A motion filed Monday on behalf of Clark seeks dismissal of the defamation lawsuit filed by Pujols in October. The suit followed comments Clark made on his St. Louis radio show, The King and the Ripper Show, in August. Among other things, Clark said he knew “for a fact” that Pujols was “a juicer.”
Pujols has vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
Clark and his WGNU-AM show co-host Kevin Slaten were fired within days of the comments, and the station’s owner broadcasted a lengthy apology and posted similarly contrite statements on its website. The lawsuit names Clark but does not name the radio station or Slaten.
Clark’s attorney, Albert Watkins, said Clark’s on-air comments were too vague to cause real harm to Pujols.
“You call someone a juicer. In fact, there are multiple definitions of ‘juicer,'” Watkins said. “It could mean illegal performance-enhancing drugs, legal performance-enhancing drugs.
“Simply saying that my client asserted that Mr. Pujols was a ‘juicer,’ under the law that governs defamation actions, is not enough.”
Pujols’ attorney, Martin Singer of Los Angeles, did not return a phone message seeking comment.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages that would be donated to charity and asks for a determination and declaration that Clark’s statements are false. Pujols now plays for the Los Angeles Angels but maintains a home in St. Louis County. Clark also lives in the St. Louis area.
The lawsuit said Pujols’ “character and reputation are impeccable and beyond reproach” and cites his charitable work with the Pujols Family Foundation. The suit calls calling Clark “a struggling radio talk show host” who was chasing ratings in the first week his new show was on the air when the comments were made.
Pujols, a nine-time All-Star, played for the Cardinals from 2001-11 before signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels.
Clark played for the Cardinals from 1985-87 and was a four-time All-Star.
