Palmeiro dodges perjury charges

BALL BUZZ

Rafael Palmeiro will not be prosecuted on perjury charges after U. S. lawmakers said yesterday there isn’t enough evidence to prove he lied when he told a congressional panel under oath that he had “never used steroids” — six weeks before failing a steroid test. The investigation did not conclude whether the former Orioles slugger had actually ever used performance-enhancing substances prior to his testimony before the House Government Reform Committee.

“ We couldn’t find any evidence of steroid use prior to his testimony,” chairman Tom Davis ( RVa.) said in releasing a 44- page report. “ That’s not a finding of innocence, but it’s a finding that we could not substantiate perjury.”

Following the report’s release, Palmeiro issued a statement.

“ I am pleased that after a thorough investigation — one in which I co- operated fully — the committee has chosen to drop this matter,” he said. “I have never intentionally taken steroids and I strongly oppose the illegal use of steroids by athletes or anyone else.”

Palmeiro issued his first detailed public comments on the case Wednesday, including a possible explanation for why he might have failed the steroid test: a tainted vial of liquid B- 12 given to him by a teammate. NICE DEAL FOR D-RAY:

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed centre fielder Rocco Baldelli to a long-term contract yesterday that could be worth more than $32 million ( U. S.) over six years. The 24-year-old Baldelli is viewed as one of the keys to the D- Rays’ future, even though he missed last season with knee and elbow injuries. He hit .289 with 11 homers and 78 RBIs as a rookie in 2003 and .280 with 16 homers in 2004.