Speak About It! | Roger Clemens--Another tainted baseball hero

Roger Clemens--Another tainted baseball hero

Written by Wayne Adam

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Roger Clemens has joined the ranks of other baseball heros whose image has been tainted by the use of steriods or performance--enhancing drugs.

In case you missed it, Roger Clemens "The Rocket" has pitched himself into an FBI criminal investigation about his alleged use of steroids. This stems from the congressional hearing on February 13, 2008, in which, Brian McNamee (Clemens ex-trainer) testified that he injected Clemens 16 to 20 times with performance-- enhancing drugs from 1998 to 2001 and that he also injected Clemens wife, Debbie with HGH (Human Growth Hormone) once for a swimsuit photo shoot. Although Clemens denied all of the allegations, two of his former teammates, Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, through sworn affidavit, said that they used performance--enhancing drugs and that 10 years ago Clemens told them that he used HGH. Besides all the allegations, Clemens didn't help himself in front of the committee as he struggled to find the right words, raised his voice at times and interrupted the committees closing remarks.

Clemens isn't the only tainted baseball hero when it comes to performance--enhancing drugs. On March 17, 2005 the same committee had a hearing on steroid use in baseball that was spurned by Jose Canseco's book "Juiced" which told of heavy steroid use in baseball in the 80's and 90's. Conseco himself a steroid user, testified that he and Mark Mcguire injected each other with steroids and he named other steroid using players-- Sammy Sosa, Curt Schiling and Rafeal Palmero. I watched this congressional hearing and it was sad seeing all of these great players deflecting all of the questions, poorly denying steroid use, being uncooperative, and refusing to talk about the past. Unfortunately, the worst to see was Mark McGuire, 40 to 60 pounds lighter; he talked in circles, deflected even the simplest questions and at times appeared on the verge of tears.

It's a tragedy for any of us, young or old to see our heroes fall from their pedestal and to see our national pastime (baseball) fall under the influence of performance--enhancing drugs. They will be tainted forever. Where are you now Joe Dimaggio, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig?