Johnny Damon, Albert Pujols, Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra appeared to have been named by the Mitchell Report, as far as WNBC and its sources were concerned. They posted a list on their website three hours before the official report was released, and 41 of the names on their list turned out to be wrong.
Here is Damon's reaction, from George King and Samuel Goldsmith:
"I woke up and my brother is telling me there are reporters at my father's house," Damon told The Post. "My dad told them, 'My son isn't a liar, my son doesn't lie.'"
The center fielder was furious, and considered suing the station.
"It sucks, I am wondering if there is any legal course to turn to," Damon said. "I walk around with my shirt off. If I had anything to hide I wouldn't do that. I really don't know what to say. There seems to be some people who don't like me...
"I asked my agent about legal action, but he said it wasn't worth it. Maybe the president [of NBC] will write me a nice letter." (New York Post)
It's unfortunate that he has to go on the defensive for something he supposedly didn't do.
This whole situation is doing more harm than good. Could you imagine what would've happened if Kirk Radomski and Brian McNamee weren't forced to testify? All of this time and money would have been wasted in a fruitless effort to uncover some dirt on things we all that went on in the past. That is pretty much what happened anyway, sans Roger Clemens getting busted.
I bet "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 is playing on Bud Selig's iPod right now.
