I'm Not Gonna Talk About Steroids

I will not be covering the Roger Clemens saga, like many other Yankee blogs. I'm not sure if Roger used, and right now, I really don't care. He's probably done playing baseball, so what does it matter? We can't change what has already happened. Why Congress has to get involved, I will never understand, but this whole thing has really become ridiculous.

McNamee Meets With Congress

Brian McNamee spoke in front of congress today, and gave evidence that he thought proves Roger Clemens' use of PEDs. He turned over vials, syringes and gauze pads to the feds. Earl Ward, his lawyer, said "This is evidence the government has that we believe will corroborate Brian in every significant way." The vials are said to contain traces of steroids and HGH, and the syringes and gauze pads are said to have Clemens' DNA on them. The syringes and gauze pads are from 2000 and 2001, and McNamee said he kept them because he feared Clemens would deny using steroids in the future. My question is, why did McNamee think that he would need to prove Clemens' use of PEDs? Was he planning on turning him in? This whole Clemens thing is beginning to get a little ridiculous.

Do Clemens' Stats Prove Anything?

Randy Hendricks, Roger Clemens' agent attempted to use his statistics to prove that he did not use steroids. He claims that Clemens' longevity is due to his ability to adjust, not due to steroids. When Clemens was first implicated, I thought that the stronger piece of evidence was that fact that he declined in his last four years in Boston, then had a career revival in Toronto. Plenty of pitchers pitch for a while: Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Curt Schilling, David Wells, etc. Some guys just get lucky. Today, after Randy Hendricks' report came out, I looked a little more closely at the statistics, and now I feel that they may not be so incriminating.

In Clemens' last four years in Boston (1993-96), when he allegedly declined, he really was not that bad. Actually, in two of those years he was downright good. In 1993, he had a 4.46 ERA (104 ERA+). This was his worst of those four years, but there is a logical explanation. In the two years previous to that one, he pitched 271.1 and 246.2 innings respectively. This down year could have been due to fatigue. Another possibility is bad luck. FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) takes the luck out of ERA, and his 1993 FIP was 3.90- not bad at all.

The next year, '94, Rocket posted a 2.85 ERA (177 ERA+ 3.69 FIP). Not a down year.

In 1995, Clemens posted a 4.18 ERA (116 ERA+ 4.29 FIP). Not a very good year, but Clemens made just 23 starts due to injury.

In 1996, Clemens had a good year again, with a 3.63 ERA (139 ERA+ 3.46 FIP). So his last four years in Boston were not bad years at all, though maybe not as good as earlier in his career, but that can be expected of someone who threw so many innings at young age.

It's true that in 1997 and 1998 Clemens was legitimately great in Toronto. He was not overly lucky, he was just dominant. Then his next two years in New York were not great, possibly because of the 499.2 IP in his two years in Toronto. Pitchers generally are not consistent year to year, which is probably a better explanation for Clemens' Boston-Toronto transition than steroids or other PEDs. There is still the issue of his longevity and of Andy Pettitte's admission, but the numbers do not incriminate him. That is not to say that he is not guilty, though.

Roger and Andy Breaking Up?

According to Entertainment Tonight Newsweek Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte's "Guy Love" was never what the media made it out to be. Pettitte was pissed off at the Rocket for the public airing of his taped phone call with accuser Brian McNamee, which accomplished little. This is what a a friend of both said on the condition of anonymity had to say about it

"They were never as close as they were made out to be, they just sort of went along with it in the media, because it was a good story."

Here is a little video I found to commemorate the gayness of these two Texans

Fan Sues Over Steroid Use

Heres the Story From The Press Association

A long-time baseball fan is suing the New York Yankees over some players' reported use of performance-enhancing drugs, saying he wants repayment for 221 US dollars (£112) in tickets and a public response from his once-beloved team.

"I look at it almost as consumer fraud," said Matthew Mitchell, 30, a Brooklyn resident who said he went to his first game at Yankee Stadium in 1984. "If I'm going to watch a baseball game, then I expect it to be the real thing."

Mr Mitchell wants to be reimbursed for tickets to five games between 2002 and 2007. They include Game 2 of the 2003 World Series, in which pitcher Andy Pettitte led the Yankees to a win.

Mr Mitchell said he filed the lawsuit chiefly because he wanted team representatives "to be forced to come down and answer my claim." A court date is set for February 20.

I was outraged when I saw this headline. Don't get me wrong, I hate steroids just as much as the FDA, and especially when Yankees are convicted, BUT THAT IS NO MEANS TO SUE YOUR FAVORITE TEAM OVER A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I am sorry that you had to see me type angry like that. My advice to the Yankees is to put this guy in the back room and send in Shelley Duncan and Cris Britton.

Chuck Knoblauch Has Nothing to Hide

Chuck Knoblauch spoke today for the first time since being named in the Mitchell Report. He said, "I have nothing to defend, I have nothing to hide at the same time." Chuck will appear before Congress next month along with Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, and hopefully will tell them the same thing.

