New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, right, hugs catcher Jorge Posada. Pettitte talked about his use of HGH on Monday in Tampa, Fla.

Andy Pettitte and Eric Gagne each issued apologies, and they couldn’t have sounded more different. Curt Schilling talked about following Boston’s advice regarding his bad shoulder, but worried it might end his career.

Pettitte arrived at spring training Monday and repeatedly took the blame for using human growth hormone, saying he’d set a terrible example. Whether he upset Roger Clemens is anyone’s guess – they haven’t spoken in more than a month.

“Obviously it’s put a strain, I think, on our friendship,” Pettitte said at the New York Yankees’ camp in Tampa, Fla.

At Phoenix, Gagne said he was sorry that he’d caused “a distraction that shouldn’t be taking place” for his new Milwaukee Brewers teammates.

Gagne said he felt “bad” for what his family and friends went through in the offseason and lauded baseball for its efforts to deal with performance-enhancing drugs.

Identified in the Mitchell Report as an HGH user, the 32-year-old closer declined to answer questions and never addressed the specific accusations against him. Gagne acknowledged the Mitchell Report only once, in a separate statement in French to three Canadian media outlets.

At Fort Myers, Fla., Schilling spoke for the first time about his desire to have surgery on his ailing right shoulder, and his subsequent decision to honor Boston’s preference for rehab.

“I don’t have any choice. If their course of action doesn’t work I don’t pitch this year, and I may never pitch again,” Schilling said. “I have to mentally get behind it and do everything I can do to make it work.”

Pettitte spent nearly an hour explaining why he took HGH and his role in corroborating HGH allegations against Clemens.

“I felt like I need to come out, be forward with this,” Pettitte said. “Whatever circumstances or repercussions come with it, I’ll take and I’ll take like a man and I’ll try to do my job.”

Other baseball players have ducked tough questions about allegations of drug use, using evasions and nonspecific replies. Pettitte admitted his mistakes and several times patiently asked reporters “did I answer your question?”

Pettitte went into far greater detail than most accused athletes have about their transgressions.

“I know that once I have this press conference and talk to everybody about this and share everything with you, I think the truth will set you free,” Pettitte said. “I think I’m going to be able to sleep a lot better at night once all this gets by.”