His stellar reputation shattered by an alleged drunken-driving crash that killed a hardworking mother, former Yankee slugger Jim Leyritz remained secluded in his Florida home Sunday, distressed and desperate for a good lawyer. With his worried parents, children and ex-wife Karrie providing comfort, Leyritz privately contemplated his spiral from pinstripes to the possibility of serving 15 years in prison stripes. "He was very down and distraught," Leyritz's agent Andrew Levy told the Daily News Sunday after speaking with Leyritz. "This whole thing hasn't settled in yet." Levy said that because of the holidays, Leyritz, who faces charges of manslaughter and drunken driving, has been unable to hire a lawyer. "He's just focused on securing an attorney," Levy said. "Christmas and New Year's, it's not the easiest time. He's taking one thing at a time, and he's at home with his family." Released on $11,000 bail, the one-time World Series hero has yet to speak publicly about the crash early Friday morning in Fort Lauderdale that killed 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch, a mother of two.

Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens' former trainer, has added another attorney to his legal team and could file a defamation suit against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, according to The New York Times in its Saturday edition. Richard D. Emery, a prominent New York lawyer, told the newspaper he has been asked by the lawyer for McNamee to assist in defending McNamee against allegations that he lied to former Sen. George Mitchell's investigators about Clemens' use of steroids and human growth hormone. McNamee's lawyer Earl Ward told the Times he recruited Emery because of his experience in libel and defamation cases.

Former Major League Baseball player Jim Leyritz was arrested Friday on charges of driving under the influence and killing another driver after his vehicle crashed into hers. Leyritz, who turned 44 on Thursday, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage, said Detective Kathy Collins, Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman. Police believe alcohol was involved in the crash, though investigators are awaiting results of blood alcohol tests, Collins said. He posted the $11,000 bond and was released from the Broward County jail at 2:35 P.M. on Friday, according to Keyla Concepcion, a public information officer for the Broward Sheriff's Office. It could not be determined whether Leyritz who lives in Davie had a lawyer.

Rep. Christopher Shays, a member of a congressional panel probing the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, said Thursday there is little to be gained by calling players to testify at hearings scheduled for next month. "If we went back to every player, we would have to do research every morning, noon and night," Shays, R-Conn., said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "There's no way in my judgment we're going to be able to focus on the past. Only a real court can do that in my judgment." The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has scheduled a Jan. 15 hearing featuring former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, author of the recent report linking more than 80 baseball players -- including seven MVPs and 31 All-Stars -- to the illegal use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Commissioner Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, also are scheduled to attend.

Roger Clemens' lead attorney told The New York Times that his firm is launching its own investigation into allegations the seven-time Cy Young winner used steroids and human growth hormone. "We are convinced the conclusions in Mitchell's report are wrong and are investigating the findings ourselves," Rusty Hardin told The Times. "At this stage we have uncovered a lot of logical people who we thought Mitchell was going to talk to but never talked to him or his investigators. That's troubling." Hardin declined to tell The Times the names of the individuals he was referring to. Clemens will tell his side of the story in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview with Mike Wallace that will air Jan. 6. Hardin told The Times that Clemens will answer other reporters' questions after that interview.

The Yankees did accomplish something this year: they lowered their luxury tax for the second straight season. The Yankees were hit with a tax bill of $23.88 million by MLB in a notice sent to teams late Friday, pushing them over the $100 million mark since the penalty for profligate spending was introduced in 2003. The only other club that must pay the competitive-balance tax, as it is formally known, is the World Series' champion Red Sox, who owe $6.06 million. Checks are due at the commissioner's office by January 31.

A day after being linked to drugs in baseball, former pitcher Allen Watson denied the allegation. Watson was among nine players accused of doping by former pitcher Jason Grimsley in a federal agent's affidavit unsealed Thursday. "I at no time over my professional baseball career used steroids or any performance-enhancing drugs. Not then, not now, not ever," Watson said Friday in a statement released by his agent Tony Giordano. Watson, now 37, was 51-55 with a 5.03 ERA from 1993-2000. The lefty pitched for St. Louis, San Francisco, the Angels, the New York Mets, Seattle and the New York Yankees.

Former All-Star pitcher Matt Keough remained jailed Friday, four days after he was arrested for violating his parole by binge drinking at a hotel bar. Keough's probation on a drunken driving charge was revoked at a court hearing Friday, and he was ordered held without bail in the Orange County jail, the district attorney's office said. His scheduled arraignment was postponed to Jan. 14.

Barry Bonds told a judge Friday that he wants two top-notch Bay Area defense lawyers to head his legal team even though they previously represented potential witnesses against the slugger. Bonds, who is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury about his steroid use, appeared briefly in U.S. District Court after prosecutors raised conflict-of-interest concerns about defense attorneys Allan Ruby and Cris Arguedas. Speaking softly in response to a series of questions by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, baseball's reigning home run leader said he wanted the two lawyers to represent him, even though lead attorney Ruby had earlier represented Bonds' personal surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting, and Arguedas represented former track star Tim Montgomery. Illston did not immediately rule on whether to disqualify Ruby and Arguedas and asked Bonds to file a written declaration by Jan. 4.

Barry Bonds' personal surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting is expected to be called by the government to testify against the slugger in his perjury and obstruction of justice case, according to a motion filed by the U.S. Attorney's office in Northern California. The motion also suggests that two of Bonds' lawyers have potential conflicts of interest because they represented people who testified previously before the grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO). A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Friday. Bonds is expected to attend and waive the potential conflict. Bonds was indicted Nov. 15 on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. Surrounded by a legal team of a half-dozen attorneys, the seven-time Most Valuable Player pleaded not guilty at a Dec. 7 hearing. It had been expected that Ting would be a witness, but this is the first the time the government has acknowledged the surgeon is likely to testify in the case against his client. It's unclear what information Ting could provide.