In book, ‘Pudge’ denies steroid use

Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, unequivocally denies in his new book, “They Call Me Pudge,” that he ever used steroids.

“Let’s make that as crystal clear as possible — I never took steroids,” Rodriguez writes in the first chapter titled “Hall of Fame and Clearing the Air.” “If anyone says differently, they are lying.”

The book, which he co-wrote with Jeff Sullivan, will be released Aug. 1 but is already available for purchase online.

Before declaring he never took steroids, Rodriguez reminds readers that he has never avoided answering the questions, especially when he lost 25 pounds before the 2005 season, which was right after Jose Canseco’s explosive book “Juiced” had been released.

Canseco claims in his book that he personally injected steroids via hypodermic needle into teammates Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Rodriguez after being traded to the Rangers in 1992.

Rodriguez says he lost the weight because of an intense training program his longtime personal trainer Edgar Diaz had him on and the lack of an appetite while going through a divorce from his first wife.

“Looking back, I was probably depressed,” Rodriguez writes. “I wasn’t eating well (and) not getting the protein I needed.”

Rodriguez was signed by the Rangers at 16 out of Puerto Rico and made his major-league debut in 1991. He was a 14-time All-Star and the 1999 American League MVP and holds a slew of records for catchers, including games caught, putouts, hits, doubles, runs and at-bats.

He’ll be inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines.