Attorney for Howard, Zimmerman wants PED story retracted
The attorney for Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman continues to preach his clients' innocence in the wake of an Al Jazeera report linking the major leaguers to performance-enhancing drugs, and wants the media outlet to retract allegations he claims are inaccurate.
William Burck sent a letter to Al Jazeera on Monday demanding it retract its story, according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly.
Related: Documentary links Howard, Zimmerman to doping
Both Howard and Zimmerman were named by pharmacist Charlie Sly in the documentary "The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers," as players he's supplied with the banned supplement Delta 2. Sly has since gone on to retract his claims, which were caught on hidden camera.
Al Jazeera has stuck by its story, but Burck notes the online report initially claimed Howard and Zimmerman received HGH. The copy was amended to say the substance was Delta 2, and not HGH. Burck believes, however, that Al Jazeera should be held responsible for what he deems careless reporting.
"Al Jazeera tried sneaking out a correction which acknowledges major errors in their story about our clients Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard," Burck said in a statement.
"The original defamatory 'report' connected our clients to the use of HGH, but Al Jazeera has now admitted this defamatory accusation was wholly false and unsubstantiated. Al Jazeera's acknowledgment confirms their unforgivable sloppiness and the recklessness of its publication of this false story. Al Jazeera must retract the remaining false allegations against our clients immediately."
MLB announced last week its plans to conduct a thorough investigation of the information.