Federal prosecutors are fighting to be able to bring 45 witnesses, including Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, to court to testify in the perjery trial against Roger Clemens next week. Clemens’ former teammates are expected to testify about getting performance-enhancing drugs from Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former personal trainer and the government’s star witness in its case.
Clemens’ attorneys are trying to block them from taking the stand. In court filings leading up to the trial, his defense attorneys argue the former Yankee and Astro pitcher should not be considered guilty by association just because some of his teammates obtained PEDs from McNamee.
Pettitte spent nine seasons as Clemens teammate, six seasons with the Yankees and three more seasons playing alongside his close friend and offseason workout partner in Houston. Pettitte’s decision to sign with the Astros in 2004 led to Clemens return to Houston, where the Rocket starred for three seasons.
Knoblauch played three seasons with Clemens in New York, where he, Pettitte and Clemens won two World Series Championships together in 1999 and 2000.
Both of Clemens former teammates admitted their use of performance-enhancing drugs in sworn depositions during the federal investigation that resulted from the Mitchell report on steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in baseball in December 2007.
The trial is slated to begin July 6 in Washington D. C.