Best-selling author Jose Canseco who blew the whistle on steroids in baseball through his tell-all “Juiced,” never saw Roger Clemens use steroids according to his grand jury testimony.
Interesting how the guy credited with producing real reform in a troubled sport has now been characterized as a shady soul only looking out for his financial interests. Rumors had circulated earlier that Clemens made a financial payment to Canseco to keep his name out of the book. Whether true or not, Canseco has maintained his story stating that he only talked about steroids with Clemens. While this could just appear to be semantics, it is an important distinction.
By saying that they talked about steroids provides some doubt to the grand jury. If Canseco, the kingpin of roids, did not supply or inject the Rocket with rocket fuel who did? That answer is easy enough: Brian McNamee who admitted to administering several steroid injections.
When was the last time you discussed any topic with multiple people to help make up your mind? Did you purchase that product or make that decision with everyone you discussed it with present? No, and is probably the same situation with this courtroom battle.
Canseco does have some credibility issues. While praised for turning the tide of drugs in baseball, he has been short of fully truthful. He held back additional names in order to write a sequel, “Vindicated.” While that was a money grab, he was correct in naming Alex Rodriguez.
It would have been shocking if Canseco admitted to providing Clemens with PEDs. His roundabout way of answering questions was just an attempt to muddy the waters for the grand jury. Hopefully, they can see they through the muck.
Showing posts with label Brian McNamee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian McNamee. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Joe Torre: Baseball Man Until the End
Joe Torre is in the middle of another steroid blowup. This time involving his star player in Los Angeles, Manny Ramirez, who was suspended for 50 games last week. Steroids and a Torre press conference aren't new, since he was by Jason Giambi's side during Giambi's New York PED "apology." As before, Torre knows nothing of roids in baseball. Odd, he seems to be the only one who thinks that way. The incredible and truly unbelievable coincidence is that Torre never suspected that anyone was using roids on any of his teams, even though 8 members of his 2000 World Series Yankee team were named in the Mitchell Report.
In numerous appearances promoting his book that he "co-wrote" with Tom Verducci, The Yankee Years, Torre claimed he didn't know that any of his Yankee players were roiding out of their minds. However, David Cone, in Torre's book said that most players knew that some players were using PED's, especially the ones working with trainer Brian McNamee. That's an odd discrepancy and one a reader would like addressed, but it never happened.
Further making Torre's naiveté on this issue the more puzzling is the fact that he was a former player. He earned the MVP award at the age of 30 and then saw his statistics take a sharp decline. How could some of the players he manged get better as they aged (Ramirez and Roger Clemens) while he did not? His career stats are below:
In numerous appearances promoting his book that he "co-wrote" with Tom Verducci, The Yankee Years, Torre claimed he didn't know that any of his Yankee players were roiding out of their minds. However, David Cone, in Torre's book said that most players knew that some players were using PED's, especially the ones working with trainer Brian McNamee. That's an odd discrepancy and one a reader would like addressed, but it never happened.
Further making Torre's naiveté on this issue the more puzzling is the fact that he was a former player. He earned the MVP award at the age of 30 and then saw his statistics take a sharp decline. How could some of the players he manged get better as they aged (Ramirez and Roger Clemens) while he did not? His career stats are below:
In his latest roid episode, in a Sports Illustrated article Torre said, "There's a human being (Ramirez) there I'm concerned about." Are you kidding me? Torre concerned about a human being? Where was the concern for his players who were roiding out of their minds back in the day? How about taking a stand and telling his players to stop using? Reminding his players that PED's are harmful to your bodies long term.
The reason Torre never asked questions or took a stand looking out for the "human beings" in his clubhouse is because he likes baseball. He likes managing. He wants to continue making millions of dollars (reportedly his deal with the Dodgers was $13 million for three years). If he were to question his players, make them stop using PED's, his team would lose games, potentially costing Joe Torre his job and millions of dollars.
A baseball man through and through...a roll model for the kids, that's a different question.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Clemens Comes Out Throwing Heat in Response to Book
Another Roger Clemens book hits the shelves today, American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime, by The New York Daily News investigative team of Teri Thompson, Michael O'Keeffe, Nathaniel Vinton and Christian Red and Clemens was ready for it.
