Former right fielder David Justice will return to the air as an analyst of baseball games, according to the New York Yankees' television network, even though he was one of 86 players named in investigator George Mitchell's report last week on the use of drugs among the sport's players.
Ray Hopkins, the chief operating officer of the YES Network, said Dec. 18 that he had no reason to doubt Justice's assertions last week that he had not taken human growth hormone, as alleged in the report. He called Justice a "knowledgeable and effective" in-studio analyst.
In the report, Justice was portrayed as having purchased the growth hormone from a former clubhouse attendant of the New York Mets, Kirk Radomski; and later admitting this to a one-time strength coach for the New York Yankees, Brian McNamee.
Justice said McNamee was lying and denied ever taking drugs to improve his performance on the field.
Justice will return for his fourth year as an analyst of Yankees games carried on cable and satellite systems which are telecast by the YES Network. He participates in about 40 games a year.
Justice played for the Yankees in 2000 and 2001. He hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning of the sixth game of the American League championship series that propelled the Yankees into the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets. The Yankees won that series four games to one; it is the last World Series the Yankees have won.
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