Rafael Palmeiro is sticking to his story that a tainted vitamin shot caused his failed drug test five years ago, and hopes Hall of Fame voters will overlook the mistake and honor him for his 3,020 hits and 569 home runs.
A week before the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announces its inductees to baseball’s Hall of Fame, Palmeiro told in a telephone interview posted Wednesday that he never used performance-enhancing drugs in his 20-year career. As he asserted in 2005 after he was suspended for failing a test, Palmeiro again insisted the anabolic steroid was in a B-12 vial given to him by Baltimore Orioles teammate Miguel Tejada.
“I was telling the truth then and I am telling the truth now,” Palmeiro said. “I don’t know what else I can say. I have never taken steroids.
“For people who think I took steroids intentionally, I’m never going to convince them. But I hope the voters judge my career fairly and don’t look at one mistake.”
One of only four players in big- league history with 500 homers and 3,000 hits, Palmeiro’s once certain election to the Hall is in jeopardy.
Baseball voters have denied Mark McGwire, 10th on the career list with 583 home runs, four times and his election seems unlikely — McGwire received only 23.7 percent of the votes last year and 75 percent is needed.
NCAA: No favoritism.
The NCAA defended its recent rulings in violations cases involving Ohio State and Auburn, saying it does not play favorites or make decisions based on financial considerations.
The NCAA posted a statement on its website Wednesday responding to its critics. It says “the notion that the NCAA is selective with its eligibility decisions and rules enforcement is another myth with no basis in fact.
“Money is not a motivator or factor as to why one school would get a particular decision versus another. Any insinuation that revenue from bowl games in particular would influence NCAA decisions is absurd, because schools and conferences receive that revenue, not the NCAA.”
Last week, the NCAA suspended five Ohio State football players for five games next season — but allowed them to play in the upcoming Sugar Bowl against Arkansas.
Predators claim Svatos
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators claimed former Avalanche forward Marek Svatos off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
Svatos has played in 316 NHL games, all with Colorado between 2003 and 2010.
The 5-foot-8, 187-pound right wing started this season in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League before signing a one-year deal with the Blues on Tuesday.
• The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Trevor Daley to a six-year contract extension worth $19.8 million.
The deal is worth $3.5 million in each of the first four years before dropping to $3.1 million in 2015-16 and $2.7 million in 2016-17.
• Forward Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks’ second- leading scorer with 33 points, will be out two weeks because of a shoulder injury.
