Mr. Clemens, meet Mr. Mitchell

409 pages later, The “Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an independent investigation into the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by players in Major League Baseball” is not just a really obnoxiously long title but a surprisingly interesting read. This report was touted as being the apocalypse of Major League Baseball and received with countdown timers on CNN like it was a presidential address.

Like many, when I went to read this monstrosity looking solely for names. I wanted to see who was being named and would be forced to face the shame of a nation. Oh yea, who is Kirk Radomski? Suddenly, this former club house attendant is making a name for himself by painting the Hester Prynne’s with their own scarlet letter. But I digress, famous names were what I was looking for and this report provided just that.

We expected to find Barry Bonds, Jason and Jeremy Giambi and Jose Canseco included in the report but no one could have been expected to see Roger Clemens implicated. The greatest living pitcher in the game, achieved such greatness by using performance enhancing drugs? Hang on, was just another part of the witch hunt that was the Mitchell Report? I mean, all they wanted was to find one big name to prove that this investigation was worthwhile, right?

What makes the implication of Roger Clemens so shocking and disheartening is the manner in which he is discussed. This was not just a he said she said, but specific examples are given.

McNamee injected Clemens approximately four times in the buttocks over a several-week period with needles that Clemens provided. Each incident took place in Clemens's apartment at the SkyDome. (Mitchell, pg 166)

The jig is up right? There is no way that The Rocket could get out of this one, exact places and instances are mentioned. Currently, Clemens has elected to deny all of these allegations. “…adamantly, vehemently, and whatever other adjectives can be used, denies that [I have] ever used steroids or ... improper substances…” (cnn.com) Many, including myself find this hard to believe when the players that were named ( Brian Roberts, Fernando Viña and Clemens friend, Andy Pettitte) are slowly admitting that they did use HGH or some other form of performance enhancing drug, giving the these allegations found in the Mitchell Report more and more credibility.

The verdict on Clemens, like many other is still out. Last week’s release of the Mitchell Report is only the beginning of what is going a long process of, hopefully one day, removing steroids and other performance enhancing drugs from the game of baseball. Only time will tell what happens next…
-Matt Armstrong