Steroids

I wasn't sure if I believed him before, but I don't believe him at all now,

Roger Clemens was on 60 Minutes tonight, talking to Mike Wallace about the steroid issue. He seemed determined in his answers, but a bit too devious for me. Instead of answering some questions, he rode on the fence about them ... I haven't seen him this undecided since he last retired from baseball.

The whole issue was turned around to public opinion, which he basically said, "Sucks."

What's coming next? Lawsuits? Maybe. Retirement? Maybe? Health problems? Maybe. Blame? Maybe. Redemption? Maybe.

Talk about a whiner ....

The Mitchell Report named many current and former players. Roger Clemens and Andy Petite have spoken out and its likely that more players will follow in the next few months.

Clemens has recently posted a video on YouTube denying any involvement. It will come down to what he says and Brian McNamee, his former trainer. Unless McNamee has some earth shattering proof it will probably be a "he said", "jock said" story. The same scenario will probably play out with other players also.

Did the Michell Report act irresponsibilly? Has former Sen. Michell ruined reputations and careers? It's likely that most of the players involved or mentioned in the report are guilty but not likely that it will ever be proven. Interestingly a similar situation played out years ago and ruined the career of Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren.

Babe Dahlgren was a young rising star in for the Yankees and part of their World Series team in 1939 and had replaced the great Lou Gehring. When Dahlgren angered Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy by taking hitting advice from a rival manager. McCarthy traded him and began the rumor that he smoked marijuana. This haunted Dahlgren's career and he was even later confronted about it by Branch Rickey. Dahlgren never could prove his innocence and he bounced around several teams the rest of his career.

Thankfully Babe Dahlgren had a loving grandson who wanted to clear his name. His book is called Rumor In Town and can be purchased at www.RumorInTown.com.

Has former Sen. Mitchell set in motion a similar story to be told about alleged steroid users? Only time will tell.

By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 21, 2007

Former major league pitcher Jason Grimsley accused baseball players Jose Canseco, Lenny Dykstra, Glenallen Hill and Geronimo Berroa of using steroids, according to a federal affidavit that was unsealed Thursday, 18 months after the document was first released with players' names blacked out.

Grimsley, a reliever who last pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, also named Chuck Knoblauch as a human growth hormone user, and accused former teammates David Segui and Allen Watson of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The unsealed affidavit contradicts a story The Times published Oct. 1, 2006. Citing anonymous sources, including a Grimsley confidant and an individual "with authorized access to [the] unredacted affidavit," The Times' story said Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons, Miguel Tejada and Segui and strength coach Brian McNamee were named in the document. In fact, Clemens, Pettitte, Gibbons and Roberts were not named. Also, The Times' report said Grimsley alleged that Tejada used anabolic steroids. The only mention of Tejada in the affidavit was a conversation he had with teammates about baseball's ban on amphetamines.

The day after the story ran, Kevin Ryan, then the U.S. attorney in San Francisco, said it contained "significant inaccuracies."

The Times made repeated attempts, including earlier this week, to have the government clarify what the inaccuracies were, but spokespersons for the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco declined to elaborate.

After the document was unsealed Thursday and the actual names revealed, Times spokesman Stephan Pechdimaldji said, "We regret our report was inaccurate and will run a correction."

Pete Rose told Dennis Miller that the large group of steroid users mentioned in the Mitchell Report are "making a mockery" of baseball. This will air tonight on Versus. Rose also says that he never thought anyone would make him "look like an alter boy". He may have a point. Of course he may also use this as leverage to get himself into baseball's Hall of Fame.

All future sportswriters and current sportswriters that vote on the Hall of Fame nominees will have a tough decision to make. Just what to do with betters and cheaters. Who actually cheated and to what extent will never be fully known. Also Roger Clemens and others are multimillionaires who have access to the best lawyers and legal advice money can buy. So if you want to call these guys out, you may go broke after they decide to sue you.

Is this the worse problem baseball has had to deal with since the Black Sox scandal?

Could be.

Something to think about, if Pete Rose had known and had access to steriods, would he have taken them?