Clemens denies taking steroids or HGH

[The Voice of Reason]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3160063

 

"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.''

[fiver]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3160063

 

"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.''

 

please...please...don't deny me my spot in the HOF...

[TruffleShuffle]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3160063

 

"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.''

 

please...please...don't deny me my spot in the HOF...

 

uh yeah, the fact that you pitched like one of the best pitchers of all time during the last 10 years of that "public life" is exactly what caused a lot of people to doubt you.

[The Voice of Reason]

I wonder if Roger plans on using Rafael Palmeiro's libel attorney to sue Senator Mitchell.

[BigbadB]

Too late. I already rushed to judgment. But, more for the lying than the actual usage of PED's.

[swordsman]

What should he say if he were actually innocent?

[The Voice of Reason]

What should he say if he were actually innocent?

 

A statement from himself (not his lawyer) the day the Mitchell report came out would have been a good start instead we get a press release from his agent several days later.

[The Voice of Reason]

Wojo nails it.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3160231&sportCat=mlb

 

Two paragraphs -- that's all we got Tuesday. And all 109 words were issued conveniently through one of your agents.

 

Roger Clemens is under more scrutiny now that Andy Pettitte has admitted using HGH.

 

Most of the statement repeats what your recently hired Houston attorney, Rusty Hardin, said when your name bubbled to the top of the Mitchell report surface: deny, deny, deny.

 

The second part of the statement is the keeper, though. That's where you wonder why "25 years in public life" didn't earn you a Get Out Of Mitchell Report card, as if celebrity status exempted you from legitimate scrutiny. And then you said you planned to address questions "at the appropriate time in the appropriate way.

 

"I only ask that in the meantime people not rush to judgment."

 

Rush? Of course not. You take your time and let us know when it's good for you. We'll just sit here, maybe do a Sudoku, and wonder why the supposed greatest pitcher of our generation is taking so long to step in front of a microphone, look America in the eye, and answer every question anyone has about the allegations made by your former trainer, Brian McNamee.

 

It's been five days since the Mitchell report was released, five days since Hardin said you "vehemently" disputed the allegations and that you were "outraged" your name was included in the document.

 

During that time, other Mitchell report alums -- Pettitte, Brian Roberts, Fernando Vina, F.P. Santangelo, Mark Carreon, Gary Bennett -- have stepped forward to admit that, yes, the allegations against them were essentially true.

 

Meanwhile, the seven-time Cy Young winner and former stone-cold lock for the Hall of Fame still can't appear in public? You're so outraged that your lawyer has all but ruled out the possibility of suing Major League Baseball?

 

So much doesn't make sense here. Hardin said you didn't know the specifics of McNamee's allegations until the Mitchell report was released last Thursday. He also said you have "no meaningful way to combat" the allegations.

 

You're kidding, right? Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell said he invited every player named in the report to meet with him "so I could inform him of the evidence supporting the allegations and give him a chance to respond." Those explanations would be included in the report itself.

 

Sorry, Roger, but you most definitely had an opportunity to combat McNamee's version of performance-enhancer history. You could have explained it then, denied it then, gone public then. Instead, silence.

 

You weren't a victim. You chose not to confront the man who would have detailed the allegations against you. If you were blindsided by McNamee's testimony, then it was your own fault.

 

This isn't about who's a "good" or a "bad" guy. The feds didn't go after Bonds because he's a narcissist. This is about compromising a game and its history, about choosing between moral high and low roads, about the simple act of cheating and lying.

 

Brian McNamee has spoken. When will you

[OleMissCub]

Ages 35 and on from some random Hall of Fame type pitchers:

 

Maddux

35 - 146 ERA+, 1.060 WHIP

36 - 158 - 1.199

37 - 108 - 1.182

38 - 109 - 1.180

39 - 104 - 1.220

40 - 109 - 1.219

41 - 98 - 1.242

 

Jenkins

35 - 124 - 1.080

36 - 102 - 1.286

37 - 103 - 1.222

38 - 77 - 1.528

39 - 118 - 1.330

40 - 88 - 1.327

 

Carlton

35 - 162 - 1.095

36 - 150 - 1.126

37 - 119 - 1.147

38 - 116 - 1.273

39 - 101 - 1.279

40 - 111 - 1.489

41 - 78 - 1.599

 

