Steroid whistleblower Jose Canseco has been publicly defending Roger Clemens against allegations that Clemens used anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (hGH). Clemens is on trial in Washington D.C. on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice based on statements made before Congress in which he denied using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Canseco believed everyone would have confided in him since he was a well-known steroid user. Canseco believed he was “the man” for Major League Baseball players seeking steroid information. And Clemens never asked him about steroids.
“You have to understand this, everyone came to me for steroids and information back then, I was the man, period,” said Canseco. “He never brought it up that he ever wanted to use it, acquire it period. Roger to me was the straightest guy I’ve ever seen in my life, I never saw him cheat on his wife, I never saw him flirt, nothing.”
Canseco somewhat discredited himself by standing up for Clemens’ marital fidelity. Clemens has been publicly linked to several women involving long-term extramarital affairs. He allegedly had affairs with Mindy McCready, Angela Moyer and Paulette Dean Daly.
Canseco had previously defended Clemens when he was subpoenaed to testify at the federal grand jury investigating the possibility that Clemens lied about steroids.
Brian McNamee had claimed that he saw Clemens and Canseco discussing steroids with another man (presumably a steroid dealer) at a 1998 party at Canseco’s South Florida house. Canseco indicated that he told the grand jury that Clemens was never at that party.
“He’s an absolute liar and I challenge him to a polygraph,” said Canseco. “There is no way in hell he was at that party”
Canseco disputed the reliability of photographs that showed Canseco and Clemens at the party.
The photographs were taken with the camera of a lucky 11-year old boy named Alexander Lowrey who had the opportunity to meet and party with his baseball heroes.
Fourteen years later, as a 25-year old man, Lowrey reluctantly testified as a government witness. Lowrey placed both Canseco and Clemens at the 1998 Florida party. The testimony bolsters Brian McNamee’s allegations that he saw Clemens and Canseco discussing steroids. Clemens’ defense team has backed away from the claim that Clemens did not attend the party.
Canseco may have been correct about the widespread use of anabolic steroids in MLB when he wrote “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big” but he doesn’t appear to be very accurate about Clemens’ marital fidelity or Clemens’ attendance at one of his parties. Should we believe Canseco when he says Clemens didn’t use steroids?
Source:
O’Keeffe, M. (May 21, 2012). The importance of Alexander Lowrey’s Roger Clemens-Jose Canseco party photo testimony. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2012/05/the-importance-of-alexander-lowreys-roger-clemens-jose-canseco-party-photo-testimony
O’Keeffe, M. (June 3, 2010). Jose Canseco testifies before grand jury investigating Roger Clemens for perjury, blasts proceedings. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/jose-canseco-testifies-grand-jury-investigating-roger-clemens-perjury-blasts-proceedings-article-1.178647
