Knoblauch speaks

Chuck Knoblauch, who was named in the Mitchell Report and was asked to testify in front of Congress, finally ending his silence about said report.

From Thayer Evans of The Times:

“I have nothing to defend,” Knoblauch said. “I have nothing to hide at the same time.”

He described the Mitchell report as “crazy” and “interesting,” and added that what actually bothered him about being mentioned in the report is that “I’ve got nothing to do with any of that, I mean, any baseball.”

“And I don’t want anything to do with baseball,” he added.

On testifying:

“I read my name in the paper and see it on the news, but I haven’t heard a word,” Knoblauch said. “I’m supposed to be somewhere, but I haven’t been told where to be.”

Asked if he will talk to the committee, Knoblauch said: “Yeah, if I have to do that, then what are you going to do?”

On life after baseball:

On Thursday, he did not voice any regrets. “I love baseball,” he said, “but I’m not trying to get a job in baseball. I don’t have any friends from baseball. Baseball doesn’t control my life anymore.”

On becoming public again:

“Mad about it? No,” he said. “You know what? One of my strongest characteristics is not really caring what people think. I’m living my life. It’s not going to change my life one way or the other. You know, I’m not trying to get in the Hall of Fame. I got one vote though.”

Knoblauch did have one request. “Don’t tell anybody where I live,” he said.

Knoblauch seems very pleasant to be around at this time.

Clemens, Pettitte and McNamee asked to testify to Congress

ESPNEWS is reporting that Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Brian McNamee have been asked to testify in front of Congress on Jan. 16. Kirk Radomski and Chuck Knoblauch have also been asked to attend.

This is now getting very interesting.

Hawkins doesn't care about steroid use

LaTroy Hawkins officially joined the Yankees yesterday. Today, he spoke candidly about drug use in baseball.

From Neil Best's Watchdog blog:

Host Jason Page: “You’re stepping into this Yankee fray. It’s going to be kind of an awkward time. You know in the pre-season especially there are going to be all the questions about what Roger Clemens did, Andy Pettitte did and all that stuff. How do you kind of side-step that stuff when the media comes to you on it?”

LaTroy Hawkins: “It’s not any of my business. First of all the thing is I don’t care. Only person cared about that was [Commissioner Bud] Selig. I don’t care about it. That’s just my own personal opinion.”

Page: “You don’t care if hitters are juicing up?”

Hawkins: “No, I don’t. That’s just my personal opinion. Still got to hit the ball, brother.”

I obviously disagree with Hawkins' thoughts.

Hawkins shares the opinion of many other spectators - they don't care as long as their team wins. This apathy is what led to the rampant drug use. As flawed as the Mitchell Report was, hopefully some of the recommendations are put in place to finally put an end to this negative side of baseball.

ESPN: Players won't testify in front of Congress

None of the 86 players mentioned in the Mitchell report released last week are expected to speak at a Jan. 15 hearing on steroids before the House Government Reform Committee, according to a published report.

"We don't want to turn this into a circus," Rep. Tom Davis told USA Today. "We just want to know what Major League Baseball plans to do about their problems. We understand the collective bargaining agreement complicates matters, but we'd like to see if they agree with Sen. George Mitchell's recommendations, and move on."

Davis reiterated those comments Thursday on the Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN radio, saying "no" to whether Clemens would come to Capitol Hill.

A few of the faces likely to grace Capitol Hill for January's hearings are Commissioner Bud Selig, MLB players union executive director Don Fehr, and Mitchell. (ESPN)

Aside from Rafael Palmeiro, testifying in front of Congress under oath ususally ensures the truth is being told. I really would've liked to hear from Roger Clemens regarding the Mitchell Report's allegations.

Pettitte comes clean

Andy Pettitte released a statement through his agent this afternoon, regarding being named in the Mitchell Report.

From Ben Walker:

"In 2002 I was injured. I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow," Pettitte said in the statement released to The Associated Press by agent Randy Hendricks.

"I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped.

"This is it — two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list," he said. "I wasn't looking for an edge. I was looking to heal."

