In the week leading up to the release of the Mitchell report, Brian McNamee scrambled to warn Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte they would soon be outed as drug cheats -- while at the same time portraying himself as a man who gave up the two Yankees greats only after federal investigators pressured him to cooperate with baseball's steroids probe.

Transcripts of two conversations between McNamee and representatives for Clemens and Pettitte provide new context to the strange and contentious saga that has erupted since Clemens was named in the Mitchell report on Dec. 13.

The transcripts show McNamee painting a picture of himself as a friend trying to help Clemens despite warnings from government officials and former Sen. George Mitchell's investigators not to talk to anyone before the steroids report is released

They also demonstrate that Team Clemens became aware of McNamee's claims that he had cooperated with Mitchell a full week before the report's issue. And the transcripts show Clemens' representatives probing McNamee for the extent of the evidence that exists to tie the pitcher to performance-enhancing drugs -- asking about documents, cash payments and others who might be able to corroborate McNamee's story.

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