He made his first public comments since his interview on “60 Minutes” today on the “Mike and Mike” ESPN radio show. He decided to speak out since he “and Deb” were heading out of the country later this week and wanted to address these latest allegations rather than appear that he fled the country. During the interview, Clemens maintained his position that he never took PED’s, that friend Andy Pettite “misremembered” their conversation and he does not know why Brian McNamme would tell the truth about Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, but lie about him.
Clemens is a pro’s pro, referring to each host by their nickname: Greenie and Golie (rather than Golic). When asked about DNA evidence, Clemens said he had provided a sample to investigators but the McNamee syringes would not link him to PED’s. Clemens said, "It's impossible because he's never given me any."
He maintained his innocence and said that he has been outspoken in his crusade against PED’s when he speaks to kids and other players. Clemens was working with new advisers on how to get his message out to the public. The flaw of this appearance came when he said it would be "suicidal" for him to use PED's because of the family history of heart conditions, specifically mentioning his brother and step father. How his step father's genetic makeup would impact him is tragically laughable. Yet, this appearance went over better than his appearance on Capitol Hill, but what Mike & Mike failed to ask him was how did his performance increase, specifically gain mph in his fastball as he aged? This does not happen and is not natural. Once testing was put in place, the days of the productive aging slugger and pitcher seem to be fading fast.
He made his first public comments since his interview on “60 Minutes” today on the “Mike and Mike” ESPN radio show. He decided to speak out since he “and Deb” were heading out of the country later this week and wanted to address these latest allegations rather than appear that he fled the country. During the interview, Clemens maintained his position that he never took PED’s, that friend Andy Pettite “misremembered” their conversation and he does not know why Brian McNamme would tell the truth about Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, but lie about him.
Clemens is a pro’s pro, referring to each host by their nickname: Greenie and Golie (rather than Golic). When asked about DNA evidence, Clemens said he had provided a sample to investigators but the McNamee syringes would not link him to PED’s. Clemens said, "It's impossible because he's never given me any."
He maintained his innocence and said that he has been outspoken in his crusade against PED’s when he speaks to kids and other players. Clemens was working with new advisers on how to get his message out to the public. The flaw of this appearance came when he said it would be "suicidal" for him to use PED's because of the family history of heart conditions, specifically mentioning his brother and step father. How his step father's genetic makeup would impact him is tragically laughable. Yet, this appearance went over better than his appearance on Capitol Hill, but what Mike & Mike failed to ask him was how did his performance increase, specifically gain mph in his fastball as he aged? This does not happen and is not natural. Once testing was put in place, the days of the productive aging slugger and pitcher seem to be fading fast.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Clemens Allegedly Injected at Yankee Stadium
In the latest episode of the Roger Clemens - Brian McNamee saga, McNamee was quoted in detail to the Web site sportsimproper.com explaining how he injected Clemens and where.
McNamee was quoted in an item posted Wednesday, "One of the needles I gave the government was used to inject Clemens with steroids in either July or August of 2001. The place was his high-rise apartment, which is located off the corner of 90th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan. ... "
"That day, he laid out the drugs, dropped his trousers and I did as he asked, that is, inject him with steroids. Afterwards, he told me to get rid of the needle. I went into the kitchen and found an empty Miller Lite can in a wastebasket under the sink. I put the used needle into the can because it was actually hazardous material at that point and I didn't want anyone to get hurt by sticking themselves. He told me to throw it away but I kept it instead."
In addition, he told the Web site: "Sometimes it was in the Jacuzzi at Yankee Stadium."
During the Mitchell investigation, McNamee described injecting Clemens at the pitcher's apartment. The new details to emerge this week are that some injections took place at the stadium and that the Rocket drinks Miller Lite.
McNamee was quoted in an item posted Wednesday, "One of the needles I gave the government was used to inject Clemens with steroids in either July or August of 2001. The place was his high-rise apartment, which is located off the corner of 90th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan. ... "
"That day, he laid out the drugs, dropped his trousers and I did as he asked, that is, inject him with steroids. Afterwards, he told me to get rid of the needle. I went into the kitchen and found an empty Miller Lite can in a wastebasket under the sink. I put the used needle into the can because it was actually hazardous material at that point and I didn't want anyone to get hurt by sticking themselves. He told me to throw it away but I kept it instead."
In addition, he told the Web site: "Sometimes it was in the Jacuzzi at Yankee Stadium."
During the Mitchell investigation, McNamee described injecting Clemens at the pitcher's apartment. The new details to emerge this week are that some injections took place at the stadium and that the Rocket drinks Miller Lite.
