Clemens releases video; will appear on '60 Minutes'
BY KEN DAVIDOFF
Newsday.com
December 24, 2007

Roger Clemens showed his face yesterday for the first time since the Mitchell Report came out Dec. 13. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner emphasized that he will keep showing his face, as often as necessary, to defend his heavily damaged reputation.

Next up: Reporter Mike Wallace and "60 Minutes," in an interview to be aired Jan. 6.

In a taped message posted on his foundation's Web site and youtube.com, Clemens denied the testimony of his former trainer, Brian McNamee, that he repeatedly used steroids and human growth hormone in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Previously, Clemens' attorney had denied the charges, and Clemens had done so in a written statement through agent Randy Hendricks.

Most interestingly, Clemens said he will sit down shortly with Wallace, "and he'll ask me a ton of questions on this subject, and I'll answer them right there in front of him, and we'll do all of this again."

A spokesman for CBS, which airs "60 Minutes," told The Associated Press that the interview will air Jan. 6.

The message, taped at Clemens' home in Katy, Texas, lasts 1 minute, 48 seconds and features the 45-year-old seated in front of a "Roger Clemens 300 wins" logo, put together back in 2003 when Clemens attained that milestone. The logo features a photo of Clemens in a Yankees home uniform, a reminder of Clemens' Yankees ties.

Clemens comes off as nervous and emotional in the brief statement, and his words back up those sentiments.

"I'm almost numb to some of these suggestions that I would even use steroids," Clemens said. "It's amazing to me that I'm going to go to the lengths I'm going to defend myself. I faced this last year when the L.A. Times reported that I used steroids. I said it was not true then. And now the world knows it's not true, now that that's come out."

On Thursday, a publicly released affidavit from the April 2006 questioning of former Yankees pitcher Jason Grimsley proved that Grimsley did not accuse Clemens of steroid use, as the Los Angeles Times reported in October 2006.

Clemens continued: "It surfaced again later now, with this Mitchell Report, and let me be clear: The answer is no. I did not use steroids, human growth hormone, and I've never done so. I did not provide Brian McNamee with any drugs to inject into my body. Brian McNamee did not inject steroids or human growth hormone into my body, either when I played in Toronto for the Blue Jays or the New York Yankees. This report is simply not true."

Joe Householder, a spokesman for Clemens' attorney, Houston-based Rusty Hardin, said the pitcher has received myriad invitations for an interview. Clemens likely chose Wallace because of his comfort level with him. Wallace, 89, did a piece on Clemens in 2001.

In concluding his statement, Clemens described himself as "angry about it" and the report as "hurtful to me and my family. But we're coming upon Christmas now. I have been blessed in my life. I've been blessed in my career. I'm very thankful for these blessings."