Rodriguez rebuffs Canseco charge of steroids use

NEW YORK: Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, who signed baseball's biggest deal ever on the day the Mitchell Report on drug use in the sport was issued, on Sunday denied a suggestion by admitted steroids user Jose Canseco that he was guilty of doping.

Rodriguez, who signed a 10-year, $275 million contract that could top $300 million if he continues on his home-run record pace, told the CBS TV news magazine show "60 Minutes" he was never tempted to try any performance-enhancing drugs.

Asked if he had ever used steroids, human growth hormone (HGH) or any other performance-enhancing substance, Rodriguez said no.

"I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field," said Rodriguez. "I've always been (in) a very strong, dominant position. And I felt that if I did my work as I've done since I was a rookie back in Seattle, I didn't have a problem competing at any level."

Former slugger Canseco told the Fox Business Report after former US Senator George Mitchell's findings were issued on Thursday the report, which named pitching great Roger Clemens among more than 80 players accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, did not go far enough.

"I saw the list of players, and there are definitely a lot of players missing," said Canseco, whose 2005 book Juiced about steroids use in baseball put a spotlight on the problem.

Pushed further about players not included, Canseco said about Rodriguez: "All I can say is the Mitchell report is incomplete. I could not believe that his name was not in the report."

Clemens, through his lawyer, has vehemently denied using banned substances. Three players named in the report, including pitcher Andy Pettitte, have stepped forward to admit and explain their use.

Rodriguez seemed stunned by the names on the list.

"I mean, these are guys that I play with. They're my teammates, friends. If anything comes of this, I will be extremely disappointed," he said. "And it will be a huge black eye on the game of baseball."

Rodriguez said he had no first-hand knowledge of steroids use in the game.

"You hear a lot of things. I mean, I came in 1993 (with Seattle). And you heard whispers from the '80s and '90s.

"But I never saw anything. I never had raw evidence. And, quite frankly, I was probably a little bit too naive when I first came up to understand the magnitude of all this."

Pettitte admitted using human growth hormone on Saturday.

The Yankee left-hander Pettitte released a statement Saturday admitting to using HGH twice in the 2002 season while attempting to recover from an elbow injury.

Two of Rodriguez's teammates Clemens and Pettitte were prominently mentioned in Thursday's report on performance-enhancing drugs, which included information from former Yankees' trainer Brian McNamee, who served as a personal trainer to both the left-hander and Roger Clemens up to the beginning of 2007.

"From April 21 to June 14, 2002, Pettitte was on the disabled list with elbow tendonitis," the Mitchell Report states.

"McNamee said that Pettitte called him while he was rehabilitating his elbow in Tampa, where the Yankees have a facility, and asked again about human growth hormone. Pettitte stated that he wanted to speed his recovery and help his team.

"McNamee traveled to Tampa at Pettitte's request and spent about 10 days assisting Pettitte with his rehabilitation.

"McNamee recalled that he injected Pettitte with human growth hormone that McNamee obtained from Radomski on two to four occasions. Pettitte paid McNamee for the trip and his expenses; there was no separate payment for the human growth hormone."

After Pettitte's statement, the Yankees stated that Pettitte had advised the organization that he was going to make a statement and that the Yankees "support his coming forward".

Rodriguez said he still has respect for those players named as drug users in the Mitchell Report.

Agencies

(China Daily 12/18/2007 page23)