Clemens Juiced Up? Who Cares!

As predicted, the Mitchell Report was basically a dud.  The information was old, 53 of the 88 players named are already out of the league.  It did more damage than good.  We didn’t need Senator Mitchell to tell us that steroids are bad, the game has a problem, or that the testing policy needs to be strengthened.  It was boring, long, and drawn out.  In other words, it caused irrevocable damage that the game may never recover from while solving nothing.  They would have been better off hiring Jose Canseco, at least his information is frighteningly accurate. 

Like everyone else, I’m only interested in one name that was included in the document:  Roger Clemens.  I’m not surprised, just intrigued.  In the very first article I wrote for this web site I stated that it wasn’t fair for the public to convict Barry Bonds and allow Clemens to walk under the same circumstances.  The whispers have been around his name for years, now they might have just ended his career as a player and also as an endorser.  At least when Mark Fainaru-Wade and Lance Williams accused Bonds they had several sources telling the same story, yet many were reluctant to accept it as truth.  Even though Mitchell’s case is flimsy at best, the same damage has been done to Clemens reputation.  The public doesn’t care who said it, it was said.  More importantly the opinion was co-signed by a Senator. Because of his stature people will think that it is absolutely, 100%, accurate.

I’m going to tell you the truth, I believe that the Rocket’s performance is fueled by a premium blend of Deca-Durabolin and HGH, but not because Mitchell tells me too.  There are just too many coincidences, not to mention the circumstantial and visual evidence, to ignore.  Prior to today’s events Clemens was baseball’s big purple elephant. 

This isn’t the first time that his name has been implicated in the steroid scandal.  Mitchell made a brief reference to the infamous Jason Grimsley affidavit from last October in which an anonymous source with access to the unedited version leaked the contents of the document to the LA Times.  In this document Grimsley named Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Jay Gibbons, Brian Roberts and Andy Pettitte as steroid users.  The report also stated that Brian McNamee, Clemens and Pettitte’s former strength and conditioning coach, referred him to source that supplied him with steroids, HGH, and amphetamines when all three played in New York in 1999 and 2000, a claim further support by Mitchell’s findings.  The Orioles’ front office informed their players that they had been implicated in the affidavit and they should consult their lawyers.  This would corroborate the claims made by the LA Times and it would also stand to reason that Clemens was warned by MLB officials also.  He responded with controlled aggression in answering questions about the report, going so far to threaten Grimsley with a lawsuit if he lost endorsements due to this.

The circumstantial evidence is there, multiple accusations, the shady trainer who obtained steroids from the biggest steroid dealer, Kirk Radomski, post-Victor Conte.  That isn’t what does him in, like Bonds, the damning evidence is in the numbers. Players aren’t supposed to have their best years after they are in their forties.  What was odd though, is the way his statistics fluctuated from one season to the next.  In the Mitchell Report McNamee details a timeline in which he gave Clemens injections, stating that at times he wouldn’t use for a season at a time, adding further credence to his testimony. 

After the 1995 season it looked like Roger’s career was about to be over at the age of 32.  He started the season on the disabled list and pitched in only 140 innings, the lowest amount of his career, finishing with a 4.18 ERA.  The following season, a contract year, he began with an abysmal 4-11 record, putting him on pace to finish the season 6-17.  This would have cost him greatly on the open market, even for a guy with 3 Cy Young Awards and an MVP in his back pocket, but something amazing happened.  A lot of people believe that this is when he started dabbling with steroids because of the way he bounced back after three and a half average seasons, it’s impossible to know, but never-the-less, he went on to post a 6-2 record, with a 2.09 ERA and 123 stirkeouts over 111.3 innings,

After 13 years with the Red Sox, Clemens signed with the Blue Jays where he would enter the beginning stages of his renaissance.  At 34 years-old Clemens would win his fourth Cy Young award after posting a 2.05 ERA with 292 strikeouts and 68 walks to go along with a 21-7 record and a 1.03 WHIP.  McNamee would not join him in Toronto until the following season, but it is possible that Clemens was already using steroids.  The Mitchell Report offers no definitive answers when his suspected use started.

