Albert Pujols sued Jack Clark on Friday over comments on a local radio show accusing the three-time NL MVP of using steroids.
The lawsuit between former Cardinals stars was filed in Circuit Court in
St. Louis County, where Clark lives. It seeks unspecified damages and
asks for a determination and declaration that Clark's statements are
false.
The petition says Pujols' "character and reputation are impeccable and
beyond reproach" while Clark is "a struggling radio talk show host" who
was chasing ratings in the first week his new show was on the air.
Pujols starred for the Cardinals from 2001-11, then left to sign a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
The lawsuit came one day after three-time AL MVP Alex Rodriguez sued
Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig in New York for alleged
interference with his current and prospective business deals. Rodriguez
has a $275 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees, the
only baseball deal larger than Pujols' agreement.
Clark played for the Cardinals from 1985-87. He made the comments on
Aug. 2 on WGNU-AM radio's "The King and the Ripper Show," saying he knew
"for a fact" that Pujols used steroids and performance enhancing drugs.
Clark and his co-host on the program, Kevin Slaten, were fired a week
later, and the station's owner broadcast a lengthy apology and posted
similarly contrite statements on its website. The lawsuit does not name
the radio station or Slaten as defendants.
A four-time All-Star who played 18 seasons for five teams, Clark was the
Los Angeles Dodgers' hitting coach from 2001-03. He said on the air
that Pujols' personal trainer Chris Mihlfeld disclosed that he "shot up"
the young player and also offered Clark steroids. Mihlfeld, who also
worked for the Dodgers at the time and first met Pujols as his junior
college coach, has publicly denied those accusations. The suit
references a Mihlfeld statement that Clark's allegations are "simply not
true."
The lawsuit says Clark's comments are lies that have damaged Pujols'
reputation, causing him humiliation, mental anguish and anxiety. It
calls the statements "malicious, reckless and outrageous falsehoods" and
said Clark's firing and the show's cancellation don't go far enough.
"Cutting Clark off at the microphone will not undo the harm to Pujols' reputation caused by Clark," the suit says.
On Aug. 10, Clark tweeted: "I completely stand by the story I told 8
days ago about conversations 13 years ago w/ Mihlfeld. He will never
admit it."
Clark's attorney, Chet Pleban, said he had not yet seen the lawsuit but
Clark "looks forward to having his day in court and having 12 unbiased,
impartial people decide the issues."
"And we'll certainly look forward to the discovery process, that will include depositions and the like," he said.