Glavine

35 - 125 - 1.413

36 - 140 - 1.283

37 - 93 - 1.478

38 - 119 - 1.290

39 - 116 - 1.363

40 - 114 - 1.333

41 - 96 - 1.413

 

Sutton

35 - 160 - 0.919

36 - 126 - 1.015

37 - 112 - 1.154

38 - 92 - 1.194

39 - 103 - 1.293

40 - 100 - 1.239

41 - 111 - 1.164

42 - 92 - 1.252

 

Clemens

35 - 174 - 1.095

36 - 103 - 1.465

37 - 130 - 1.312

38 - 128 - 1.257

39 - 102 - 1.306

40 - 112 - 1.214

41 - 146 - 1.157

42 - 226 - 1.008

43 - 193 - 1.041

 

 

Clemens seemed to be declining on the regular scale of a pitcher of his talent until he started pitching for Houston at age 41.

[The Voice of Reason]

Clemens is a mediocre 36 year old pitcher let go by the Red Sox. Clemens meets McNamee who becomes Clemens "trainer." Clemens career is rejuvenated and he posts back to back 20 win seasons and goes on to win 4 Cy Young awards. Interesting time line.

 

http://

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3156187

 

Dan Duquette was vilified by many after suggesting that star pitcher Roger Clemens was entering the "twilight of his career" when he left the Boston Red Sox in 1996.

 

Clemens posted a 40-39 record in his final four seasons with the Red Sox before reviving his career over the next decade. He posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for Toronto in 1997 and 1998, and won four more Cy Young Awards.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153874

 

After a couple of years outside the game, McNamee's career took off in 1998. He had been taking courses at Long Island University toward a master's degree in athletic training/sports science, and McCleary hired him as a strength coach in Toronto. There, McNamee met Clemens, a 36-year-old pitcher whom the Red Sox had apparently given up on and who appeared to be on the downside of his career.

 

McNamee told the Mitchell Commission that Clemens asked McNamee in 1998 to inject him with the steroid Winstrol, which McNamee did. Later, Clemens asked McNamee about another steroid, Anadrol-50.

 

The rejuvenated Clemens won 41 games and two Cy Young Awards in his two seasons in Toronto, but he wasn't going to win a championship. He was traded to the Yankees in February 1999. McNamee joined him in New York in 2000. He was on the Yankees' payroll as a strength coach, but everyone knew the deal.

[imb]

It seems odd to me that Roger is denying all of this stuff on the (apparent) basis of trying to keep his HoF chances alive.

 

If I'm him, I'm thinking that it's a bummer, but the juice helped me make over $100 million that I otherwise wouldn't have seen. Then I go home and wrap myself up in a blanket of $100 dollar bills and have my maid polish my Cy Youngs in front of me.

[Wheelimus]

It seems odd to me that Roger is denying all of this stuff on the (apparent) basis of trying to keep his HoF chances alive.

 

If I'm him, I'm thinking that it's a bummer, but the juice helped me make over $100 million that I otherwise wouldn't have seen. Then I go home and wrap myself up in a blanket of $100 dollar bills and have my maid polish my Cy Youngs in front of me.

 

Pretty much. It's especially silly because if he "came clean" just enough, this would all blow over. Just say you used HGH to recover from injuries and stopped when it was officially banned/found out it was performance enhancing/whatever excuse you can say with a straight face. Go on a public speaking tour and teach kids about the dangers of steroids. You might get "punished" by not making the HOF first ballot. Maybe.

[Derwood]

remind me when McNamee claimed to have injected him? he could be playing the semantics game, saying he "never used banned substances" when, for example, HGH wasn't "banned" until 2005

[The Voice of Reason]

It's time to liven up this boring offseason with a cage match between Clemens and McNamee - before Congress and under oath.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/sports/baseball/19clemens.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

 

In a statement released by Randy Hendricks, one of Clemens’s agents, Clemens said he had been drug-free during his career, in which he has won 354 games and 7 Cy Young awards.

 

“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. “Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take.”