The following is a conversation overheard by McNamee before Clemens approached him about the injections.

“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 attended 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, although McNamee did not personally attend that meeting.  Canseco told members of my investigative staff that he had numerous conversations with Clemens about the benefits of Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol and how to ‘cycle’ and ‘stack’ steroids…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.”

Considering that he was getting advice from Canseco and had a supplier, I believe that it is safe to assume that Clemens was already using before he asked McNamee to inject him.

His numbers were down slightly from the previous season, but with a little help from McNamee, Clemens would go on to win his second consecutive Cy Young Award (20-6, 2.65 ERA, 271 K, 88 BB, 1.09 WHIP).  The following season Clemens was dealt to New York.  McNamee would stay in Toronto for another season, not joining Clemens with Yankees until the 2000 season.

Although members of different teams, McNamee continued to work with Clemens during the offseason, though this time it was without any substances.  Clemens pitched all of the 1999 season clean while going 14-10 with a 4.60 ERA, 163 strikeouts, 90 walks, and a 1.46 WHIP.  They continued the same way until about half-way through the 2000 season.  He doesn’t provide an exact date, but after an injury plagued June it would be safe to assume that he began using steroids again during his recovery process.  He came back in July to post a 1.91 ERA, his best season of the month.  His split stats are below.

First Half: 6-6, 95.2 IP, 4.33 ERA, 58 R, 13 HR, 40 BB, 90 SO
Second Half: 7-2, 108.2 IP, 3.15 ERA, 38 R, 13, HR, 44 BB, 98 SO

McNamee claims that Clemens stayed clean until August of 2001. However, Clemens went on to win his sixth Cy Young award at the age of 38 after posting a 20-3 record, with a 3.51 ERA, 213 SO, 72 BB, and a 1.15 WHIP. 

After this season McNamee was let go from the Yankees.  The pair continued to work together, but no more accounts are given on his doping patterns.  Clemens followed up his 2001 season with two subpar ones (13-6, 4.35 ERA, 192 K;  17-9, 3.91, 190), but again bounced back to win his seventh, and last Cy Young Award in 2004 at age 41 after putting up a 2.98 ERA along with 218 strikeouts, a 1.15 WHIP, with an 18-4  record.  The following season Clemens would post a career best 1.87 ERA over 211 innings.

It’s unbelievable for a hitter to have best years in his forties, for a pitcher it’s out of this world.  I don’t care who you are, it just can’t happen naturally.  Although, in my mind his accomplishments still stand tall.  He won seven Cy Young’s, three of which I believe were achieved naturally. 

I don’t think this recent development will have any barring on his Hall of Fame candidacy either.  The initial outpour of support for him has been overwhelming.  A large number of voters have refuted the claims stating they need more evidence.  While those that do believe it’s a possibility have stated that they will vote for him when the time comes, regardless of the findings.  A Sports Nation Poll conducted by ESPN revealed that 53 percent of the nation said that they would vote for Clemens if they had the honor. 

What I’m trying to figure out is: why are these same people willing to quarantine Mark McGwire for the same infractions?  Is it because there is more evidence against McGwire?  Or is because he deceived the nation, while making them fall in love with him under false pretenses?  The same goes for Bonds, but without the falling in love part.  Do people somehow think it’s harder for a juiced up pitcher to strike out a juiced up slugger, than vice-versa?  I don’t get the logic, what’s good for the goose is good for the other goose as well.

So where does this leave Roger?  Will he come back to pitch again next season or will he disappear into obscurity?  My personal feelings are that we’ve seen the last of him.  I don’t think Clemens wants to put himself under that microscope, nor do I think he could handle the constant heckling that would await him at every turn.  People may want to say that his achievements are tainted, but I’ve come to realize something, everything in baseball from this era is tainted, so you either accept it, or you don’t.  Sosa, Bonds, Clemens, they were just the best at what they did on a totally tainted - yet somehow-level playing field.