Sport News : Key witness against Clemens says provided drugs to other players

Brian McNamee, a former athletic trainer who was on the witness stand for a sixth day, said he gave the drug to current New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, a close friend of Clemens who testified earlier in the trial, and to former Yankees infielder Chuck Knoblauch.

He said he also connected former Yankees pitcher Mike Stanton with a dealer who sold Stanton the substance.

"Have you always maintained that you provided growth hormones to Mr. Pettitte in 2002 and Mr. Knoblauch in 2001?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Butler asked.

McNamee answered: "Yes."

"Did you respect Clemens at the time? Were you loyal to him?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Butler asked. "Yes, sir," McNamee said.

McNamee's testimony came as government prosecutors worked to bolster the credibility of their key witness in the trial of Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young winner accused of lying to Congress about using steroids. The defense has worked to paint McNamee as a liar who has obtained immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony.

Prosecutors won the judge's approval on Monday to include McNamee's testimony about other players to whom he provided drugs. The decision allows them to argue that Clemens, 49, was not the only player McNamee named as having used performance-enhancing drugs.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton decided the government could only use that evidence as a way to assess McNamee's credibility, as someone who may have first-hand knowledge of drug usage in the industry. But it could not be used toward arguing whether Clemens used growth hormones or steroids.

Clemens' defense lawyers had accused McNamee last week of being untrustworthy and intent on targeting Clemens, for whom the former trainer worked while Clemens pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees.

McNamee says he injected Clemens with anabolic steroids and human growth hormone from 1998 to 2001.

Pettitte testified two weeks ago that Clemens told him in 1999 or 2000 he had used human growth hormones, but under subsequent questioning by defense lawyers he said he was "50-50," or unsure about his recollection - making McNamee's testimony more important to the prosecution.

Clemens is being tried for a second time on federal charges of lying in 2008 to the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which was investigating drug use in baseball. His first trial ended in a mistrial last year.

The trial is already expected to take until June 8.