Brian McNamee, by laying out more details of the case to less well known media outlet, has put more of his chips in the center of the table. The Rocket and his legal team have matched his call by going with the "duh" blast when it was reported that PED's were found on the materials McNamee provided.
Again, Brian McNamee has no motive to lie. It's been understood that all of his previous information provided to investigators has been truthful. Why lie now? Taint evidence and keep needles for 8 years? This theory makes absolutely no sense. The Rocket on the other hand might be tempted to portray his accomplishments and legacy as one that was done the "proper" way and that he didn't "cheat to win, a similar tact A-Rod took until he was called out.
It will be interesting to see how this drama plays out in the upcoming months.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Nailed: PED's Found on Mac's Materials Linked to Rocket
The New York Times reported today that the drug paraphernalia Brian McNamee submitted to federal authorities and was found to have Roger Clemens DNA on it has now been confirmed to have PED's on them as well. Not good news for the Rocket.
Last month, federal prosecutors had linked Clemens’s DNA to blood residue in at least one of the syringes that McNamee handed over to authorities. Upon this latest discovery, the Rocket's attorney, Rusty Hardin, fired off this response. “Duh. Do you really think McNamee was going to fabricate this stuff and not make sure there were substances on there? The fact is Roger never used steroids or H.G.H.”
Going with "duh" is an epic response Rusty! Was "liar, liar pants on fire" overused? Again, these two men are buried deep in their respective foxholes, but the question remains: why would Mac tell the truth about Andy Pettitte, but lie when it comes to Clemens? It makes no sense. Mac had no incentive to lie to the Mitchell investigators, and every incentive to tell the truth or face prosecution.
Also interesting to note in the article is the reemergence of Dr. Don Catlin. He was going to oversee Lance Armstrong's drug testing during his return to cycling, but both parties mutually separated ways and Catlin never tested one sample.
Catlin is conducting the tests on these materials. Since 2002, Catlin has been the lead drug-tester for federal prosecutors which is one reason Armstrong possibly wanted to associate with him. Last month, federal prosecutors said that Catlin had found PED's in a 2003 urine sample from Barry Bonds. The feds are hoping to use this retest in the Bonds' perjury trial which has been delayed until the summer.
Too bad we'll never know what Catlin would have found if he worked with Armstrong.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A-Rod is Truly A-Fraud...Allegedly
Apparently, Jose Canseco was right again. This time, it was Alex Rodriquez and using PED's.
According to SI.com, Rodriquez tested positive for 'roids (primobolan aka methenolone and testosterone) in 2003 when the tests were supposedly anonymous and there were no penalties for a positive test. MLB issued a statement in response to the SI story stating that it could not comment on the accuracy of the report since it was an anonymous test, but did raise the concern of union officials tipping off players of upcoming tests back in 2004.
During the survey testing in 2003, 104 samples were positive. For reasons not yet known, the samples were not destroyed to ensure confidentiality. In 2004, all 104 samples were seized by the government relating to the BALCO investigation.
Initially the government requested just the 10 samples relating to the players who testified during the BALCO investigation including Barry Bonds; the players union refused and the government secured search warrants for the 10 samples and then gathered the samples for all positive tests from two different labs.
A-Rod can't catch a break. The tests were anonymous and should never have been made public. A serious breach of trust, but at the same time, if A-Rod was using, he lied when he appeared on "60 Minutes" and said he never used PED's and didn't need to. He needs to admit to his mistake and move on.
The timing is horrendous for Alex since it's a week after being called "A-Fraud" by his former manager, Joe Torre, in his new book, "The Yankee Years", co-written by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. Now A-Rod has to maneuver through both firestorms as spring training approaches. Were the players calling him A-Fraud because they knew or suspected he was on PED's? Is there a Sports Illustrated conspiracy against A-Rod? Let the suspicion begin.
Barry Bonds perjury trial begins March 2nd. When evidence was unsealed earlier this week, Bonds was tied to four positive tests among other damning pieces of evidence. Roger Clemens' DNA has been linked to the syringes provided by former trainer Brian McNamee. Joe Torre has now had an epiphany by seeing the Clemens 2000 World Series bat throwing incident at Mike Piazza in a new light, speculating that the incident could have been roid rage. In his book, "The Yankee Years", Torre does not openly suspect any players of using PED's.
