The Albert Pujols on steroids allegation has been vehemently denied by the superstar Los Angeles Angels first baseman. And he’s apparently taking his accuser to court.
In a statement released through his agent, Pujols asserted that “I’ve said time and time again that I would never take, or even consider taking, anything illegal.”
Pujols has plans to sue former MLB slugger Jack Clark (and the radio station for whom Clark used to work) for claiming that he used performance-enhancing drugs . The station fired Clark this morning.
Clark was just in his first week as a talk show host on WGNU in St. Louis when he reportedly said on the air that “I know for a fact [Pujols] was [a juicer]. The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that’s what he did.”
A four-time All Star, power-hitting Jack Clark played 18 years in the majors (including three with the Cardinals) and finished his career with 340 home runs before retiring in 1993. He was the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach from 2000 to 2003 where he became acquainted with Pujols’ former trainer.
The personal trainer in question, Chris Mihlfeld, however, insists that he never said anything to Jack Clark about Pujols using steroids and that Clark’s statements “are simply not true.” Mihlfeld added, according to NBC Sports , that after knowing the superstar for 15 years, he’s convinced Albert would never use illegal drugs of any kind.
Albert Pujols released a statement about his planned lawsuit against Jack Clark.
“I am currently in the process of taking legal action against Jack Clark and his employers at WGNU 920AM. I am going to send a message that you cannot act in a reckless manner, like they have, and get away with it. If I have to be the athlete to carry the torch and pave the way for other innocent players to see that you can do something about it, I am proud to be that person. I have five young children and I take being a role model very seriously. The last thing I want is for the fans, and especially the kids out there, to question my reputation and character.”
Pujols, 33, added that he has never taken any illegal drug and has been tested hundreds of times throughout his MLB career.
In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch , Clark also leveled PED accusations against other MLB stars. “They got the money, that’s what they went for. But when they get off the juice and that stuff’s not around, their body starts breaking (down) and obviously you start seeing some results going away… the greed… they juice up, they grab the money, and it’s just a free pass to steal is the way I look at it.”
Pujols played 11 years with the Cardinals before changing leagues and joining the Angels when he reached free agency. His 10-year contract with the Angels is worth around $250 million. He is currently on the disabled list with a foot injury. Albert Pujols has a career batting average of.321 with about 2,300 hits, nearly 1,500 RBI, and is just shy of 500 home runs.