Roger Clemens on Sunday night told the world again, that he did not use steroids and also filed a deflamation lawsuit against former personal trainer Brain McNamee. Monday afternoon, Clemens will hold a press conference to address both topics.In an interview that aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes, Clemens continued to deny his steroid use.
Via NY Daily News/60 Minutes interview:
"Never happened," Clemens insisted. "Never happened."
"It's hogwash for people to even assume this," Clemens said. "Twenty-four, 25 years, Mike. You'd think I'd get an inch of respect. An inch."
"If I have these needles and these steroids and all these drugs, where did I get 'em? Where is the person who gave 'em to me?" Clemens asked. "Please come forward."
Again Clemens aggressively denied ever using performance enhanching drugs. He did admit to being injected with B12 and Lidocaine by McNamee. Clemens on Sunday night filed a 14-page lawsuit against his former personal trainer. In the suit it listed 15 alleged statements made by McNamee to George Mitchell for his Mitchell Report and Clemens sated those statements are "untrue and defamatory." The suit also says that when McNamee was first interviewed by investigators last June, he denied Clemens ever using steroids or HGH. It also states that these investigators, who were part of the Balco case, pressured McNamee into implicating Clemens.
Via ESPN.com:
"After this exchange, and for the first time in his life, McNamee stated that he had injected Clemens with steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001," the suit said. "Following his recantation, McNamee has relayed that he magically went from a 'target' in a federal criminal drug investigation to a mere 'witness,' so long as he continued to 'toe the line.'
The suit said that when McNamee initially refused a request from federal authorities that he speak to Mitchell, he was threatened with prosecution. Clemens said McNamee decided only then to cooperate with Mitchell and the suit said McNamee said the interview "was conducted like a Cold War-era interrogation in which a federal agent merely read to the Mitchell investigators McNamee's previously obtained statement and then asked McNamee to confirm what he previously stated."
Clemens asked that damages be determined by a jury.
"Clemens' good reputation has been severely injured," the suit said. "McNamee's false allegations have also caused Clemens to suffer mental anguish, shame, public humiliation and embarrassment."
It's also worth mentioning that on Friday that McNamee and Clemens spoke on the telephone after both were invited by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to testify under oath at a Jan. 16 hearing on Capitol Hill. Clemens was asked about his thoughts on Andy Pettitte,who admitted to using HGH in 2002 and Roger said he was "shocked."In the interview Clemens also stated he will not pitch again and will probably retire. Let's see if this holds true, he has "retired" three times already, only to come back and pitch the next season. Right now, it appears Clemens has his hands full and his playing days might be over. As always, we'll just have to wait and see.
(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com)
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