And now A-Rod...Down goes another mythic hero.
According to SI.com, Rodriquez tested positive for 'roids (primobolan aka methenolone and testosterone) in 2003 when the tests were supposedly anonymous and there were no penalties for a positive test. MLB issued a statement in response to the SI story stating that it could not comment on the accuracy of the report since it was an anonymous test, but did raise the concern of union officials tipping off players of upcoming tests back in 2004.
During the survey testing in 2003, 104 samples were positive. For reasons not yet known, the samples were not destroyed to ensure confidentiality. In 2004, all 104 samples were seized by the government relating to the BALCO investigation.
Initially the government requested just the 10 samples relating to the players who testified during the BALCO investigation including Barry Bonds; the players union refused and the government secured search warrants for the 10 samples and then gathered the samples for all positive tests from two different labs.
A-Rod can't catch a break. The tests were anonymous and should never have been made public. A serious breach of trust, but at the same time, if A-Rod was using, he lied when he appeared on "60 Minutes" and said he never used PED's and didn't need to. He needs to admit to his mistake and move on.
The timing is horrendous for Alex since it's a week after being called "A-Fraud" by his former manager, Joe Torre, in his new book, "The Yankee Years", co-written by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. Now A-Rod has to maneuver through both firestorms as spring training approaches. Were the players calling him A-Fraud because they knew or suspected he was on PED's? Is there a Sports Illustrated conspiracy against A-Rod? Let the suspicion begin.
Barry Bonds perjury trial begins March 2nd. When evidence was unsealed earlier this week, Bonds was tied to four positive tests among other damning pieces of evidence. Roger Clemens' DNA has been linked to the syringes provided by former trainer Brian McNamee. Joe Torre has now had an epiphany by seeing the Clemens 2000 World Series bat throwing incident at Mike Piazza in a new light, speculating that the incident could have been roid rage. In his book, "The Yankee Years", Torre does not openly suspect any players of using PED's.
And now A-Rod...Down goes another mythic hero.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Curlin Off Roids...Looking for 4th Win Roid Free
Today Curlin will look to win it's 4th race in a row, roid free.
After being named the 2007 Horse of the Year, it turns out, Curlin might have been aided during his impressive run by Big Brown's roid of choice, Winstrol. His owner Jess Jackson, has acknowledged Curlin's past roid usage and now wants to prove that Curlin is a roid-free champion.
In January, Jackson "discovered" that Curlin was roiding up from trainer Steve Asmussen and advised him to stop its use. Since cycling off the juice Curlin is undefeated, and crushed the field in a seven-and-three-quarter-length victory over an impressive field at the $6 million Dubai World Cup in March. Dubai has the some of the world's toughest testing standards in horse racing.
In today's Grade I $500,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park, Curlin will try to keep the roid free winning streak alive. This race is important for Curlin and Jackson because their sights are set on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 5 at Longchamp Race Course in Paris. If Curlin can win today and in October, Jackson hopes that he can bring back some much needed credibility to the sport of horse horsing.
“I’m trying to prove that Curlin is a real champion, and that we can race horses into their 4-year-old years and beyond,” said Jackson, 78, the founder and owner of Kendall-Jackson Winery. “I want to show the industry that we can breed horses with stamina and durability, and race them clean.”
Last month, Jackson put all his trainers on notice (he has more than 60 racehorses) that he would take the step to independently drug test his horses after each race. The owners of Big Brown, IEAH, have also said they will do this starting in October. Unlike most professional sports, Jackson has instituted a one strike and you're out policy: the trainer would be fired for any positive test.
Ironically enough, Texas racing officials said that a horse trained by Asmussen tested positive for the anesthetic lidocaine, the same drug that Roger Clemens said Brian McNamee injected him with and not the PED's that McNamme alleges.
What is it with baseball players and horses taking the same drugs? Isn't there something inherently wrong if the same drugs that Barry Bonds allegedly used to fuel his assault on the home run record is being used to fuel Big Brown's assault on the Triple Crown? If anything, this disturbing development leads credence to the claim that pets should be able to take psychotic drugs that humans take - apparently animals and humans are reaping the same benefits.
In this specific instance, Asmussen took a page from the "tested positive athlete" playbook and has denied wrongdoing, claiming that the test was "faulty" and that he was not allowed to send the samples to a lab of his choosing. Isn't the purpose of having independent testing so that the possible cheat doesn't have the option to send it to a "friendly" lab? Lucky for Asmussen, Jackson is buying his story! Jackson will take a wait and see approach before any discipline. I'm sure today's race had nothing to do with altering his stance on the one and done strict discipline policy.
