Clemens issues an apology for mistakes in personal life

Roger Clemens apologized Monday for unspecified mistakes in his personal life, a statement Brian McNamee’s lawyers intend to use to attack the pitcher’s credibility at trial.

The New York Daily News reported last week that Clemens had a decade-long relationship with country star Mindy McCready that began when she was 15 and an aspiring singer. The newspaper also linked the seven-time Cy Young Award winner to former Manhattan bartender Angela Moyer and Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of champion golfer John Daly.

Clemens denied having an affair with a 15-year-old but didn’t specifically address whether he had a romance with McCready.

“Even though these articles contain many false accusations and mistakes, I need to say that I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry,” Clemens said in a statement issued by spokesman Patrick Dorton. “I have apologized to my family and apologize to my fans. Like everyone, I have flaws. I have sometimes made choices which have not been right.”

McNamee, Clemens’ former trainer, accused the pitcher in December’s Mitchell Report of using performance-enhancing drugs before players and owners agreed to ban them from baseball.

Clemens has repeatedly denied using steroids and human growth hormone and tried to draw a distinction between McNamee’s allegations and the Daily News reports.

“I believe my personal life has nothing to do with the accusations of steroid and HGH use,” Clemens said. “I have already made clear that I did not use them.”

SOCCER

Chivas USA’s Vaughn is sidelined

Chivas USA’s scoreless tie against Houston on Saturday night was costly, as the club will be without the services of injured defender Lawson Vaughn for four to six weeks.

Vaughn required surgery Sunday to repair his broken nose, and needed 32 stitches for his cut right cheek. He was kicked in the face in the ninth minute by Houston midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, who was attempting a bicycle kick.

-- Lisa Dillman

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Chelsea sent the English Premier League title race to the final day of the season, beating Newcastle, 2-0, at Newcastle, England.

Manchester United (26-5-6) and Chelsea (25-3-9) each have 84 points with one game remaining.

TENNIS

Canas wins to set up match with Federer

Roger Federer’s first match at the Rome Masters will come against a player who has given him all sorts of trouble -- Guillermo Canas.

Canas rallied past Gianluca Naso, 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2, to set up a clay-court meeting with Federer, who had a first-round bye.

Canas has won three of his five meetings with Federer.

The tournament began with an upset when ninth-seeded Richard Gasquet lost to Luis Horna, 6-4, 6-1, in the first match on center court.

FOOTBALL

Steelers’ Mendenhall is robbed in Chicago

Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall was robbed at gunpoint along the Chicago lakefront, his mother and agent said. The former running back was not hurt in the robbery, during which two people stole Mendenhall’s wallet and cellphone.

Police spokesman John Mirabelli said a man and a woman were robbed at the lakefront by two offenders but declined to identify the victims. No one was in custody for the crime, he said.

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Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson says officers used excessive force against him and plans to fight charges he operated a boat while intoxicated and resisted arrest on a Texas lake over the weekend.

Benson is scheduled to appear in Travis County Court on May 19 to face charges.

UCLA quarterback Ben Olson will have a screw inserted in his right foot today to help his broken fifth metatarsal heal, school officials announced. Olson, who was injured in practice April 24, is expected to be sidelined at least six weeks.

Bruins defensive tackle Kevin Brown has signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks after participating in a team minicamp.

-- Chris Foster

MISCELLANY

Daims is elected president of the CIF

Heather Daims, principal at Los Angeles Contreras, has been elected the 27th president of the California Interscholastic Federation. She will oversee the state’s Federated Council, which is the governing body for state high school sports, for two years.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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Minnesota Wild prospect Julien Sprunger scored two power-play goals to lead Switzerland to a 2-1 win over Belarus at the World Hockey Championship at Quebec City, Canada.

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A federal judge in Norfolk, Va., postponed until today a bond hearing for former track star Tim Montgomery on heroin distribution charges.

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Former Times sports columnist John Hall will be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame on June 21 at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City.