By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Washington DC

Roger Clemens suffered a big blow Monday after a trainer testified that he injected the former seven-time Cy Young winner with steroids multiple times in different occasions.

Brian McNamee testified before the Washington federal court that he personally injected Clemens with steroids between 1998 and 2001, and possibly 2002 at the pitcher's apartment and in various Major League clubhouses.

McNamee and Clemens worked together with the Toronto Blue Jays and developed a close bond, with the pitcher even allowing the trainer to use his hotel room at the team's stadium.

According to Major League Baseball's Mitchell Report, McNamee helped acquire performance-enhancing drugs including anabolic steroids, amphetamines, and human growth hormone (HGH) for some or all of the players he personally trained, including Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch.

The report indicated that Clemens used steroids 16 times between 1998 and 2001.

Considered as the government's only eyewitness to Clemens' drug use, McNamee testified that steroids discussion occurred while he was the Blue Jays strength and conditioning coordinator.

"We were talking and he asked me in passing if I could help him out with a booty shot of anabolic steroids," McNamee said, who then obliged to the pitcher's request by injecting steroids in his buttocks at his apartment.

Clemens is charged with one count of obstructing a congressional investigation, three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury stemming from his testimony to a House panel that he never used steroids.

If convicted, Clemens faces a 21-month jail term. Clemens pitched for the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays during a 24-year career.

Earlier, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton ruled that jury can consider testimony from Pettitte, Clemen's former teammate , regarding a conversation the two had about HGH more than 10 years ago.

The defense sought to have that testimony thrown out after Pettitte admitted under questioning from Clemens's lawyer that there was a 50 percent chance he misunderstood Clemens' statement that he used HGH.

Pettitte, who admitted he used HGH he obtained from McNamee in 2002 and 2005 from his own father, testified that Clemens admitted to him that he used steroids.

Walton also rejected attempts by Clemens' lawyers to introduce documents related to McNamee's divorce proceedings in New York state court into the case, calling it a fishing expedition by the defense.

 

 

Former Trainer Testifies He Injected Clemens with Steroids Multiple Times