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Show 4 Wednesday, December 19, 2007 HERALD DAILY C9 MLB Roger Clemens: I never took banned substances Ronald Blum THE ASSOCIATED hit .267 overall with nine home runs and 43 RBIs. He will replace Marcus Giles, who slumped badly and eventually lost his starting job at second base during his one season in San Diego. Iguchi can earn another $650,000 in performance bonuses based on PRESS NEW YORK Roger Clemens denied allegations by his former trainer that he took performance-enhancin- g drugs, calling them "a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take." The accusations against the seven-timCy Young Award plate appearances. "Last year I didn't get to play as well as I would have e winner from former trainer Brian McNamee were t he most striking in last week's Mitchell Report. Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell wrote McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids in liked," he said. 1998 while with the Toronto Blue Jays, and steroids and human '' . growth "hormone in 2000 and 2001, while with the NOTEBOOK New York Yankees. "I want to state clearly and without qualification; I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, : my entire life," Clemens said Tuesday in a statement issued through his agent, Randy Hendricks. "Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take. "I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand that Senator Mitchell's report has raised many serious questions. I plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. 1 only ask that in.the meantime people not rush to judgment." Another former McNamee client, Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, said last weekend that he took HGH twice while rehabbing from an injury in 2002. Mitchell said McNamee told him he injected Pettitte with HGH two to four times that year. FILEAssociated Press New York Yankees' Roger Clemens pitches in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Yankee Stadium on June Pirates at 9. Clemens was considered by a while as Padres' second baseHall of man: At San Diego, Tadahito most to be a Famer before McNamee's alIguchi wanted to play second base and find a comfortable legations. The allegations also have the place to live. San Diego was a Texas High School Baseball perfect fit. The Padres finalized their Coaches Association reconsid$3.85 million, one-yedidn't have an agreement ban- ering whether to let Clemens contract with Iguchi on Tuesday and ning steroids until September speak afthe group's annual convention next month. The 2002. They banned HGH in introduced him at a news conference. group held an executive meetJanuary 2005. Clemens' lawyer, Rusty ing Tuesday but postponed "My No. 1 priority was the Hardin, first issued a denial making a decision until it could atmosphere of the town," Igulast Thursday, hours after chi said through a translator. get more information. "Last year at the trading deadMitchell's report was released. Clemens spoke with one of Tuesday marked the first pub- the group's coaches before the line I was traded to Philadellic comments by Clemens, an meeting and said he "is ready phia and I had the opportunity who spent 24 to come speak," said Jim Long, to live away from my family and that was kind of hard for years in the major leagues with president of the association. "We feel we owe it to our me. I wanted to choose a place Boston, Toronto, the Yankees I could live with my family and association and Roger himself and Houston. The to give him the benefit of the spend the offseason as well." doubt further," Long said. was with a 4. 18 ERA for Iguchi batted .304 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 45 the Yankees this year and may ft Associated Press Writer retire. He said he planned to games with the NL East chamretire after the 2003; 2004, 2005 Juan A. Lozano in Houston pion Phillies, who acquired him from the Chicago White Sox to and 2006 seasons, only to recontributed to this report. fill in at second while turn each time. ft Iguchi Chase Utley was injured. Iguchi A six time winner, hopes to stick around "He stands 100 percent behind the accuracy of the information he provided to Sen. Mitchell," McNamee's lawyer, Ed Ward, said in a statement. Mitchell declined comment. Baseball players and owners first-ball- All-St- right-hand- 6-- AU-St- ." Dahlberg (V' . felt a told Iguchi. "I'm absolutely hoping that I can stay here for many, many years," Iguchi said. "I'm lookcontract to ing at this one-yebetter my performance." Towers said the acquisit ion of Iguchi will give prospect Matt Antonelli the chance to get more at bats in the minor leagues. -- shorter-ter- contract would give me the chance and also the motivation to play better and help the team win." He and his agent, Rocky Hall, said they chose San Diego because the Padres were looking for a second baseman while other teams wanted to move Iguchi to third. "Second base is the position with which I'm most comfortable due to playing there