 

McNamee signed what is known as a proffer agreement with federal prosecutors before he was interviewed by Mitchell. Several former prosecutors said the agreement added credibility to McNamee’s testimony because of the penalties he could face if he were found to have lied.

 

By issuing a definitive statement, Clemens is challenging what McNamee said. Earl Ward, McNamee’s lawyer, challenged Clemens to testify under oath, possibly at a Congressional hearing next month.

 

“It’s one thing to issue a statement,” he said. “It’s another to testify under oath.”

 

Ward said McNamee’s credibility had been evaluated by experienced investigators for the federal government and by litigators for Mitchell’s office, and they “determined he was consistent and credible and worthy of belief.” Ward added that Andy Pettitte’s admission to having used human growth hormone, as McNamee told Mitchell he had, bolstered McNamee’s credibility.

 

Ward agreed there was no documentary evidence to support McNamee’s statements about Clemens, nor were there any corroborating conversations or statements made contemporaneously by McNamee to other people during the period of time he said he was injecting Clemens.

 

“In fact, there was a point reporters asked him about steroid use and he said no, but he did that because he was protecting his players and his reputation,” Ward said of McNamee in a telephone interview. “But when he was asked and had a legal obligation to tell the truth, he told the truth.”

[CubinNY]

I see Clemens' balls haven't been diminished by steriod use.

 

The same cannot be said about his reasoning ability.

[Post Count Padder]

Not surprising that he denied being a user. I knew he would.

[The Voice of Reason]

Looks like Rog might get the opportunity and the forum to set the record straight.

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12192007/sports/yankees/congressmen_cant_wait_to_hear_from_rog_693416.htm

 

Meanwhile, several congressmen said yesterday they'd like to hear what Roger Clemens has to say about his name appearing in the Mitchell Report.

 

"I think Roger Clemens might have some interesting explaining to do," said Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.).

 

Souder, who serves on the Reform Committee, said he'd like to hear from Clemens and David Segui, in particular. Clemens emphatically denied using steroids and human growth hormone yesterday through his agents.

 

Sen. Jim Bunning (R.-Ken.), a Hall of Fame pitcher, also said yesterday he'd like to see Clemens get a chance to defend himself.

 

"I think baseball owes it to the players to have a judicial hearing and system put in place so that Roger Clemens of the world and Andy Pettitte and all the others named in the report have a legitimate way to clear their name."

[chicago chop]

"I think baseball owes it to the players to have a judicial hearing and system put in place so that Roger Clemens of the world and Andy Pettitte and all the others named in the report have a legitimate way to clear their name."

 

Or the players called can all pull a Maguire and state that "they're not here to talk about the past..." :roll:

 

Clemens isn't going to give them anything and the hearings will be only a chance for some Congressmen to get some face time in front of the camera at the expense of MLB....

 

I just wish Congress would tackle the real important issues like Social Security and just leave baseball alone.....

[The Voice of Reason]

"I think baseball owes it to the players to have a judicial hearing and system put in place so that Roger Clemens of the world and Andy Pettitte and all the others named in the report have a legitimate way to clear their name."

 

Or the players called can all pull a Maguire and state that "they're not here to talk about the past..." :roll:

 

Clemens isn't going to give them anything and the hearings will be only a chance for some Congressmen to get some face time in front of the camera at the expense of MLB....

 

I just wish Congress would tackle the real important issues like Social Security and just leave baseball alone.....

 

They've been trying to "fix" social security for 40 years, a couple days of steroid hearings isn't going to hurt their efforts (or lack thereof).

 

I guess for the players sake, better a McGwire than a Palmeiro.

[chicago chop]

"I think baseball owes it to the players to have a judicial hearing and system put in place so that Roger Clemens of the world and Andy Pettitte and all the others named in the report have a legitimate way to clear their name."

 

Or the players called can all pull a Maguire and state that "they're not here to talk about the past..." :roll:

 

Clemens isn't going to give them anything and the hearings will be only a chance for some Congressmen to get some face time in front of the camera at the expense of MLB....

 

I just wish Congress would tackle the real important issues like Social Security and just leave baseball alone.....

 

They've been trying to "fix" social security for 40 years, a couple days of steroid hearings isn't going to hurt their efforts (or lack thereof).

