KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Roger Clemens arrived at the Houston Astros’ minor league clubhouse on Tuesday and walked straight to a fenced-in bullpen to greet his oldest son, Koby, a catcher in the Astros’ system.
He snapped at a photographer who started clicking pictures.
“This isn’t a zoo!” Clemens barked.
The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was calmer a few minutes later, but refused to answer questions about the Mitchell Report or a possible criminal investigation into his denials of steroid use.
“Everything’s been said that needs to be said on that,” Clemens said. “We’re moving forward. It’s baseball time.”
Clemens thinks the public is tired of hearing about performance-enhancing drugs in the sport. He sure is.
“I think you ought to be asking baseball questions,” he said. “I think it’s time to move on and get on with baseball.”
Clemens will pitch batting practice from today through Friday to minor leaguers. He arrived one day after The New York Times reported a House committee had drafted a letter asking the Justice Department to look into whether Clemens committed perjury. Clemens has repeatedly denied that he used steroids or performance-enhancing drugs, allegations brought by former personal trainer Brian McNamee.
The committee has not yet made a decision whether to send a letter to Justice.
“I’m not commenting on any of that,” Clemens said. “Everything’s said that needs to be said on that topic.”
Clemens said he hasn’t spoken to Andy Pettitte since his former teammate held a news conference at New York Yankees camp last week. Pettitte said Clemens had told him nearly a decade ago that Clemens used human growth hormone. Clemens said at the hearing that Pettitte “misremembers” the conversation.
“I’m not going to comment on Andy or any of those matters,” Clemens said.
Clemens said he did not watch Pettitte’s news conference and has no immediate plans to visit Pettitte while he’s in Florida. The Yankees are working out in Tampa, about 90 miles away, and Clemens said he doesn’t intend to visit his former team either.
Clemens, who pitched for the Astros from 2004-06, has a personal services contract with the Astros that will kick in when he officially retires.
“I’m going to work here,” Clemens said in the parking lot of the Astros minor league clubhouse in Kissimmee. “I’ve got some stuff to do here. We’re going to have a good time.”
Clemens also deflected questions about reports that a photo exists showing Clemens at a party thrown by Jose Canseco in June 1998. McNamee said Clemens was at the party, but Clemens denied being there in a deposition to congressional investigators on Feb. 5.
In the Mitchell Report on doping in baseball, released in December, McNamee alleged that Clemens spoke with Canseco at the party and soon after approached the trainer about using performance-enhancing drugs.
“I’ve made my statements on that and we’re moving forward,” Clemens said.
Koby Clemens said Monday that his parents seemed “exhausted” after Roger Clemens testified in a nationally televised hearing on Feb. 13. Roger Clemens said his life has slowly returned to normal since the hearing.
“You put all your energy into that,” he said. “I do that with just about everything I partake in. It was great. We’re getting back to doing the things we love to do and we’re moving forward.”
The 45-year-old Clemens also dodged a question about whether he would consider playing again. He said he’s still staying in shape, running and lifting weights regularly. He’s running in a charity race in Houston on Saturday.
“I don’t want to get put in that situation,” he said. “At this point, I don’t plan on playing. But I’ve said that for three years. Next thing I know, I’m tying up my cleats for real.”
He pulled up to the minor league clubhouse just before 1 p.m. in a gleaming black Hummer. Wearing a light blue T-shirt, blue jeans and a white baseball cap, he briefly chatted with his son and some of the other Astros’ young prospects before speaking with reporters.
“I’ll be ready and available, whatever they need,” Clemens said.
Koby Clemens did not speak with reporters when he arrived earlier Tuesday for the second day of minicamp. He jogged into the minor league clubhouse after a team official came out and said he was late for a meeting.
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