Prosecutors question Pettitte
Federal prosecutors have interviewed New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte as they investigate whether his former teammate Roger Clemens lied to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
Pettitte could be a crucial witness for any case against Clemens. The two trained together for years. Pettitte has acknowledged taking human growth hormone and told congressional investigators that Clemens informed him nearly a decade ago that he used HGH.
Prosecutors are weighing whether to bring perjury charges against Clemens for denying under oath to Congress that he took performance-enhancing substances.
A-Rod questions barred
A San Francisco judge barred attorneys in the Barry Bonds trial from asking potential jurors their opinion of Alex Rodriguez.
Bonds’ attorneys wanted to ask people being considered for the jury whether they had heard of the Yankees’ third baseman and allegations that he used steroids.
The trial begins March 2.
Tejada makes apology
While Rodriguez was addressing his use of performance-enhancing drugs in front of a national media contingent, Miguel Tejada made a quiet apology to his teammates at the Houston Astros’ training camp.
“It’s part of this country. It’s part of my life,” Tejada said. “I apologized to my family; I apologized to everyone around me in baseball. Today I stood up and apologized to the entire team.”
Union issues memo
Baseball’s players’ union distributed a memo at spring training camps with information about 2003 drug testing, handing out the legal-sized sheets of paper about the time Rodriguez was discussing his use of banned drugs.
The memo tells players “to be careful” answering “questions sparked by the media frenzy surrounding these stories.”
“You have undoubtedly seen the recent news reports concerning our 2003 drug-testing program and the court cases related to it. We write to make sure you are informed about the facts of these matters and the Players Association’s positions,” it begins.
Leyritz let go
Ex-New York Yankee Jim Leyritz was free to go home from the Broward County Jail after what amounted to a balk by the state attorney general’s office, prosecutors in Miami said.
Leyritz, 45, was arrested last week for violating the terms of his pretrial release by drinking alcohol while awaiting trial on DUI manslaughter charges.
Broward Circuit Judge Marc Gold signed the arrest warrant, but unbeknown to him, a legal technicality had removed the case from his jurisdiction, attorneys agreed in court.
That made the warrant void and meant Leyritz had to be released.
Clearing the bases
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth agreed to a $15.75 million, three-year contract. … Cincinnati Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion reached a $7.6 million, two-year deal. … Kansas City first baseman Mike Jacobs signed a one-year $3,275,000 contract. … Arizona infielder-outfielder Conor Jackson struck a one-year $3.05 million agreement. … The Tampa Bay Rays signed second baseman Adam Kennedy to a minor league contract. … The Milwaukee Brewers reached a $3.25 million, one-year deal with right fielder Corey Hart and added reliever Eric Gagne with a minor league contract. … Minnesota pitcher Francisco Liriano insisted he will not play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic in March. … The Florida Marlins announced a contract extension for manager Fredi Gonzalez through the 2011 season.