Knoblauch subpoenaed after he failed to respond to invite

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WASHINGTON -- Four-time All-Star Chuck Knoblauch was subpoenaed Tuesday by a congressional committee investigating steroids in baseball after he failed to respond to an invitation to give a deposition.

Knoblauch, who played for the Yankees, Twins and Royals, was asked to appear Thursday, the first of five depositions or transcribed interviews scheduled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee prior to its Feb. 13 hearing.

Knoblauch

Roger Clemens was asked to speak to committee staff Saturday, followed by Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte on Jan. 30. Brian McNamee, a former personal trainer for Clemens and Pettitte, is due in Jan. 31, with former New York Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski asked to appear Feb. 1.

They all had until close of business Tuesday to respond to their invitations; Knoblauch's deadline was last Friday.

"The committee has taken this step because Mr. Knoblauch failed to respond to the invitation to participate voluntarily in a deposition or transcribed interview and the Feb. 13 hearing," committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis said in a statement.

As of Tuesday, the House panel had at least made contact, if not actually scheduled interviews, with all four other witnesses or their representatives, a senior committee staffer told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because staff members were not authorized to discuss details of the deposition process.

Lawyers for Clemens and McNamee have said their clients will appear.

"We've been talking. They're not issuing any subpoenas for Brian," said Richard Emery, one of McNamee's attorneys.

It was not clear whether Knoblauch had retained a lawyer to represent him.

"I haven't talked to Chuck in a number of years," his last listed agent with the players' association, Randy Hendricks, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Hendricks represents Clemens and Pettitte.

In last month's Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone in 1998, 2000 and 2001, accusations the seven-time Cy Young Award winner has denied. McNamee also alleged Pettitte used HGH, and Pettitte acknowledged McNamee injected him twice while the pitcher was recovering from an injury.

McNamee also told Mitchell that he acquired HGH from Radomski for Knoblauch in 2001 and injected Knoblauch with HGH. Knoblauch also was among nine players accused of doping in a federal agent's affidavit citing former major league pitcher Jason Grimsley.

Knoblauch was an infielder who won the AL Rookie of the Year award with the Minnesota Twins in 1991 and played in the majors until 2002. His time with the Yankees overlapped McNamee's.

All the allegations are for conduct that occurred before September 2002, when players and owners jointly banned steroids.

McNamee has said he obtained performance-enhancing drugs from Radomski, who has pleaded guilty to distributing steroids and laundering money. Radomski's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 8.

Also, lawyers for players and owners are trying to arrange a bargaining session for late next week to discuss recommendations in the Mitchell report. Mitchell suggested that drug testing be more independent.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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