Ten weeks. Millions of dollars. That's the price we paid for the abortive prosecution of Roger Clemens.
And why? What was the purpose?
So you think he lied to Congress when he gave testimony during the show hearings on steroid use in baseball. Members of Congress lie like rugs every election year. They get in front of a television camera whenever they get the chance and look at the American people and lie like there's no tomorrow.
And because they think a famous baseball player didn't tell them the truth about baseball we're going to haul him into court and watch the prosecution whiff on every pitch.
I've asked the question before - and I'll ask it again - does it really matter if Roger Clemens took steroids or human growth hormone while playing in the The Show? Did it affect anyone's life in any meaningful manner? I grew up following baseball but it's just entertainment - just like any other television show, movie or anything else you can go and do on a Friday night.
Baseball is all about tradition. And baseball is all about cheating. Everyone cheats. Just watch the second basemen turn a double play and look to see if he ever touches the bag. He doesn't. The umpire knows he didn't touch the bag. But, so long as he steps near the bag - the runner is out.
What do Gaylord Perry, Mike Scott and Joe Niekro all have in common? They all messed with the baseballs they pitched. Perry was the greatest spitballer of all time - if he were pitching today he'd make a fortune endorsing petroleum jelly. Scott and Niekro scuffed the ball like you couldn't believe.
Catchers frame the plate with their mitts to "convince" the umpire that the ball crossed the plate. Runners on second do their best to steal signs from the catchers and relay them to the batter. Baserunners slide with their spikes up trying to break up double plays. Batters wear billowy pajama-type uniforms to make it easier to sell getting hit by a pitch.
After the 1994 World Series was cancelled due to a strike, baseball looked for any way they could to get people back to the ballpark. The owners and the commissioner (the willfully blind Bud Selig) looked the other way while players shot themselves up with steroids, human growth hormone and any other performance enhancing drug they could find. Hey, chicks do love the long ball, you know.
But when the cherished records of yore were challenged by the baseball-playing lab experiments, the line had to be drawn. And with the cameras rolling, Congress had to get a piece of the action. Ordinarily I would say it's not a problem - if Congress is asking baseball players questions then there's one less thing they can fuck up - but when they begin to think they're doing something vitally important, then we have a problem.
And, as a result, we end up with the waste of our tax dollars. There was no reason for Roger Clemens to be put on trial. There was no vital national interest being served.
That's strike three. You're out!
Showing posts with label Roger Clemens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roger Clemens. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Bk
A BALK is an illegal act by the pitcher with a runner or runners on base, entitling all runners to advance one base.
MLB Rule 2.00
The pitcher, following his stretch, must (a) hold the ball in both hands in front of his body and (b) come to a complete stop. This must be enforced. Umpires should watch this closely. Pitchers are constantly attempting to “beat the rule” in their efforts to hold runners on bases and in cases where the pitcher fails to make a complete “stop” called for in the rules, the umpire should immediately call a BALK.
MLB Rule 8.01(b)
If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when—
(a) The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery;
(b) The pitcher, while touching his plate, feints a throw to first base and fails to complete the throw;
(c) The pitcher, while touching his plate, fails to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base;
(d) The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a play;
(e) The pitcher makes an illegal pitch;
(f) The pitcher delivers the ball to the batter while he is not facing the batter;
(g) The pitcher makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch while he is not touching the pitcher’s plate;
(h) The pitcher unnecessarily delays the game;
(i) The pitcher, without having the ball, stands on or astride the pitcher’s plate or while off the plate, he feints a pitch;
(j) The pitcher, after coming to a legal pitching position, removes one hand from the ball other than in an actual pitch, or in throwing to a base;
(k) The pitcher, while touching his plate, accidentally or intentionally drops the ball;
(l) The pitcher, while giving an intentional base on balls, pitches when the catcher is not in the catcher’s box;
(m) The pitcher delivers the pitch from Set Position without coming to a stop.
PENALTY: The ball is dead, and each runner shall advance one base without liability to be put out, unless the batter reaches first on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batter, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the balk.
MLB Rule 8.05
Oops!
The prosecution in the Roger Clemens trial got caught throwing an illegal pitch on Thursday and theumpire judge granted Mr. Clemens' request for a mistrial.
The prosecutor played a videotape of Mr. Clemens' 2008 testimony before Congress - the only problem being that someone forgot (?) to redact the portion of the video where Rep. Elijah Cummings referred to a conversation between Andy Pettitte and his wife after being instructed by Judge Reggie Walton not to mention it.
After speaking to a friend of mine I'm a bit curious as to whether it was just (to paraphrase the NASCAR boys) "one of them trial thangs" or if it was a deliberate attempt to get a mistrial because the prosecutors thought the jury might be a little bit too friendly to the Rocket.
