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KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Hes no longer the home run king, but hes still the Hammer. Hank Aaron hobbled into Atlantas spring training camp on Tuesday - he needs knee-replacement surgery - with no opinion on whether Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, but saying hes confident baseball is on the way to recovering from the Steroids Era. "I think baseball is trying to clean up its act," Aaron said, sitting in the Braves dugout during batting practice. "Its unfortunate for baseball, but baseball has been through some tough times. It went through the White Sox scandal and survived. It went through a lot of things and survived. Its going to survive this, too." Like many baseball fans, Aaron tuned in when the Mitchell Report was released, and he was in front of the television set again for Roger Clemens testimony before Congress last week, when the seven-time Cy Young Award winner denied using human growth hormone as alleged by his former trainer. "Im glad it happened, and Im glad it happened before spring training, before the season started," Aaron said. "We can get it over and done with. Youll see. When the season starts, well again be drawing fans. People will come out to watch these kids play." He declined to say whether he found Clemens testimony believable, taking the same tact he consistently followed when similar charges were levelled against Barry Bonds, the guy who broke the Hammers long ball record last season. "Only Roger can answer to that," Aaron said. "I cant answer to that. I cant say what happened." He did seem to take a poke at Clemens by bringing up Andy Pettitte, the Rockets good friend and former teammate. Pettitte has admitted using HGH and claimed under oath that Clemens revealed in private conversations nearly a decade ago that he used it, too. Reporting to the Yankees camp on Monday, Pettitte apologized for his mistakes and admitted his revelations about Clemens put a strain on their relationship. Aaron praised Pettitte for his honesty and sent a signal that other players should follow suit. "He told the truth and got it over with," Aaron said. "He didnt lie, and that was it." If Bonds and Clemens are done playing, theyll be eligible for the Hall of Fame in five years. Before the drug allegations came to light, both were shoe-ins. Now, there are no sure things. Aaron, who was elected to Cooperstown on a nearly unanimous vote in 1982, wouldnt say if Clemens and Bonds deserved the same honor. "I have no idea. I dont vote," Aaron said. "If they join me, thats fine. If they dont, well, I dont make the decision on that." Hes not sure if the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs was the sole reason for the dramatic rise in homers during the 1990s. The main problem, Aaron said, was the impression it made on Americas youth, reflected in the troubling number of high school athletes now looking for any edge they can get. "If somebody can tell where it says if you take steroids it will help you hit a baseball, I wish they would tell me," he said. "I dont think it does. I just dont know what it does. The only thing it does is send a bad message to the kids. I dont want your kids or my kids or any other kids out there using steroids." After the Braves were sold to Liberty Media Group last year, Aaron was supposed to take on a more prominent role beyond his largely ceremonial duties as senior vice president. Indeed, he shed much of his business empire, including a chain of auto dealerships, to spend more time around the team. Still, Aaron made it clear that hes not a major player in the organization, serving mainly as an adviser to chairman Terry McGuirk. "I dont want to be classified as doing much of anything," Aaron said with a smile. "Im just trying to help Terry McGuirk. Hes a businessman, and sometimes he asks me questions pertinent to baseball. Thats all." Still, Aarons presence was enough to cause quite a stir in the Braves clubhouse. Plenty of players reverently approached the man who hit 755 career homers, just to say hello and shake his hand. "Hes the best," said pitcher John Smoltz, who has played his entire career in Atlanta. "And hes one of ours. That makes it even more special." Dressed casually in a Cuban-style shirt and khaki pants, Aarons most pressing priority is taking care of his ailing right knee, which finally succumbed to his long career on the field and active post-retirement lifestyle. He struggles to get around, and his wife is trying to set up a date for knee-replacement surgery. "Its bone on bone," he said. "I dont know when Im going to do it, but I am." Even with the pain in his knee, Aaron relishes being at spring training, especially on a day when he got to watch both Tom Glavine and Tim Hudson take the mound, marvelling at them from behind the safety of the batting cage. "If I had to take batting practice against guys like Hudson and Glavine, I think I would take a rain check. They would have put me in a slump," Aaron quipped. "But baseball is baseball. I enjoy coming out to watch the kids practice. We did basically the same thing, but maybe it was a little bit tougher in my day because we did a little more running." Any lingering regrets about surrendering his home run record to Bonds? Not in the least. "I held it long enough," Aaron said. "I had it for 33 years. Hey, why not pass the torch on to someone else? It doesnt bother me." cheap jerseys . No one in the Toronto Raptors organization is pretending that this is anything but that. wholesale nfl jerseys . Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Smith averaged 2.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1. http://www.nflcheapwholesalejerseyschina.com/ . Randell has been banned 10 games for his hit to the head of Owen Sound Attack centre Artur Gavrus in Game 1 of their first-round series. The Rangers right-winger blindsided Gavrus with an elbow just inside the Kitchener zone late in the first period Friday. cheap nfl jerseys from china . Instead, he got his walking papers. Summoned to a meeting by team president Rod Thorn, Brand learned earlier this month the Sixers would use their one-time amnesty provision in the new CBA to let him go. nfl Jerseys wholesale .A. Dickey was concerned with only one number after befuddling another team with his knuckleball. ATLANTA -- Ben Sheets is ready to return to the majors for the first time in two years. Capping a long comeback from elbow surgery, the former Milwaukee ace will start for the Atlanta Braves on Sunday against the New York Mets. "Everythings working," Sheets said Thursday. "Everythings feeling great. Ive been throwing the ball good. Keep making good pitches, youll get outs." Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez liked what he saw from Sheets during a bullpen session before Atlantas off-day workout at Turner Field. "I wasnt watching anything other than that he felt good and all of a sudden, Oh, my shoulders sore or my arms sore," Gonzalez said. "But he was fine and threw some pretty good curveballs." The Braves will make a roster move before Sheets first big league start since he and the Oakland Athletics lost 2-1 to Boston on July 19, 2010. After that start, Sheets landed on the disabled list for the seventh time in his career, undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and torn elbow ligament. Atlanta signed Sheets, who turns 34 next Wednesday, to a minor league contract on July 1. He made two starts for Double-A Mississippi, going 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in 10 2-3 innings. In eight seasons with Milwaukee and one with Oakland, the right-hander is 90-92 with a 3.79 ERA in 241 career starts. Gonzalez hopes Sheets can go five innings Sunday, but does not want him to surpass about 88 pitches. "Hes really, really pumped up about pitching again," Gonzalez said. "You dont always get a second chance, and I think him two years of not pitching and then getting a little taste of it, I think is going to be good."t; Sheets expects to feel some anxiety before making his Atlanta debut.dddddddddddd "Its always nerves, man," he said. "Its always going to be nerves no matter where youre coming from or where youve been." The Braves rotation has been in flux since Brandon Beachy tore a ligament in his right elbow and underwent season-ending surgery on June 25. Jair Jurrjens is 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA since returning from a demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, but Randall Delgado and Mike Minor have struggled with inconsistency. Tim Hudson, who pitches opposite Mets right-hander Chris Young on Friday night, has had two cortisone shots to relieve the pain from bone spurs in his left ankle. His second shot was July 6 after his 5-0 win at Philadelphia. "I feel really good about it," Hudson said. "It feels better than it has since this whole process started with my ankle. Its pretty close to 100 per cent. Ive just got to stay on top of it and keep it that way." Gonzalez said general manager Frank Wren continues to look for ways to improve the club, which is four games behind first-place Washington in the NL East, a half-game ahead of the Mets. Atlanta lost rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons to a broken right little finger in Sundays 4-3 victory at Philadelphia. Gonzalez indicated that Jack Wilson will start in Simmons place on Friday, but the Braves might call up rookie Tyler Pastornicky from Triple-A Gwinnett, too. Pastornicky hit .248 with a homer and 12 RBIs in 45 games with the Braves early this season, but his seven errors convinced Atlanta to demote him and call up Simmons on June 1. ' ' '
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