WASHINGTON (AP) — Two catchers who were teammates of pitcher Roger Clemens say he played with integrity and refused to cut corners — the opposite of the image painted by prosecutors of a man who cheated to gain an edge and then lied about it to Congress.
Former catcher Charlie O’Brien caught Clemens’ games for much of the 1997 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. O’Brien portrayed Clemens as such a stickler that he’d refuse to throw scuffed baseballs because he considered it cheating.
The other catcher, Darrin Fletcher, was Clemens’ teammate with the Jays the following season. He said Clemens was a “big strong man” who set the standard for work ethic.
Clemens is on trial, accused of lying to Congress when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone.
