APRoger Clemens has been asked to end his involvement with a charity golf tournament he has hosted for four years as the fallout from the Mitchell Report continues to haunt the seven-time Cy Young award winner, the Daily News reported in Wednesday’s edition.
Although Clemens helped raise millions of dollars for charities associated with the event, the Giff Nielsen Day of Golf for Kids was held Nov. 11 at Houston’s Shadow Hawk Golf Club without him.
“Roger Clemens is no longer affiliated with the tournament,” said Nielsen, a Houston broadcaster. “We decided we would go our separate ways until his off-field stuff is settled.
“I approached him, and as we talked, we reached a mutual agreement that we would put our relationship on hold. He was good about it. He said ‘I agree with the decision.”’
Clemens has denied using performance-enhancing drugs since he was identified in George Mitchell’s report on drug use in baseball. He filed a defamation lawsuit in January against his former trainer, Brian McNamee, who claims he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone.
Federal prosecutors also are looking into whether Clemens committed perjury when he testified under oath in front of a congressional committee that he never used performance-enhancing drugs.
“He is dealing with some tough issues,” Nielsen said. “He is dealing with something that is very challenging. The accusations against him are serious. It just made sense to say, ‘Go take care of these issues and we will revisit the relationship later, when it makes sense.’ He was very receptive. He was very understanding.”
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