the last couple of years," Iguchi said. "It's the position I could help the team most, I understand this is a very big ballpark. It will give me the chance to hit more doubles and triples as well. I will get the opportunity to run and play with my own style to fit into the team and help." The Padres fell one victory short of their third consecutive playoff appearance this year, and Iguchi arrives with a winning pedigree. He helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series during his first year in the majors after coming over from Japan. "Pitchers were very conscious of him when he was in the batter's box," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "We always thought he was a tough out. I know that there wasn't one way to pitch. He has power, the ability to hit for average and what I liked about Tadahito was that in tough situations he always seemed to give a tough ' General manager Kevin Towers said Iguchi will make the Padres a much better offensive club, and he's good at turning the double play. "Hopefully, it's longer than one year. Hopefully, you're here for a long, long time and I Nationals to open domestic 2008 MLB schedule at new ballpark: At Washington, the first Western Hemisphere game of the 2008 major league season will be played at the new Washington Nationals ballpark. And, yes, the president has been invited. The Nationals announced Tuesday they will host the traditional Sunday night opener March 30 against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park, the 41,000-sestadium nearing completion along the Anacos-ti- a at River. The major league season begins the week before when e Boston plays Oakland in a series in Tokyo. The game revives a longstanding tradition of baseball openers in the nation's capital. From 1952-7the Washington Senators annually opened the American League schedule at home, often with the president in attendance, The Nationals said they have already extended an invitation to President Bush to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, as he did in 2005 at the first game at RFK Stadium after the Nationals relocated from Montreal. "I cannot think of anything more fitting than the first domestic contest of 2008 being played in the nation's capital," team president Stan Kasten said. The Nationals play 18 of two-gam- . their first 32 games and 10 of their final 13 at home. The regular season ends with a road game at Philadelphia on Sept. 28. Washington's interleague opponents in 2008 will be Baltimore, Texas, tjpe Los Angeles Angels, Seattle and Minnesota. wishes yon Continued from C2 wants us to believe that he stopped after injecting himself twice because his conscience suddenly started bothering "1 you enjoy San Diego," Towers v him. He just might be telling the truth. Stranger things have happened. But why hide behind a statement issued through your agent if you are truly repentant and have done nothing wrong? Former Red Sox reliever Brendan Donnelly also went the statement route, issuing one saying he was "sick to his FILEAP stomach" and hadn't slept after Los Angeles Dodgers' Paul LoDuca, right, is congratulated by being named in the report. Unteammates Shawn Green, left, and Milton Bradley, center, as like Pettitte, he denied using home run LoDuca crosses home plate after hitting a three-ru- n anything, even though Red on June 4, 21)04. Sox executives were sure he had been juiced at one point in, his career. Since Donnelly isn't sleepsuddenly stopped hitting hard punched a clubhouse wall a few years ago and broke his hand. ing, he should have some extra line drives, prompting the In the end, we can only time on his hands. Why not use Dodgers to trade him a few it to answer specific questions judge by what we hear. years back, while Gagne can The overwhelming silence tell how his body broke down about what he did and didn't of those named in the Mitchell do instead of dismissing it in a about the same time as his fastball. d few report makes that judgment an paragraphs? Come to think of it, Kevin The same goes for Lo Duca easy one to make. and Gagne, former teammates Brown hasn't said a thing eift Tim ther. Of course, Brown never on the Los Angeles Dodgers Dahlberg is a national who surely would be happy to said much about anything, sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to talk about their days together. though he might have issued him at tdahlbergap.org a few choice words when he Lo Duca can explain how he A - A well-crafte- INTUIS comes in a wide range of models and colors to lit most heanng losses and personal styles. V 9 if ! j f '"4, v SIEMENS .', Intuitive technology. Easy on the ears. 1 integrates select key technologies in reliability and quality. The INTUIS hor a nmitea ume in uit i i Edison Stanford Hearing Centers - H 777 t.OM-DBO- f T, Nv - N is avatiaae Tor oniy: Happy holidays from the nation's leader in fiber - optic services. $795.00ea Voir Hearing ft Our Coram : ie 500 W Doctors Park 005 mstar Provo Life in the 2B fci- - -- fast lane! -- ,d - - - - - - - |