After being named the 2007 Horse of the Year, it turns out, Curlin might have been aided during his impressive run by Big Brown's roid of choice, Winstrol. His owner Jess Jackson, has acknowledged Curlin's past roid usage and now wants to prove that Curlin is a roid-free champion.
In January, Jackson "discovered" that Curlin was roiding up from trainer Steve Asmussen and advised him to stop its use. Since cycling off the juice Curlin is undefeated, and crushed the field in a seven-and-three-quarter-length victory over an impressive field at the $6 million Dubai World Cup in March. Dubai has the some of the world's toughest testing standards in horse racing.
In today's Grade I $500,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park, Curlin will try to keep the roid free winning streak alive. This race is important for Curlin and Jackson because their sights are set on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 5 at Longchamp Race Course in Paris. If Curlin can win today and in October, Jackson hopes that he can bring back some much needed credibility to the sport of horse horsing.
“I’m trying to prove that Curlin is a real champion, and that we can race horses into their 4-year-old years and beyond,” said Jackson, 78, the founder and owner of Kendall-Jackson Winery. “I want to show the industry that we can breed horses with stamina and durability, and race them clean.”
Last month, Jackson put all his trainers on notice (he has more than 60 racehorses) that he would take the step to independently drug test his horses after each race. The owners of Big Brown, IEAH, have also said they will do this starting in October. Unlike most professional sports, Jackson has instituted a one strike and you're out policy: the trainer would be fired for any positive test.
Ironically enough, Texas racing officials said that a horse trained by Asmussen tested positive for the anesthetic lidocaine, the same drug that Roger Clemens said Brian McNamee injected him with and not the PED's that McNamme alleges.
What is it with baseball players and horses taking the same drugs? Isn't there something inherently wrong if the same drugs that Barry Bonds allegedly used to fuel his assault on the home run record is being used to fuel Big Brown's assault on the Triple Crown? If anything, this disturbing development leads credence to the claim that pets should be able to take psychotic drugs that humans take - apparently animals and humans are reaping the same benefits.
In this specific instance, Asmussen took a page from the "tested positive athlete" playbook and has denied wrongdoing, claiming that the test was "faulty" and that he was not allowed to send the samples to a lab of his choosing. Isn't the purpose of having independent testing so that the possible cheat doesn't have the option to send it to a "friendly" lab? Lucky for Asmussen, Jackson is buying his story! Jackson will take a wait and see approach before any discipline. I'm sure today's race had nothing to do with altering his stance on the one and done strict discipline policy.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Clemens v. McNamee
The defamation case Roger Clemens is bringing up against former trainer Brian McNamee is starting to heat up. Before it can begin, McNamee's attorney, Richard Emery, is pursuing a motion that Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, be disqualified from acting on behalf of Clemens in the case.
The reason given: Hardin represented Andy Pettitte before the release of the Mitchell Report last December. Per the NYT, Emery argued in his motion that Hardin had an ethical commitment to Pettitte as his former lawyer and thus could not cross-examine him on Clemens’s behalf. Emery went on to say Hardin has already violated his lawyer-client compact with Pettitte by “vilifying Pettitte in the press.”
Memo to Rusty Hardin: stay down. Let's not begin to comment on legal strategy in this matter. Rusty, you threatened a federal agent and were admonished by Congress when you said your client would have the agent's lunch if he attended the Congressional hearing in February. Do you, your client and everybody else a favor, drop the tough Texan act and button it...at least for a couple weeks.
The reason given: Hardin represented Andy Pettitte before the release of the Mitchell Report last December. Per the NYT, Emery argued in his motion that Hardin had an ethical commitment to Pettitte as his former lawyer and thus could not cross-examine him on Clemens’s behalf. Emery went on to say Hardin has already violated his lawyer-client compact with Pettitte by “vilifying Pettitte in the press.”
Memo to Rusty Hardin: stay down. Let's not begin to comment on legal strategy in this matter. Rusty, you threatened a federal agent and were admonished by Congress when you said your client would have the agent's lunch if he attended the Congressional hearing in February. Do you, your client and everybody else a favor, drop the tough Texan act and button it...at least for a couple weeks.
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