Ah the delicate and over used subject of steroids in baseball has reared it's ugly head once again. This time the boogieman has returned with a vengeance. Former Senator George Mitchell has pinned the tail on the donkey by naming more names in his report than Jose Canseco could remember to put in his book. Unfortunately the real jackass with a bow and a tail hanging from his behind is one of the games most heralded superstars, Roger Clemens.
Since the report came out there has been no refute of the accusations made by George Mitchell. Except of course the very angry and public comments made by the lone-star pitcher. Clemens is trying to make a case of his innocents, but really the only progress made in the situation is Roger casing himself.
Say it ain't so Rog, say it ain't so. Please tell me you did not call your former trainer (the guy who was willing to set you up the first time) and then play the phone call on national television. You got cased Rocket! They guy saw right through you and repeatedly tried to finish the job by setting you up on bribe charges. Please tell me you did not stand on that same press conference platform and use profanities about a rat's posterior when the press did not buy your lame attempts to spin the blame. Please tell me Rocket, tell me you did not go on "60 Minutes" and talk about having a third ear on your forehead because of steroids! Are you serious!? Do you really think anyone is buying this garbage about people doing steroids to look good in a suit standing in the hotel lobby?
Here is "The BottomLine" Roger Clemens is arguably the greatest pitcher to ever play the game of baseball, but he may join the small and illustrious group of the greatest players in history to be held out of the Hall of Fame. The group currently consists of the two greatest players in history. Welcome to the club that consists of the all-time, home-run king in Barry Bonds and Pete Rose who is arguably the greatest all-around player in history. Now the greatest statistical pitcher in the big league record-books is about to become a card carrying member of the club that nobody else wants to join.
If Clemens is innocent he has truly gone about this all wrong. If you act guilty you are guilty in the court of public opinion. The judge and jury is not congress Roger. You are barking up the wrong tree. The real case needs to be made to the public, the baseball fans, the writers. You have got to find a way to be in the public as part of the public. You went from everyone thinking of you as the John Wayne of baseball to being the rat that everyone smells. Comments regarding not caring what the public or the baseball writers think, and saying you don't give a rat's behind about the hall of fame does nothing but give you the image of a self absorbed "meist" that only cares about himself and not the things that are revered in the game that made you who you are. The picture painted here shows Roger Clemens as a guy selfish enough to have done steroids to make his money and gain his fame without regard to who or what he hurts in the process. I mean he doesn't care what they think anyway.
Maybe it's time to turn on a radio and listen to what people are saying about you Roger. Maybe you will see that people want to believe you, but you are making it impossible for them to do so. Maybe, just maybe you could go about this honestly. The public might just "Roger That" big fella.
