Throwing 'yips' led to HGH use

In his deposition to Congress, Chuck Knoblauch says he was "trying to hold onto my career."

By KEN DAVIDOFF, Newsday

Last update: February 13, 2008 - 11:04 PM

WASHINGTON - Hard-core New York Yankees fans will likely never forget the throwing problem that dominated Chuck Knoblauch's time in pinstripes. According to Knoblauch, that same issue led to his inclusion in the Mitchell Report.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee excused Knoblauch from attending Wednesday's hearing that pitted Roger Clemens against Brian McNamee. But the committee released its Feb. 1 deposition with Knoblauch upon the conclusion of the hearing, and Knoblauch, like his former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte, corroborated that he had received injections of human growth hormone from McNamee -- providing another strike against Clemens.

Committee chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., praised Knoblauch "for his cooperation and for his candor in accepting responsibility for his actions." Heading into his sixth season of retirement, Knoblauch -- the 1991 American League Rookie of the Year with the Twins, who has cut off most of his ties with baseball people -- provided a perspective on the final, painful years of his career and the illegal actions that caught Mitchell's attention.

In 2001, Knoblauch reported to Yankees spring training a month early in an attempt to overcome the throwing yips. He made little progress, and McNamee -- the club's assistant strength coach -- mentioned HGH to him.

McNamee "approached me and talked about human growth hormone and said it was a natural substance occurring in your body, and this could be of some help to you," Knoblauch said. "... Being weak and I was trying to hold onto my career, you know, I made the unfortunate decision to try it."

It had no effect, Knoblauch testified, but that didn't stop him from injecting himself with HGH while with Kansas City in 2002, which he purchased from Royals teammate Jason Grimsley -- a disclosure not in the Mitchell Report.