Clemens aka the RocketI’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not huge baseball fan. Even with the genesis of the Nats, baseball still hasn’t convinced me to watch more than five games per year, not including the World Series / playoffs. But this Clemens affair has me fascinated for some reason, and I think it has to do with a number of factors unrelated to baseball.
For starters, I’ll come out and say that Clemens is most likely guilty of HGH use at the very least. The facts are that under oath, Knoblauch and Pettitte corroborated McNamee’s claims to having injected both players with HGH. McNamee also testified that he did the same to Clemens. The kicker is that Pettitte testified that Clemens admitted to HGH use on the phone and all Clemens could say about that was, “it was a conversation about my wife.” Every sportswriter in America is right to ask themselves, “Why would Pettitte lie about this conversation about Clemens?” He’s not being forced to say this by a prosecutor. Fine. I’m convinced: Clemens was a user.
But this isn’t the most interesting part of the sordid affair. It’s not news that these guys did ‘roids, HGH, whatever you want to call them. I think the BALCO mess and Bonds proved this beyond a doubt. What IS interesting is the way in which baseball is trying to clean up its image, the way congress is getting involved, what we’re learning about player’s lives off the field, and of course all the dirt bags being forced to rat out the highly-paid athletes. Even better – one of the most respected players in the league is getting called out and unlike Bonds or Canseco, this guy has (now had) a lot of respect.
Congress & Baseball
“I'm very concerned with the way this committee has gone in the last year or so. ... I think there are billions of dollars wasted every minutes by the federal government and what this committee ought to be doing is Federal oversight. I wish we'd get back to our jobs, government oversight and accountability." — Rep. Virginia Foxx
Ladies and gentlemen, here is your United States Congress hard at work, dragging in a drug dealing former cop with one of the most respected players in baseball. When you think about it, at least Rep. Foxx had the guts to say what’s on everyone’s mind: why are you spending taxpayer money on one baseball player? As Shays pointed out, maybe this would be a better use of time if 80 players were dragged into Congress. A part of me, however, wants to see their involvement in a positive light:
1. Congress has allowed baseball to have an amazing monopoly and they have the right to take it away, or at the very least investigate the league when things go wrong. Why should baseball get a reprieve from criticism when they're enjoying rights other leagues or groups don't have?
2. Congress, through their media “bully pulpit,” ability to subpoena records, and power to make people speak under oath, is in a unique position to ask the sort of questions serious fans of baseball want to ask (note: I’m not a real fan). For example:
“Can I look at my two children with a straight face and tell them you, Roger Clemens, have always played the game with honesty and integrity?" Or: "You are an important role model to many young people, and I am concerned about these allegations against you and your conflicting response to many of them."
3. Congress does have a sense of drama and the ability to make things seem dire and serious. For example:
"They don't disagree on a phone call or one meeting. If Mr. McNamee is lying, he has acted inexcusably, and he has made Mr. Clemens an innocent victim. If Mr. Clemens isn't telling the truth, then he is acting shamefully and has smeared Mr. McNamee. I don't think there is anything in between." – Rep. Waxman
It leads to good TV, if anything. In any event, it’s interesting to note who backed Clemens and who did not. Slate seems to think, and I think they’re right, that Republicans backed Clemens while Democrats supported the rat/McNammee. As Slate points out, this is interesting because Clemens and Bush Senior are friends and many Texans seem to think this guy is the “inheritor” to Nolan Ryan. Pretty serious stuff.
Some Notes
It’s pretty cool that MLB is trying to clean this mess up with a Bowdoin guy (George Mitchell). Not only does he add a level of gravitas to the investigation, his hiring sends a strong signal to Capitol Hill that they're serious about cleaning this up, they want to please Congress in every way imaginable, they're sorry, they want a legitimate investigation that cannot be impugned, ect.
How badly did Clemens want to throw his chair or notebook at Waxmen? Clemens looked pissed and I can now see why this guy was such a damn good pitcher --- all he had to do was stare down batters, throw a few missiles at their heads, and then pitch a decent game.
I loved how Clemens and McNammee read their statements instead of just answering questions and giving answers off the top of their heads. I guess that’s why you pay lawyers so much money in these situations. The problem with reading statements is that when you get asked questions that dont have answers prepared by your lawyer, you look like a stumbling idiot (Clemens "misremembered" a conversation with Pettitte).
I think Clemen’s lawyers met Waxmen outback to teach him a lesson or two, especially after Waxmen kept interrupting Clemens. I hope they did it Shooter McGavin style. The best part of the hearing is when Clemen's lawyers stood up and started yelling. That type of outrageous behavior is what you pay top dollar for -- attack dogs who have no problem yelling at Congress and making a mockery of the system.
McNamee got ripped on by a few members. That was great. Specifically:
"This is really disgusting. You're here as a sworn witness. You're here to tell the truth. You're here under oath, and yet we have lie after lie after lie after lie, of where you've told this committee and the people of this country that Roger Clemens did things — I don't know what to believe. I know one thing I don't believe and that's you." — Rep. Burton
What can you say to that? I think another member called this guy a drug dealer and then argued with him when he denied it.
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