Clark apologizes

Angels slugger Albert Pujols (pictured) and former St. Louis Cardinal Jack Clark avoided a court battle Monday when Clark issued a retraction and a public apology for comments he made last summer on a radio show accusing Pujols of using performance-enhancing drugs. “I would like to address Albert Pujols’ pending defamation lawsuit and reconfirm that I have no knowledge whatsoever that Mr. Pujols has ever used illegal or banned PEDs,” Clark said in a statement. Clark said he based his accusation on conversations he said he had with Chris Mihfeld, Pujols’ former personal trainer. When his on-air partner, Kevin Slaten, said he long believed Pujols “has been a juicer,” Clark said, “I know for a fact he was.” Pujols and Mihfeld denied the accusation. The company that produced the radio show issued an apology and fired Clark. – Los Angeles Times