How much would you be willing to pay to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame?
We are about to find out how much Roger Clemens is.
In one of the biggest — and most foolish — gambles in baseball history, Clemens has fought back against allegations of his use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) that headlined the Mitchell Report, the independent document that detailed the use of PEDs by more than 100 major league baseball players.
To prove his innocence Clemens all but begged to testify in front of the cameras and congress in 2008. He even went on 60 Minutes to refute the report.
He could have just publicly denied the allegations in a press conference. He could have delivered his testimony behind doors. He could have stayed quiet.
But no. He wanted his denial on federal record and in front of the world.
The problem was the evidence against him now has the Rocket facing six perjury related charges that could land him in prison.
Make no mistake, this isn’t another referendum on PEDs in baseball.
They’ve had that, and it is responsible for MLB’s current PED policy.
This is a trial that enforces the foundation of the legal system in the United States.
It has to do with that whole bit where you raise your hand and “swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God.”
You can’t lie in court or to congress and get away with it.
Yes, they just had one of these long, drawn out expensive battles with Barry Bonds and it failed, but this time everyone is willing to talk. With Bonds, his trainer Greg Anderson spent time in jail on contempt charges because he refused to testify. Anderson was the lynch pin in that case.
Once again it is the trainer that holds the key to Clemens’ freedom, and Brian McNamee is not just willing to testify against his former client, he has supplied much of the evidence provided to the Mitchell Report and the prosecution, including syringes and gauze from injections he gave the pitcher.
But it won’t just be McNamee against Clemens — who have filed lawsuits against each other — expect a witness list that includes numerous former Clemens’ teammates and friends like Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, as well as some of the greats of the ‘steroid era’ like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro and even Bonds, among others.
If found guilty of the six charges, he likely faces 21 months in federal prison and a hefty fine.
This all could have been avoided though.
He could have even come out in public and said “Yes, I took steroids at a time when it was frowned upon, but there was no real penalty for doing so or even testing for it in baseball. I did it to keep up with the rest of the stars who were taking steroids. I am sorry.”
Had he done that he would have been in a better position than he is now.
The kicker is, he still likely would have eventually received his election into Cooperstown.
It wouldn’t happen right away, but say 20 or 30 years down the road when his records, stats and awards will be too hard to ignore any longer.
History has a way of softening the image of notorious stars.
Their misdeeds are no longer fresh in the minds of those who follow the game.
Fans and journalists and those involved in baseball will look back at the era and say, ‘yes he was a product of the era, but he was arguably the best damn pitcher of that era.’
Don’t believe me?
Just look back at the recent movements to try and have Pete Rose’s lifetime ban lifted so he could be elected into the Hall of Fame.
And he broke the cardinal rule of the sport and was betting on baseball.
There have been similar movements for ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson who was also banned for life when he was paid by gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series.
All that stood in their way was the commissioner and those darn traditionalists who believe in things like rules and law and order.
But Clemens doesn’t have that ban.
And even if found guilty he may still find that grace from Hall of Fame voters in the future.
Clemens’ pride over keeping his legacy intact is getting in the way of keeping his freedom intact.
The smart move would have been to not have even anted up for this hand.
jaldrich@www.reddeeradvocate.com
Twitter.com/Ridingthepine03