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Steroids reply ruins Clemens’ baseball legacy

28 January 2008 | By Matt Poms, Flat Hat Sports Columnist | The Flat Hat » sports

Oct. 22, 2003, Roger Clemens walked off the mound of Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Fla. to a standing ovation. He had just struck out Luis Castillo to cap a seven-inning, three-run performance in Game 4 of the World Series, and the 65,934 in attendance that evening paid tribute to the brilliance of one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. With over 300 wins, 4,000 strikeouts and a 3.12 career ERA, Clemens was expected to announce his retirement from baseball after the Fall Classic, putting aside his extreme competitiveness to return to an idyllic life on his Texas ranch.

Flash forward to 2008. The year would likely have been a good one for the Rocket had he chosen to retire after the 2003 World Series. This summer, he would surely be elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot. However, that same insatiable desire to win at all costs that turned Clemens into the best pitcher of his generation has since led him down an almost totally divergent path. 2008 has not brought fresh accolades and contentment to the Rocket; instead it has turned into his own personal hell.

Clemens, of course, did not choose retirement after the 2003 season, shocking the baseball world by leaving the New York Yankees to pitch for his hometown Astros, signing an exorbitant deal that allowed him time off to spend with his family between starts. For the next several years, he pitched as well as ever. As long as he produced sterling ERAs well south of the three runs per game line, teams would vie for his services despite the unusual circumstances. This past season he returned to the Yankees, leading the Bronx Bombers into the postseason against long odds.

However, in December his career and legacy were forever altered with the long-awaited unveiling of the Mitchell Report, the findings of U.S. Senator George Mitchell’s investigative panel on the abuse of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. In the document, to the surprise of many, Clemens was named 82 times and accused of periodic steroid usage after his 1996 departure from the Boston Red Sox. These allegations touched off an ensuing firestorm of angry press conferences and bizarre events that will haunt Clemens forever.

Several days after the release of the report, Clemens issued a statement through his lawyer categorically denying the claims of his longtime friend and trainer, Brian McNamee. He insisted that he had no prior knowledge of the accusations and was blindsided by a slanderous acquaintance seeking to avoid jail time by giving prosecutors a juicy story. Clemens filed a defamation lawsuit against McNamee Jan. 7.

Later, the saga took a bizarre turn as Clemens and his lawyer released a phone conversation between Clemens and McNamee taped Jan. 4 without McNamee’s knowledge. Several days later, Congress announced that congressional hearings regarding the Mitchell Report would take place and invited Clemens and McNamee to testify. After much hedging, Clemens agreed to a private deposition regarding the matter and, when the hearing commences on Feb. 13, he would be wise to come clean with what he knows, lest he end up in jail for perjury. The federal prosecution of Marion Jones and Barry Bonds has unquestionably signaled the government’s desire to play hardball regarding the matter.

Regardless of the results of the Feb. 13 hearings, Clemens’ bizarre behavior in response to McNamee’s claims suggests that he is being less than forthcoming. Several inconsistencies within his defense strategy and McNamee’s steadfast desire to stick by his testimony point predominantly to the likelihood that Clemens knows much more about his potential steroid use than he is letting on. For the good of the game of baseball, the Senate hearings regarding the matter will hopefully reveal the truth. Regardless of what happens in the future, the impressive legacy of Roger Clemens, like so many others, has been forever tarnished by the stain of performance enhancing drugs.

E-mail Matt Poms at mbpoms@wm.edu

  1. Matt Poms says that if Roger Clemens retired in 2003 he would have been inducted into the Hall this year. Not true. He would have been placed on the ballot at the end of this year and a month later writers would have voted whether or not he should be in. Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn retired in 2001 and were put in the Hall last year, 2007, on the first ballot.


    — CK    Jan 29, 07:39 PM    #

  2. Players retiring in 2003 will be eligible to be placed on the ballot in November of this year. However, you are correct that the actual voting will not take place until January 2009. My apologies.


    — Matt Poms    Jan 30, 08:58 PM    #

  3. Rodger clemens stated at a press conference that he does not care about being elected into the baseball hall of fame . To me that stats that all he cared about is the money and greed of being a great baseball player. instead of playing for the love of the game. Also, in the frame of mind of the statment shows that Mr. Clemens was taking enhanceing performancing drugs by making that statement. If i were a major league baseball player it would be a dream come true to be considered to be in the major league baseball hall of fame. Shame on you Rodger Clemens for not caring about the hall of fame regardless of you taking enchancing performance drugs or not. Which I believe you were!


    — greg statz    Feb 9, 11:16 PM    #