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 The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was accused in the report of using steroids, an allegation made by his former trainer.
In October last year, the Los Angeles Times reported Clemens was linked to steroids in the May 2006 sworn statement of a federal agent who cited former big league pitcher Jason Grimsley. At the time, the names of players in the public version had been blacked out. When the full affidavit was unsealed Thursday, Clemens' name was not in it, and the paper issued a correction and an apology.
"I faced this last year when the L.A. Times reported that I used steroids. I said it was not true then, and now the whole world knows it's not true, now that that's come out," Clemens said in the video, which was posted Sunday on the Web site of his foundation and on You Tube.
George Mitchell, a director of the Boston Red Sox and a former Senate majority leader, wrote in his report that former Toronto and New York Yankees strength coach Brian McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids in 1998 while with the Blue Jays, and in 2000 and 2001 while with the Yankees. McNamee also claimed he injected Clemens with Human Growth Hormone in 2000.
"Let me be clear, the answer is no. I did not use steroids, or human growth hormone and I've never done so," Clemens said. "I did not provide Brian McNamee with any drugs to inject in to my body. Brian McNamee did not inject steroids or Human Growth Hormones into my body either when I played in Toronto for the Blue Jays or the New York Yankees. This report is simply not true."
Baseball players and owners did not jointly ban steroids until September 2002. They did not ban HGH until January 2005.
While Clemens has released a written and video statement since Mitchell issued his report on Dec. 13, he has not answered questions.
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"After Christmas, I'm going to sit down with Mike Wallace of `60 Minutes,' and I'll do an interview, and he'll ask me a ton of questions on this subject, and I'll answer them right there in front of him, and we'll do all of this again," Clemens said.
CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco said the interview is scheduled to air Jan. 6.
"I'm angry about it," Clemens said of the allegations. "To be honest with you, it's hurtful to me and my family, but we're coming upon Christmas now, and I have been blessed in my life. I've been blessed in my career, and I'm very thankful for those blessings."
Mitchell said McNamee, a former personal trainer to Clemens and Yankees and Houston Astros teammate Andy Pettitte, told him Pettitte had used HGH two-to-four times in 2002. Pettitte issued a statement Dec. 15 saying he used HGH twice in 2002.
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On the Net:
http://www.rogerclemensonline.com/
http://www.youtube.com/wrclemens
[Associated Press; By RACHEL COHEN]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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