The Sports Truth

Hey, he’s gotta do something with his time - and he’s got skills!

Dogged by allegations of HGH use and throwing Debbie Clemens under the bus (not literally, of course), the Rocket demonstrated a knack for acting during his recent appearance before Congress. Seriously, you couldn’t write better stuff.

Here’s a few movies we’d like to see Roger Clemens featured in… we think the titles are certainly appropriate and they should really roll out new editions …

Coming in 2008: Roger Clemens in Liar Liar and There Will Be Blood. 

Here’s a passionate denial from Roger Clemens about his alleged steroid use:

Do you believe him?

The Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association has removed Roger Clemens as the keynote speaker at its state convention next month, citing Clemens’ inclusion in the Mitchell Report for having allegedly taken steroids and human growth hormone from 1999-2002. The association concluded that Clemens “was an inappropriate influencer to baseball coaches and students alike.”

Ironically - and certainly not coincidental to his dismissal from the state convention - the topic of Clemens’ speech was to be “my vigorous workout, how I played so long [in professional baseball].” Considering that Clemens’ alleges that his continued success in the twilight of his career is due to his work ethic when the Mitchell Report claims it is due to steroid and human growth hormone use, it is not surprising that he will no longer be speaking.

To view the Mitchell Report click here

Roger Clemens
During the Radomski investigation, federal law enforcement officials identified Brian McNamee as one of Radomski’s customers and a possible sub-distributor. After McNamee began working for the Blue Jays in 1998, he and Clemens both lived at the Toronto Sky Dome [hotel]. McNamee and Clemens became close professionally while in Toronto, but they were not close socially or personally.

Jose Canseco was playing for the Blue Jays in 1998. On or about June 8-10, 1998, the Toronto Blue Jays played an away series with the Florida Marlins. McNamee a lunch party that Canseco hosted at his home in Miami. McNamee stated that, during this luncheon, he observed Clemens, Canseco, and another person he did not know meeting inside Canseco’s house. Canseco [said] he had numerous conversations with Clemens about the benefits of Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol and how to “cycle” and “stack” steroids. Towards the end of the road trip which included the Marlins series, or shortly after the Blue Jays returned home to Toronto, Clemens approached McNamee and, for the first time, brought up the subject of using steroids. Clemens said that he was not able to inject himself and he asked for McNamee’s help.

Later that summer, Clemens asked McNamee to inject him with Winstrol, which Clemens supplied. McNamee knew the substance was Winstrol because the vials Clemens gave him were so labeled. McNamee injected Clemens approximately four times in the buttocks over a several-week period with needles that Clemens provided. Each incident took place in Clemens’s apartment at the Sky Dome. McNamee never asked Clemens where he obtained the steroids.

During the 1998 season (around the time of the injections), Clemens showed McNamee a white bottle of Anadrol-50. Clemens told McNamee he was not using it but wanted to know more about it. McNamee told Clemens not to use it. McNamee said he took the bottle and gave it to Canseco. McNamee does not know where Clemens obtained the Anadrol-50.

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Much has been made of the tumultuous off season for the New York Yankees. Certainly we’re all aware of the A-Rod saga, but catcher Jorge Posada filed for free agency and returned, same for closer Mariano Rivera. Roger Clemens is expected to retire (again) and starting pitcher Andy Pettitte declined his option to stay with the Yankees for another year as he contemplates retirement.

Andy Pettitte keeps the Yankees in limbo as he decides his future.

Certainly not the best of off-season’s for the Bronx Bombers a sentiment Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown talks about in his column on November 19th, 2007.

Tim’s point is that the Yankees are not addressing their most pressing need: pitching. While he’s right, what do you want them to do, Tim? Sign Kyle Lohse (another Boras client, by the way)? Trade away every rookie for Johan Santana? Demand that Andy Pettitte not retire and stay with New York another year? Frankly, one of the best things they could have done for their pitching was make sure Rivera returned. Tim thinks the pitching is poor now, imagine if Rivera didn’t come back.

In typical terrible reporting fashion, Tim talks only about the problem and blames the Yankees for not addressing it without coming up with a solution of his own. The reason is, of course, there is not solution. In my opinion, the Yankees have two options. Either move one or more of the kids (Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Ian Kennedy) with Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana or stick with the aforementioned kids. The rest of the free agent pitchers out there aren’t worth paying for.

Former major leaguer Jason Grimsley outed Roger Clemens and a number of Baltimore Orioles players, including shortstop Miguel Tejada (right), as steroid users in a sworn affidavit, the Los Angeles Times reports.

In June, federal agents searched Grimsley’s home after the pitcher admitted using human growth hormone, steroids and amphetamines. Grimsley was later released by the Arizona Diamondbacks and suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball.

In a 20-page affidavit signed by IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky, the Times reports, Grimsley identified other players who had used drugs. Those names were blacked out when the document was first released.

The agent for Clemens and Andy Pettitte, who was also named by Grimsley, denied the accusations. Grimsley reportedly told investigators Clemens and Pettitte “used athletic performance-enhancing drugs.”

Also on Jason’s new list were a trio of Baltimore Orioles — Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons (below). An Orioles spokeswoman said the club had not seen the report and had no comment. Two of the players implicated in the sworn testimony promptly shot back.

“What can I do? I spent one morning last year with Grimsley,” Tejada told the Baltimore Sun prior to the Orioles’ game against the Boston Red Sox. “I mean, I already got thrown under the bus with [Rafael Palmeiro]. No, I don’t worry about that… I know that I’ve never had a problem. I know that I’ve never used that and I know I am clean.”

Gibbons denied the claims and told The Sun he has passed every test administered by baseball.

“And I am not going to dignify these claims and accusations with any further response,” he said.

Grimsley has complained to friends, the Times said, that federal agents attributed statements to him that he did not make.

“I’m told he has denied saying all of this,” Randy Hendricks, Clemens’ and Pettitte’s agent, told The Associated Press on Saturday night. “It’s an agent’s recollection about a conversation he had about conjecture.”

Without hard evidence, i.e., failed tests, we may never know exactly who’s guilty of what. But if these accusations are accurate, Roger Maris is looking better by the day — and Baltimore is quickly emerging as baseball’s unofficial steroids hub.

Accusations already dogged Palmeiro, a likely Hall of Famer before last year’s positive test, as well as former All-Stars Brady Anderson (right, he of the dubious 50-homer season in ‘96) and Sammy “conveniently can’t speak English when under oath” Sosa.

Now Tejada, Roberts (he of the torrid ‘05 spring) and Gibbons (now ugly in more ways than one) are in the mix? Yikes. Does Peter Angelos throw free HGH injections into his contracts? Who’s next, Bruce Chen? Boo on you, Birds. Boo on you.