Nobody has been harder on Barry Bonds over the past five years than me, but with the release of the Mitchell Report, Roger Clemens has become Bad Guy Cheater Number 1 in Major League Baseball’s steroid scandal.
According to the Mitchell Report, Brian McNamee, a former New York Yankee trainer who worked with Andy Pettitte and Clemens, injected both pitchers with steroids and human growth hormone.
This is an explosive revelation and represents way more evidence of steroid use than any authorities – up until this point – have on Barry Bonds. Bonds’ personal trainer, and convicted drug trafficker, Greg Anderson has chosen to remain silent and has gone to jail on two separate occasions rather than testify against his record-setting, high profile client. Roger Clemens’ former trainer obviously has no such sense of loyalty.
McNamee told the Mitchell investigators that he injected Clemens several times with different steroids, including testosterone, and injected Pettitte with HGH several times. McNamee’s relationship with Clemens and Pettitte continued after McNamee was dismissed from the Yankees.
When you look at what’s happened to Bonds as a result of his relationship with BALCO, Victor Conte, and Greg Anderson, you have to think that the repercussions that Clemens will face in the light of the revelations contained in the Mitchell Report should be of the same magnitude. For as interesting as McNamee’s disclosures are, it will be more interesting to see the reactions from the Clemens and Pettitte camps.
Will these two buddies, who have been linked by success and now controversy, pull a Mark McGwire and disappear from sight? Will they meet these allegations head on and challenge the veracity of McNamee’s charges? The reactions of these two will tell us all that we’ll need to know.
Since George Mitchell stated that he has corroborated the testimony of individuals like McNamee and Radomski, all the ballplayers involved have been extremely anxious, and the most anxious should be Clemens and Pettitte. Chances are this isn’t going to be a situation where the legend will be able to explain away the allegations against him, since Radomski and McNamee both have the goods on these guys.
Article comments
1 - ghgh
clemens and bonds still are hall of famers.
2 - Josh
Sal, excellent work as always. I knew you'd be right on top of it.
I'm still trying to decide what to make of it. This is one more indictment of a drug culture that was rampant in baseball; a culture that flourished from the highest levels to the lowest.
As to the individuals named, I'm a bit more skeptical. I believe any of those named could have used, but the investigation itself has some credibility issues. How many of these informants could withstand cross examination from even a competent lawyer? I don't know how much weight to give this report outside the sensational names that are being accused in it.
I'm having trouble putting this in a proper context because there just seem to be so many problems with the investigation and the sport.
3 - Frashequa
Sal,
You'd be right if they all werent' cheating. If 75% of the league is involved, then you can't really point any fingers. Football has to even be worse, but no one is giving this kind of grief to Lyle Alzado. I know he came clean, but all his records were helped by the use of steroids. So in the end, there will be those who won't be outed and never found out vs. those that are. Still not the intended result.
4 - sal m
you certainly can point fingers. just because everyone isn't caught doesn't mean that those who are caught shouldn't be the target of scorn, derision and punishment (in very rare cases, as far as steroid use goes).
that's like saying nobody drives the speed limit, and as a result anyone who gets caught should pay the consequences.
5 - alessandro
Exactly. The first email I got this morning was from a buddy simply stating: let's see if Clemens faces the wrath Bonds did. These are the two mammoth names on the list.
Did I hear right? McGwire and Sosa weren't named?
6 - Hairynipples
I knew it the day Clemens threw the bat at the Met's Catcher - some guy named Mike? Also, he was glorified for his "intense workout regime" which was highly suspect - Doritos and Schlitz? I do believe you have written about that in the past or it was a dream I had of you.
7 - sal m
it was donuts and schlitz...which by the way is a favorite menu item at pals cabin.
8 - Matthew T. Sussman
[tearfully throws away Nook Logan baseball cards]
9 - Bob
George Mitchell's report -- and the reactions to it -- caused me to wonder how professional baseball might be different if Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul withdrew from the race for the White House and replaced Bud Selig as commissioner of baseball. Yes, What if Ron Paul was Commissioner of Baseball? >
10 - Ronsportsc
No big surprise other than the list should have been longer. How to stop it? Wait till all these guys start dying and having serious health issues in their late 40's and early fifties
11 - Dave Nalle
Were they cheating? Didn't this steroid use take place prior to 2003 at a time when MLB had no official policy on steroids and basically turned a blind eye to their use?
Dave
12 - sal m
the use of the drugs for whatever purpose outside the specific, approved use was - and is - illegal. the use and possession of steroids for athletic performance was illegal regardless of whether or not the league had regulations preventing their use.
there's a gray area when it comes to hgh and yet no athlete chose to be upfront about their use, rather they skulked around and employed dirtbags like greg anderson, brian mcnamee and victor conte to covertly supply and dose them with hgh and other drugs.
13 - Aaron
Looks like Roger finally decided to come out with his denial. He's just so "shocked" that he has to do it though. What is shocking Roger is how your career suddenly turned around and you got better going into your late 30's and early 40's.
Barry and Roger will be joined at the hip when this is all done...