you didn''t read the Clemens portion of the Mitchell Report. If you did, you''d have seen this comment:

"Toward the end of the road trip which included the Marlins series, or shortly after the Blue Jays returned home to Toronto, Clemens approached McNamee and, for the first time, brought up the subject of using steroids. Clemens said he was not able to inject himself, and he asked for McNamee''s help."

Clemens approached McNamee. He did so after coming back from Florida, the same trip that he visited Jose Canseco and had a discussion with him about "stacking and cycling" steroids. You can read more about it in the report or in Canseco''s book.

[allunknowing]

Most athletes do whatever their trainer tells them to do to stay in peak condition. Why would a trainer to some of the biggest stars in MLB advise AND OFFER the players to take steroids and growth hormones?

McNammee is the real guilty party, the FBI even said he was guilty. But they let him go if he confessed up the names of the BIG stars, so the LAWYERS could seek out some BIG BUCKS. How much money could they get from McNammee? lol, he''s a trainer... not much money there.

We live in a fuhcked up country.

[btuff1]

Clemens and Wallace make a good pair, unbelievable and unbelievably bad.

[woodjd42]

I watched Roger Clemens on the show and think it was laughable. I don''''t care if he took steroids 10 years ago. I am more shocked he would make a statement "after what he has done for baseball". It is what baseball has done for him. No player will ever be bigger than the game.


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Posted by job1966

Now that is something I just didn''t think about. However I could not agree more with your comment.

[job1966]

I watched Roger Clemens on the show and think it was laughable. I don''t care if he took steroids 10 years ago. I am more shocked he would make a statement "after what he has done for baseball". It is what baseball has done for him. No player will ever be bigger than the game.

[woodjd42]

juwboy

I am not disputing the truthfulness of Clinton. He was a very good liar. However I still say the masters of lying are bush/chaney.

[juwboy]

woodjd42:

I disagree about the Clintons lying.

However, they are masters of making truthful statements which mislead the listener.

It''s best illustrated with an example.

During the 1992 campaign, the Clintons were interviewed on 60 Minutes.

Steve Croft asked, "Isn''t it true that you had a 12-year affair with Gennifer Flowers?". Bill Clinton responded, "No, it''s not true".

It was common knowledge that Bill Clinton had a multi-year affair with Ms Flowers, but he wouldn''t have been lying if:

(a) the affair lasted 11 years and 10 months

or

(b) the affair ended more than 12 years after it began, but there was a 2-year period in the middle when they never saw each other

or

(c) ..........

That is why questions to the Clintons have to be very precise so they don''t leave an opening for them to mislead. However, the questions are always too vague.