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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, January 7, 2008

Clemens states case on '60 Minutes'

By Ronald Blum
Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Roger Clemens

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NEW YORK — Roger Clemens might be willing to take a lie-detector test, was "shocked" close friend Andy Pettitte used human growth hormone and, in his first interview since the Mitchell Report, said — again — that he probably will retire.

Sounding indignant and defiant during the nearly 14-minute segment broadcast on CBS's "60 Minutes" last night, Clemens appeared to set up a confrontation with former personal trainer Brian McNamee in front of Congress, which has asked the pair to testify under oath at a Jan. 16 hearing.

Clemens, a fiery look in his eyes and stubble on his face, said he would have spoken with baseball drug investigator George Mitchell had he been aware McNamee accused him of using steroids and HGH. Clemens said the cost of litigation had made him wary of filing a lawsuit against McNamee, who also has threatened to sue his former boss.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner, the most prominent player implicated in last month's Mitchell Report, steadfastly maintained his innocence and called McNamee's allegations "totally false."

In excerpts of the Dec. 28 interview that were released Thursday, Clemens said McNamee, his former personal trainer, injected him with vitamin B-12 and the painkiller lidocaine. In the full 14-minute broadcast, Clemens also said he was given an injection of toradol under the supervision of the New York Yankees.

McNamee told Mitchell he injected Clemens with steroids and HGH about 16 to 21 times during 1998, 2000 and 2001 — before baseball players and owners agreed to ban performance-enhancing substances.

"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," Clemens said during the interview, taped at his home in Katy, Texas.

He said his lawyer advised him not to speak with Mitchell, who spent 20 months on his investigation.

"If I would've known what this man, what Brian McNamee (had) said in this report, I would have been down there in a heartbeat to take care of it," Clemens said.

On Friday, Clemens did speak with McNamee by telephone, an individual close to the situation said, speaking on condition of anonymity because public comments weren't authorized. The conversation first was reported yesterday by Newsday.

The individual would not say what was discussed between the two.

Clemens is scheduled to hold a news conference today in Houston, part of his campaign to clear his name. In addition, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has asked Clemens, Pettitte and McNamee to testify, heightening the stakes and putting them potentially in legal jeopardy.

"I don't know if I can defend myself," Clemens said. "I think people — a lot of people have already made their decisions. And that's our country, isn't it? Guilty before innocence — that's the way our country works now."

One of the few revelations in the much-hyped interview came when Clemens was asked whether he could conceivably take a lie detector test.

"Yeah," he answered. "I don't know if they're good or bad."

Clemens said the descriptions McNamee gave Mitchell of injections "never happened." McNamee said Clemens asked him to inject him in the buttocks because Clemens did not like belly-button shots he presumably could inject himself.

Asked why McNamee would tell the truth about Pettitte and lie about Clemens, Clemens said Pettitte's case was "totally separate."

"I was shocked to learn about Andy's situation," Clemens said. "Had no idea about it."