Either way this farce represents a huge waste of taxpayer dollars - made even worse by the budget and financial crisis the country finds itself in. So what if Mr. Clemens lied to Congress. Our representatives up in Washington were on a little fishing expedition in the first place. We're talking about a bunch of athletes accused of using performance enhancing drugs -- we're not talking "serious" issues affecting the welfare of the nation.
No one cares if the latest Hollywood starlet has silicon in her chest and botox in her lips. No one cares if her leading man is injecting steroids to look more ripped. No one cares who's smoking and snorting what. It's all entertainment.
And who is Congress to act pious because they don't think Roger Clemens told the truth in that hearing room? Each and every member of that institution will look you and me straight in the eye and lie like a cheap rug. What's worse: a ballplayer lying about taking steroids or a Congressman lying about what he's going to do with your tax dollars?
MLB Rule 2.00
The pitcher, following his stretch, must (a) hold the ball in both hands in front of his body and (b) come to a complete stop. This must be enforced. Umpires should watch this closely. Pitchers are constantly attempting to “beat the rule” in their efforts to hold runners on bases and in cases where the pitcher fails to make a complete “stop” called for in the rules, the umpire should immediately call a BALK.
MLB Rule 8.01(b)
If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when—
(a) The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery;
(b) The pitcher, while touching his plate, feints a throw to first base and fails to complete the throw;
(c) The pitcher, while touching his plate, fails to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base;
(d) The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a play;
(e) The pitcher makes an illegal pitch;
(f) The pitcher delivers the ball to the batter while he is not facing the batter;
(g) The pitcher makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch while he is not touching the pitcher’s plate;
(h) The pitcher unnecessarily delays the game;
(i) The pitcher, without having the ball, stands on or astride the pitcher’s plate or while off the plate, he feints a pitch;
(j) The pitcher, after coming to a legal pitching position, removes one hand from the ball other than in an actual pitch, or in throwing to a base;
(k) The pitcher, while touching his plate, accidentally or intentionally drops the ball;
(l) The pitcher, while giving an intentional base on balls, pitches when the catcher is not in the catcher’s box;
(m) The pitcher delivers the pitch from Set Position without coming to a stop.
PENALTY: The ball is dead, and each runner shall advance one base without liability to be put out, unless the batter reaches first on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batter, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the balk.
MLB Rule 8.05
Oops!
The prosecution in the Roger Clemens trial got caught throwing an illegal pitch on Thursday and the
The prosecutor played a videotape of Mr. Clemens' 2008 testimony before Congress - the only problem being that someone forgot (?) to redact the portion of the video where Rep. Elijah Cummings referred to a conversation between Andy Pettitte and his wife after being instructed by Judge Reggie Walton not to mention it.
After speaking to a friend of mine I'm a bit curious as to whether it was just (to paraphrase the NASCAR boys) "one of them trial thangs" or if it was a deliberate attempt to get a mistrial because the prosecutors thought the jury might be a little bit too friendly to the Rocket.
Either way this farce represents a huge waste of taxpayer dollars - made even worse by the budget and financial crisis the country finds itself in. So what if Mr. Clemens lied to Congress. Our representatives up in Washington were on a little fishing expedition in the first place. We're talking about a bunch of athletes accused of using performance enhancing drugs -- we're not talking "serious" issues affecting the welfare of the nation.
No one cares if the latest Hollywood starlet has silicon in her chest and botox in her lips. No one cares if her leading man is injecting steroids to look more ripped. No one cares who's smoking and snorting what. It's all entertainment.
And who is Congress to act pious because they don't think Roger Clemens told the truth in that hearing room? Each and every member of that institution will look you and me straight in the eye and lie like a cheap rug. What's worse: a ballplayer lying about taking steroids or a Congressman lying about what he's going to do with your tax dollars?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Forgive and forget
Deer Park native Andy Pettite was one of the heroes of the Yankees' world series winning team. Pettite, as many of y'all remember was implicated in the Mitchell Report as using illegal performance enhancing drugs. Pettite promptly owned up to cheating.Alex Rodriguez was another of the Yankees' heroes in their championship run. Over the off-season A-Rod confessed that he used steroids during a three-year stint with the Texas Rangers. He was torn apart by the press for his admissions.
One must wonder if Roger Clemens had been honest and upfront when the accusations began flying whether he would have taken part in the Yankees' 27th World Series championship. While Pettite and Rodriguez are placed on pedestals by Yankee fans, Roger Clemens is scorned.
Clemens misread the public and played the wrong card when he was revealed as a steroid user. History is replete with American icons who messed up, 'fessed up and went back to being adored. The American public is quick to forgive and forget the transgressions of celebrities.
Had Roger the Dodger not been so arrogant and had he thought about his course of action for half-a-minute, he would have realized his aggressive denial was a mistake. I wonder how he felt watching his former teammates win the series.
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