From the LA Times’ Tim Brown :
Major League Baseball officials continue to struggle with the program’s lack of transparency, particularly as it relates to the appeal and grievance process, which required at least two months in the recent cases of Baltimore’s Palmeiro and Seattle Mariner pitcher Ryan Franklin, which Selig called “too lengthy.”
The New York offices received at least a dozen calls from reporters Thursday concerning rumored positive tests for Houston Astro pitcher Roger Clemens and Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon. The officials spent much of the day denying those rumors.
“They want to come after the stars to see people react,” Damon said of the reports Thursday, before the Red Sox played the Angels. “But I haven’t heard anything. Once your name is thrown out there, people start assuming. … Unbelievable.”
Said Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein: “I wouldn’t even want to honor that by commenting. The reporting of the steroid issue has taken on witch-hunt proportions, and it’s wrong. That’s a severe accusation, whether it’s in an Internet chat room or a newspaper, you would like to think there is some actual reporting going on.”
The most assuredly not-on-steroids Roger Clemens allowed a season high 5 earned runs earlier tonight, as the Brewers beat the Astros 5-2. Houston fell a half game behind the Phillies in the NL Wild Card chase after Philadelphia and Washington split a doubleheader.