What Andy Pettitte did yesterday did not look easy. I'm sure that writing and reading that apology and answering those questions was much more difficult and emotionally taxing than anything that he has done on a baseball diamond in a long time. All of these pro athletes live incredibly lavish lives that we could never imagine, and this makes it difficult for us to relate to them. However, Pettitte's press conference afforded us the oppurtunity to see him in a more human light. He was vulnerable, he was embarrased, and he was lobbying for our acceptance. Pettitte has long been regarded as one of the league's classiest players. Even as a life-long Red Sox fan, I always had a hard time disliking Andy Pettitte. I'm sure that none of us ever expected that we'd one day see him in this position. And yet, it seems like yesterday he took a big step towards returning to normalcy and continuing to add to his legacy as one of the game's most well-respected players. This is not to say that this HGH episode will go away. He will always be remembered as one of the confirmed users of this era, and this may well have an affect on any honors that he might otherwise have been given after he retires. But, his willingness to tell the truth has served him well in the court of public opinion. Perhaps this biggest lesson of this whole ordeal is that we are not an unforgiving society. We just don't appreciate being lied to.
It's unfortunate that Roger Clemens did not choose the same path as his close friend. Certainly, with a legacy as one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Roger had more to lose from being honest than Pettitte. Certainly, the magnitude of this legacy would make Clemens coming clean more difficult than it was for Pettitte. But, is his situation now really any better? First of all, let's just look at the legal side of things. Roger may be facing jail time. So, you have to ask yourself, is it really worth it for a man with a loving family at home, a large network of friends who seem like they would be empathetic towards him, and more money than he could ever spend to deny his wrongdoing until he ends up in prison rather than simply owning up to his mistakes and being free? Now, there have been rumors that Clemens would be pardoned by President Bush if he is sentenced to any time in prison. Although I don't really know very much about Presidential Pardons, I would be outraged if this happens. Should it happen, Ted the Redskins Fan will have more information on the topic for us.
Legal issues aside, can we really argue that the path Clemens has chosen has done less damage to his legacy than coming clean? Every day that he spends before Congress bumbling like an idiot trying to explain away evidence makes him look more guilty and turns his legacy into more of a joke. Every day, he turns into more of a caricature of his former self, something that can't be taken seriously. The more you try to cover up, the more we have to assume you're hiding.
Yesterday was a hard day for Andy Pettitte. But, I'm sure that once he had removed himself from the media for a few hours, and he spent some time re-connecting with his teammates and friends, he began to feel much happier and more relaxed than he has in months. He probably felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now, with each day that passes, the weight on Roger Clemens shoulders grows heavier.
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