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02/09/2008 11:57 PM ET
Radomski says he believes McNamee
Clemens disputes accusations of attending Canseco's party
By Tom Singer / MLB.com






Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets clubhouse attendant who supplied Brian McNamee with steroids, said he has "no doubt" the trainer told the truth in claiming he injected Roger Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs.
In his first interview since being sentenced on Friday to five years' probation for distributing steroids, Radomski on Saturday mounted a strong defense of McNamee to ESPN.com, assertions he will have a chance to personally deliver to congressional lawyers next week.

Radomski is scheduled to be interviewed by representatives of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Tuesday, the day before the committee's hearing on the Mitchell Report and baseball's involvement with performance-enhancing drugs.

"I'm defending Brian. I believe him over Clemens and his lawyers," said Radomski, who called McNamee "very believable."

"He was a cop. He knows the consequences of lying," Radomski added. "He has more to lose than to gain by lying. I have no doubt."

Meanwhile, Clemens' legal staff remained on the offensive Saturday, claiming proof that refutes a key McNamee assertion contained in the Mitchell Report.

Rusty Hardin told The Associated Press that video footage proves Clemens was not present at a June 1998 party at Jose Canseco's Miami home -- a circumstance McNamee claims led to Clemens' steroids use.

Radomski, who left the Mets' employ in 1995 and over the ensuing decade grew into a major supplier of steroids and human growth hormone to ballplayers and their trainers, never asked McNamee how, or for whom, he used the steroids he was given.

Furthermore, Radomski alleged to have had no contact with McNamee since his own legal troubles began with a Dec. 14, 2005, federal raid on his Long Island home.

However, Radomski expressed implicit faith in the information McNamee gave to federal investigators and to former Sen. George Mitchell, that he injected Clemens at least 16 times with steroids and human growth hormone in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

"He could have took the stuff and threw it out the window -- what do I know?" Radomski told ESPN.com. "But if Brian is saying this stuff, then I have to take Brian for his word."

McNamee traced Clemens' interest in steroids to a meeting with Canseco at the 1998 party.

According to Hardin, committee members have been given two items to prove Clemens was not at the function: an affidavit signed by Canseco, and video from game telecasts in that time frame on which announcers allegedly discuss the luncheon party and make a reference to Clemens not being there.



"One of the things the committee is going to hear on Wednesday is about this party that is supposed to have started this whole thing," Hardin said. "Roger wasn't even at this party."

The attorney indicated Clemens also has a receipt for greens fees from a golf outing on the day in question.

Introduction of these items was merely the latest move in the campaign by Clemens' legal team to systematically contradict and discredit McNamee's version of events.

"Clemens' people want to portray [McNamee] as some lunatic," said Radomski. "He is not. That is the wrong move. I cannot see guys like the U.S. Attorney's office out here not believing him and putting so much [trust in him].

"If they weren't sure, they wouldn't do what they have done. They are very thorough, very credible people."

In addition to Clemens and McNamee, subjects at Wednesday's hearing in Washington, D.C., will include Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch.

In the Mitchell Report, McNamee claims to have also administered injections of human growth hormone to Pettitte and Knoblauch, former Yankees teammates of Clemens. Both acknowledged McNamee's statements.

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.