Clemens Sues for Defamation

Roger Clemens filed a defamation lawsuit against his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, who claimed in the now infamous Mitchell Report to have injected the seven-time Cy Young winner with anabolic steroids and Human Growth Hormone between 1998 and 2001.

Clemens filed the suit in Harris County District Court in Texas, listing 15 statements made by the trainer to drug investigator George Mitchell that Clemens has sworn under oath are "untrue and defamatory."

"According to McNamee, he originally made his allegations to federal authorities after being threatened with criminal prosecution if he didn't implicate Clemens," the 14-page petition states.

The suit states that when McNamee was first interviewed by federal law enforcement officers last June, he flatly denied that Clemens had used steroids or human growth hormone. The suit quotes McNamee as saying that he was then pressured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Parrella and IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky – who are key members of the BALCO prosecution -- to implicate Clemens.

The lawsuit’s complaint goes on to state that after McNamee had been pressured by the feds, he stated that “he had injected Clemens with steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001." The lawsuit also states that McNamee told others that once he named Clemens, “he magically went from a ‘target' in the federal criminal drug investigation to a mere 'witness,' so long as he continued to 'toe the line."' The lawsuit 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 lawsuit said McNamee told others that the interview with the federal officers "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 lawsuit said. "McNamee's false allegations have also caused Clemens to suffer mental anguish, shame, public humiliation and embarrassment."

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner, who was scheduled to hold a late afternoon news conference Monday in Houston, sounded indignant and defiant in a segment of CBS's "60 Minutes" broadcast Sunday night, his first interview since McNamee accused him. The two are approaching a potential confrontation if they testify under oath at a Jan. 16 hearing on Capitol Hill.

The most prominent player implicated in last month's Mitchell Report, Clemens steadfastly maintained his innocence and called McNamee's allegations "totally false."

"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," said Clemens.

During the "60 Minutes" segment, Clemens said he might be willing to take a lie-detector test. Clemens further revealed that he would have spoken with Mitchell had he been aware of McNamee's accusations. One of the few revelations in the much-hyped interview came when Clemens was asked whether he conceivably would take a lie detector test. "Yeah," he answered. "I don't know if they're good or bad."

In excerpts of the CBS interview that were released Thursday, Clemens said McNamee 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.

Eighth on the career list with 354 wins, the 45-year-old Clemens said he was angered McNamee's accusations have been accepted as truth by some.

"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." Clemens said the descriptions McNamee gave Mitchell of injections "never happened." "If I have these needles and these steroids and all these drugs, where did I get 'em?" he said. "Where is the person out there who gave 'em to me? Please, please come forward."

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