Pettitte was not linked to steroids in the report, and he emphasized he never had never used them.

"I have the utmost respect for baseball and have always tried to live my life in a way that would be honorable," he said. "If I have let down people that care about me, I am sorry, but I hope that you will listen to me carefully and understand that two days of perhaps bad judgment should not ruin a lifetime of hard work and dedication.

"I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true," he said. (Yahoo! News)

Pettitte's situation is obviously different from Roger Clemens' situation.

However, his name is soiled because of this report because, unfortunately, knew the wrong people. If he got HGH from someone who wasn't called to testify, no one would know. And that is one of the problems of the Mitchell Report.

Damon angered over false steroids report

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.

The Mitchell Report

If you're bored and want to read through 409 pages of a PDF document, here is The Mitchell Report.

The information on Roger Clemens begins on page 215 of the document (page 167 of the report).

Hughes and Giambi updates

Phil Hughes went three innings tonight, struck out six and gave up no earned runs, according to Peter Abraham. Abraham also says that Hughes will start next Wednesday, again for AA Trenton. Here is the AP article.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are trailing the Devil Rays in the top of the seventh by a score of 5-1.

Jason Giambi met with George Mitchell to discuss his past steroids use. No details have been released regarding the meeting.

Abraham also has an update on Giambi's recovery from his torn plantar fascia.

Reason for mentioning steroids

I was surprised when I heard Jason Giambi mentioned "steroids" in a release last night regarding his upcoming meeting with George Mitchell. Well, now we know the reason.

Although Selig didn't rule out a subsequent suspension for Giambi, the slugger almost certainly sidestepped that possibility by agreeing to meet with Mitchell. And the Yankees, by virtue of this arrangement, will not attempt to void the remainder of Giambi's contract (source).

I guess we're stuck with him until the end of next year. The Yankees can buy him out at the end of 2008 for $5 million. This is after he earns $21 million in 2008, by the way.

Giambi agrees to meet with the Red Sox board director

Jason Giambi will discuss his drug use with Sen. George Mitchell.

Jason Giambi will meet with George Mitchell, agreeing right before baseball commissioner Bud Selig's deadline Thursday to cooperate with the steroids investigator.

Giambi, who for the first time publicly admitted he had a "personal history regarding steroids," will become the first active player known to speak with the former Senate majority leader. No date was set for their session.

The New York Yankees star announced his decision after he spoke on the phone with Selig. Lawyers for the players' union and Major League Baseball reached a written agreement that set rules for the meeting.

The former American League MVP said he wouldn't implicate other players and appeared to backtrack on earlier remarks that the sport owed fans a collective apology for the steroids era.

"I alone am responsible for my actions and I apologize to the commissioner, the owners and the players for any suggestion that they were responsible for my behavior," Giambi said in a statement.

"I will address my own personal history regarding steroids. I will not discuss in any fashion any other individual," Giambi said (source).

Oh, wow. He actually mentioned the word "steroids."

I don't know what this accomplishes. I guess it makes Selig sleep better at night, however.

Giambi vs. Selig

I know I'm a few days late (I was aware of the situation, but I didn't want to comment until now) with the whole Jason Giambi "apology" situation.

Because of his "I was wrong for doing that stuff" admission last month in USA Today, commissioner Bud Selig wants Giambi to fully comply with Senator George Mitchell's investiagation. If Giambi does not cooperate, he is facing suspension, which would most certainly be appealed by the Player's Union.

Giambi is the only one to ever admit to doing something wrong, but instead of being lauded, he is being persecuted.

What Selig is doing here is absolutely ridiculous. By threatening to suspend Giambi, he is scaring away other potential steroid abusers from going out in public and admitted they did something wrong. This goes along with the whole theme of keeping steroid use in baseball on the hush-hush during the 90's.

I am not defending Giambi in this situation because he's a Yankee. I have no sympathy for cheaters. However, Selig is trying to save himself and act like he's tough on drug users. He has no right to suspend Giambi. It is Selig's fault that there was no drug testing in baseball until only recently.