Pettitte, Knoblauch dropped from witness list before congressional committee

WASHINGTON -- Roger Clemens and his accuser, Brian McNamee, will be the main witnesses at a House hearing on the Mitchell Report after New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte and two others were dropped Monday night.

Former Clemens teammate Chuck Knoblauch and convicted steroids dealer Kirk Radomski also were dropped from the witness list for Wednesday's public session. One new witness was added Monday night: a lawyer who worked with former Senate majority leader George Mitchell to produce December's report on drugs in baseball.

But all attention will be focused on Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, and McNamee, his former personal trainer, who alleged he injected the pitcher with performance-enhancing drugs.

"I guess it's showtime, isn't it?" Clemens' lead lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said in a telephone interview.

Earl Ward, McNamee's lead lawyer, declined to comment on the changes.

McNamee said in the Mitchell Report that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Clemens' denials of those allegations drew the attention of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

With Monday's decision, Pettitte was spared the potentially difficult situation of having to deliver public testimony that could hurt the position of Clemens, a friend.

-- AP