Clemens - What's Been Brewin' In HIS Workout Juice?

It was announced today, in newspapers all over the country, that Roger Clemens was "alleged" to have been one of the 6 whited-out names in Jason Grimsley's testimony a few months back. Allegedly, Clemens was using HGH, the human-growth hormone, which Grimsley admitted to using and distributing. Also allegedly named was Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons and David Segui (now retired), of the Orioles, Clemens and his teammate, Andy Pettite. If these allegations are true, this will cloud the potential HOF entrances of Tejada and Pettite, as well as casting a terrible shadow over Clemens' amazing accomplishments. What would have happened if Nolan Ryan took HGH - might he STILL be pitching?

If you remember, a few months back, in one of our posts, we were quizical as to why Clemens' hadn't signed with the Astros until so late in the season, and why he wasn't offered arbitration by the Astros. We also wondered why no other team beat out Houston for his services, and we speculated that, perhaps, the reason was that rather then suspend Clemens for testing positive for steroids or steroids-related findings, baseball kept him off the field in a very "quiet" suspension, so as not to put yet another cloud over the game and his stellar career, a la Barry Bonds. We are aware that it would be very difficult to keep the lid on something like that, but the whole Grimsley-naming stayed uncovered for many months before the lid just blew off, so who is to say what kind of cover-up may or may not have taken place.

Either way, this story stands to potentially be bigger then the whole Barry Bonds situation, as, if somehow, there was, indeed a cover-up of any kind regading Clemens, baseball would then have a ridiculous cloud hanging over its head that this time would appear to include racial favoritism. We pray that this is not, and will not be the case. Remember one thing, though- where competition for money is taking place, many unscrupulous things happen, even in a sport like baseball. Let's pray for this NOT to be true, whether you like Clemens or loathe him - baseball would never be the same!

Editor's Note: We love baseball, and we think that MLB has made great strides in so many areas over the past few years that the once-cancelled World Series is but a mere memory. We'd love nothing more than to see this whole scandal go away tomorrow and never rear it's ugly head again. However, how baseball handles these scandals will go a long way towards further restoring (or tarnishing) the greatest game there is. Let's hope the restoration continues, full speed ahead...