Clemens, McNamee and Mackanin

Last night on 60 minutes, Roger Clemens told Mike Wallace he has never used steroids. He says he will tell the same thing to congress. I still do not believe his is innocent, although I hope that he is. I hope he is telling the truth and will not lie to congress. Whether he juiced or not, he is taking all the right steps to prove his innocence. In this country you are innocent until proven guilty, and Clemens has not even come close to being proven guilty, but that doesn't mean he didn't do it.
What interested me was this on Pete Abraham's blog. After Clemens asked McNamee, "Why would you say I took steroids?" McNamee responded, "What do you want me to do, Roger?" This could mean one of two things. 1)McNamee told the truth about Clemens' steroid use and is upset that he ratted out his friend but was threatened with jail time or 2)McNamee did not tell the truth but made it up to save himself from doing jail time. Whatever it is, he seems to be very upset and obviously regrets making those allegations. Now he will face a lawsuit, but may file a countersuit.

In a completely unrelated story, the Yankees have hired former Reds interim manager Pete Mackanin as a major league scout.

News And Notes

• Clemens sues McNamee for defamation- Clemens claimed the statements in the Mitchell Report were "untrue and defamatory.
• Baseball America's Top 10 Yankee Prospects- Heres the List

TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Joba Chamberlain, rhp
2. Austin Jackson, of
3. Jose Tabata, of
4. Ian Kennedy, rhp
5. Alan Horne, rhp
6. Jesus Montero, c
7. Jeff Marquez, rhp
8.Brent Gardener, of
9.Ross Ohlendorf, rhp
10.Andrew Brackman, rhp

There are also some other interesting things at Baseball America Yankee Prospects

• Clemens Press Conference-Roger Clemens is holding a live press conference on ESPN 2 now live from ESPN.com Check it Out
  

Why Can't They Just Leave Chuck Knoblauch Alone?

The witch hunt continues: First MLB went after Chuck Knoblauch, now it's Congress. Knoblauch has been called to testify before Congress, regarding his inclusion in the Mitchell Report. Other less significant players also asked to testify are Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, along with Brian McNamee and Kirk Radomski. Why is everyone so jealous of Chuck's raw skill? MLB and Congress just need to accept the fact that certain people (like Chuck and Joba) are naturally gifted and do not need steroids.

As an aside, Shane Spencer has been named hitting coach of the Padres A-ball affiliate.

Players In Mitchell Report Could Be Called To Testify

ESPN is reporting that congress could call the players named on the Mitchell report to testify.

Congress announced plans Tuesday to review the use of performance-enhancing drugs, with star-studded hearings scheduled next month and legislation to limit access to steroids and human growth hormone.

Mitchell told the Portland Press Herald in Maine that:

"My hope is that Congress will permit the players' association and the commissioner's office to review this report, to digest it, to consult with their own experts, and to work together to come up with the best possible program. And then, give them a chance to see what they can do, and at that point, take a look at it. So I hope that's what will occur,"

Mitchell's report implicated seven MVPs, 31 All-Stars and more than 80 players in all and moved the debate beyond whether baseball had a major problem with illegal steroids.

The best part is this is what Selig said in 2005:

"Did we have a major problem? No," Selig told Waxman's panel. "There is no concrete evidence of that, there is no testing evidence, there is no other kind of evidence."

I guess you were wrong Buddy boy.

Sit This One Out Rocket

Next Month Roger Clemens was going to speak to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association. Hmmm I wonder what he was going to talk about? Of course his workout regimen. Now they are having second thoughts about having Roger speak. The President of the Association had this to say:

“A dark cloud has been put over Roger’s head and 99.9 percent of the media says he’s guilty even though he says he’s innocent,” Long told the Associated Press. “That presents a problem for our association. It has to come first over a player or coach.”
(source: Pete Abe)

Update: 4:02

Roger had this to say today about performance enhancing drugs: "

"I want to state clearly and without qualification: I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, my entire life,'' Clemens said Tuesday in a statement issued through his agent, Randy Hendricks. "Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take."
(source: ESPN )

Now this quote is pretty powerful. I find it hard to believe Clemens but let's say he did take HGH or Steroids; this quote is going to come back and bite him in the ass hard. Now he is in it deep because if he is lying, and the fans will want nothing to do with him. Pettite admitted it and generally the fans still care about him. I hope Clemens is telling the truth because if not he will have hell to pay.

Insert Your Own Punchline...

Does Senator Mitchell Looke Like Darth Sidious?

No Not Really

Andy Pettite Admits to HGH Use

Andy Pettite admitted to using HGH toady, making him the first player named in the Mitchell report to admit to his use. He used it twice in 2002 to recover from an elbow injury. Andy is one of the all-time great Yankees and his admission doesn't change that. He did not use the drugs to better himself as a pitcher. Andy has always been a classy guy, and it takes a guy like him to admit to something like this. Given the doubts surrounding the reports, he could have easily denied the allegations, and most people probably would have believed him. His use doesn't take away from his legacy as a player or from the Yankees' World Series victories, as many Mets and Red Sox fans will try to argue.

George Mitchell is a LIAR

I don't know if you heard about this, but the Mitchell report came out yesterday. The report can be found here. The report named a little more than eighty names, not of which more prominent than the MAN himself, Chuck Knoblauch. However, I would like to point out that this is all based off of hearsay, and is not at all true. George Mitchell is a member of the Red Sox board and only out Chuck in there because he is jealous of his superior throwing arm and slap-hitting ability.

Chuck in all his glory