Clemens, McNamee face off on the Hill
Clemens again emphatically denies ever using performance-enhancing drugs. His trainer maintains that the number of times he injected the pitcher was more than he first stated.
WASHINGTON — Roger Clemens, arguably the greatest living pitcher, faced Brian McNamee, his former trainer and the man who publicly has accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs, in a highly anticipated House hearing this morning on former Sen. George Mitchell's report on drug use in Major League Baseball.
Both men read opening statements before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
"I take great issue with the report's allegation that I used these substances," Clemens' statement said. "Let me be clear again. I did not."
After alleging he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone 16 times between 1998 and 2001, when Clemens won a Cy Young Award and World Series, McNamee's opening statement included this passage: "The Mitchell Report documented the pervasiveness of steroids and human growth hormone in Major League Baseball, and I was, unfortunately, part of that problem.
" . . . make no mistake, when I told Sen. Mitchell that I injected Roger Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs, I told the truth."
McNamee's statement also included an allegation that "the number of times I injected Roger Clemens . . . was actually greater than I initially stated."
McNamee elaborated in his statement on his decision to keep syringes he said he used to inject Clemens.
"While I liked and admired Roger Clemens, I don't think that I ever really trusted him. . . . I just had that sense that if this ever blew up and things got messy, Roger would be looking out for No. 1. I viewed the syringes as evidence that would prevent me from being the only fall guy."
In Clemens' opening statement, the pitcher said, "I am not saying Sen. Mitchell's report is entirely wrong and I am not trying to convince those who have already made up their minds based only on an allegation. For those with an open mind, however, I am saying that Brian McNamee's statements are wrong. Once again, I never took steroids or human growth hormone."
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) said in his opening statement that the hearing was called to respond to Clemens' denials of the report's credibility, including his attorney Rusty Hardin's description of the report as "horrible, disgraceful."
Waxman proceeded to say, "It's rare . . . to have the situation the committee faces today. They both insist they're telling the truth, but their accounts couldn't be more different."
