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March 11, 2008
BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Mike Greenwell says former teammate Roger Clemens "deserves to be in the Hall of Fame" but admits that the current performance-enhancing drug scandal "does cast a shadow of doubt" over Clemens' career.
Greenwell, recently elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame, is at City of Palms Park today, where he will throw out the first pitch before the Sox' exhibition game against the Mets. He's had little contact with the Sox since his contentious departure from the team in 1996, but the ownership team has been attempting to mend fences with player who were estranged from the organization due to problems with the previous administration.
"It's good to be back in the family," said Greenwell.
Greenwell was questioned extensively about Clemens, whose tenure with the Sox (1984-96) almost completely paralleled Greenwell's (1985-96).
"He was the hardest worker I've ever seen," marveled Greenwell. "He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. People like (Jose) Canseco, (Mark) McGwire, (Sammy) Sosa, they all deserve to be in because of their numbers."
Greenwell said he "never saw anything" that would lead him to believe Clemens used steroids or human-growth hormones while he was with Boston. The allegations of PED use that have been made against Clemens all stem from his post-Red Sox days.
Greenwell said the use of steroids was gaining a foothold in baseball during the latter days of his career, but he resisted the temptation.
"I never did it," he said. "I thought about it. But my wife is a nurse, and she would have killed me."
Greenwell blamed his acrimonious department on former general manager Dan Duquette, whom he says "ruined the organization . . . and I'd say that to his face."
Posted by Art Martone 
at 12:32 PM | Permalink
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