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WASHINGTON -- The New York Yankees' general manager testified atex-pitching ace Roger Clemens perjury trial on Thursday that heopposed hiring the trainer who later alleged he injected Clemenswith performance-enhancing drugs. General Manager Brian Cashman said a frustrated Clemens, hisinjured right leg iced up, asked that the Yankees sign trainerBrian McNamee after he had bombed out of a 1999 American Leagueplayoff game. Outlining McNamee's seesaw career with the Yankees, Cashman saidthe team's late owner George Steinbrenner agreed to the starpitcher's request. McNamee was taken on as an assistant strengthcoach in 2000 to work with Clemens, who agreed to pay hisUS$30,000-a-season salary. I didn't think we had the need to hire Brian McNamee, Cashmansaid in U.S. District Court. McNamee, who is central to charges that Clemens lied to Congressabout using performance-enhancing drugs, had worked for Yankees inthe early 1990s as a bullpen catcher and pitcher. He then went tothe Toronto Blue Jays as strength coach, where he met Clemens. Moving up from warmup catcher with the Yankees was a pretty bigleap, Cashman said, but Clemens clicked with Brian McNamee. McNamee has alleged he injected Clemens with anabolic steroids in1998, 2000 and 2001 and human growth hormone in 2001. Clemens'lawyers have labeled McNamee a liar. Clemens is being tried for a second time on federal charges oflying to the House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight andGovernment Reform in 2008 about whether he usedperformance-enhancing drugs. His first trial ended in a mistriallast year. Clemens, a record seven-time winner of the Cy Young Award,baseball's highest annual honor for a pitcher, is among the game'sbiggest names linked to alleged drug use. Locker Room Plea Cashman said Clemens made his locker room plea to hire McNameewhile the third game of the 1999 American League playoffs betweenthe Yankees and Boston Red Sox was still going on at Fenway Park. Clemens had started for the Yankees but left in the third inningafter giving up six runs and injuring his right hamstring. He was frustrated. He thought he had let the team down, he thoughhe had let himself down, Cashman said. The Yankees won the American League pennant and went on to beat theAtlanta Braves in the 1999 World Series, with Clemens winning thefinal game. McNamee was released by the Yankees in late 2001 after complaintsof insubordination and that he was bleeding into everybody else'sresponsibilities, Cashman said. He was let go after police investigating a Florida rape case saidthe trainer had lied to them. McNamee was never charged in thecase. The Florida case in October 2001 came just days before Cashman wascalled away from his dinner to McNamee's Seattle hotel roomfollowing a barroom incident involving the trainer, the generalmanager said. He did not detail the incident. After leaving the Yankees, McNamee continued as personal trainer toClemens and Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who has admittedinjecting human growth hormone. Cashman called Clemens the greatest and praised his dedication,work ethic and ability to lead a team by example. Could you use a 50-year-old ballplayer who can still throw 90miles an hour? defense attorney Rusty Hardin asked. Maybe, Cashman replied. The trial recessed until Monday, when McNamee is expected to takethe stand. I am an expert from electricswitchesandsockets.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Specialty Wire and Cable Manufacturer , Electrical Wall Socket, Electrical Insulation Tape,and more.
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