MLB: Former players at ACC keep distance from Clemens - Reno Gazette

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Written by

Brian Nordli

• Filed Under
• Events
• Celebrity Golf

Andy Pettitte swings during a practice round at the American Century Championship. / Kelly Lafferty/RGJ

STATELINE -- While a judge declared a mistrial in Roger Clemens' perjury case Thursday, adding another chapter to the ongoing steroid saga, the former baseball players at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament were enjoying their rounds of golf at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

For most, it was the first they'd heard about the mistrial. They weren't eager to dive into a discussion of steroids in baseball or developments on the Clemens front.

"I haven't kept up with it at all," former pitcher Mark Mulder said. "It's something that obviously you don't want to see with baseball, but I'd be lying if I told you I knew what was going on."

Clemens' former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte is playing in the ACC this week. The redacted comments he allegedly made to his wife stating Clemens had used human growth hormones were illegally shown to the jury and were the basis for the mistrial.

Pettitte declined comment to the Reno Gazette-Journal on the case and Clemens because he was unsure if it was allowed.

Former pitcher John Smoltz hadn't heard about the decision until he was asked about it on the first tee box.

Jamie Moyer said someone brought it to his attention in the middle of his round.

"You know I really haven't heard a whole lot about it, so I don't think it's fair for me to comment on it because I don't really know what happened," Moyer said.

Said former pitcher Bret Saberhagen: "This is the first I heard about it."

Most former major leaguers have preferred to dissociate themselves from the situation.

"I don't keep up with that type of stuff," Saberhagen said. "You can't help but hear about it, but I try to follow more important things like U.S. women's soccer."

The U.S. women's soccer team plays Japan in the World Cup final on Sunday.

The mistrial does little to provide closure for the ongoing saga that began in 2008 when Clemens declared during a House of Representatives hearing that he had never used HGH or steroids to rebut the claims of his former trainer Brian McNamee.

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