 

I guess for the players sake, better a McGwire than a Palmeiro.

 

Actually they haven't....There's a reason Social Security is called the third rail in politics...Anyone brave enough to confront it dies a political death.

 

I'm just tired of Congress holding public stunts like these Baseball Hearings for the suppossed good of the people when in reality their blustering in front of the camera won't change a damn thing...

[The Voice of Reason]

"I think baseball owes it to the players to have a judicial hearing and system put in place so that Roger Clemens of the world and Andy Pettitte and all the others named in the report have a legitimate way to clear their name."

 

Or the players called can all pull a Maguire and state that "they're not here to talk about the past..." :roll:

 

Clemens isn't going to give them anything and the hearings will be only a chance for some Congressmen to get some face time in front of the camera at the expense of MLB....

 

I just wish Congress would tackle the real important issues like Social Security and just leave baseball alone.....

 

They've been trying to "fix" social security for 40 years, a couple days of steroid hearings isn't going to hurt their efforts (or lack thereof).

 

I guess for the players sake, better a McGwire than a Palmeiro.

 

Actually they haven't....There's a reason Social Security is called the third rail in politics...Anyone brave enough to confront it dies a political death.

 

I'm just tired of Congress holding public stunts like these Baseball Hearings for the suppossed good of the people when in reality their blustering in front of the camera won't change a damn thing...

 

So you think if Congress hadn't stepped in before and held hearings that Selig and the Union would have all of sudden strengthened their PEDs policies when they hadn't done anything but look the other way for years?

 

:pig:

[chicago chop]

"I think baseball owes it to the players to have a judicial hearing and system put in place so that Roger Clemens of the world and Andy Pettitte and all the others named in the report have a legitimate way to clear their name."

 

Or the players called can all pull a Maguire and state that "they're not here to talk about the past..." :roll:

 

Clemens isn't going to give them anything and the hearings will be only a chance for some Congressmen to get some face time in front of the camera at the expense of MLB....

 

I just wish Congress would tackle the real important issues like Social Security and just leave baseball alone.....

 

They've been trying to "fix" social security for 40 years, a couple days of steroid hearings isn't going to hurt their efforts (or lack thereof).

 

I guess for the players sake, better a McGwire than a Palmeiro.

 

Actually they haven't....There's a reason Social Security is called the third rail in politics...Anyone brave enough to confront it dies a political death.

 

I'm just tired of Congress holding public stunts like these Baseball Hearings for the suppossed good of the people when in reality their blustering in front of the camera won't change a damn thing...

 

So you think if Congress hadn't stepped in before and held hearings that Selig and the Union would have all of sudden strengthened their PEDs policies when they hadn't done anything but look the other way for years?

 

:pig:

 

While I grant you that the previous hearings did prompt MLB and the players association into action, there is absolutely no benefit to holding another rounds of hearings now. What good will come out of it other than giving some no name Congressmen some time in front of a camera....

 

How about we let the current steriod program play out and worry about some more important issues affecting this Country....

[Soul]

Clemens' ego would never allow him to admit the truth. Either to the public, or to himself.

 

It really shouldn't come as a surprise after watching Bonds deny,deny,deny even after pretty solid proof he took the stuff.

[The Voice of Reason]

While I grant you that the previous hearings did prompt MLB and the players association into action, there is absolutely no benefit to holding another rounds of hearings now. What good will come out of it other than giving some no name Congressmen some time in front of a camera....

 

How about we let the current steriod program play out and worry about some more important issues affecting this Country....

 

Ah Mr. Smith, I admire your lofty (but naive) ideals when it comes to the workings of our government and it's elected officials. Personally, I think every day focused on steriods is one less day our esteemed official are partaking in pork barrel politics and cutting deals that raise the deficit while bringing pork back to their Districts.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Clemens' ego would never allow him to admit the truth. Either to the public, or to himself.

 

It really shouldn't come as a surprise after watching Bonds deny,deny,deny even after pretty solid proof he took the stuff.

So if Clemens faces a similar situation as Bonds where he has to testify in front of a grand jury, will he put himself in a position to commit perjury and possibly face jail time? If so, I hope the prosecutors would go after him just as hard as Bonds.