There was a time in baseball around the turn of the 21st century that the talk of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs was merely a whisper. Only in the clubhouse shadows were McGwire’s androstenedione and Bonds’ swelling skull being talked about. It was a theory, a rumor, a fib - it wasn’t real. Then came the release of the Mitchell Report… Now there is something from the Steroid era in baseball that you can see and you can hold. Critics say that the report is all hearsay and that none of it would hold up in court. Really? Then why all the admissions from players listed in the report? Why have only a handful denied it? Why did Roger Clemens wait a week to speak out? The baseball world is hitting the panic button and all the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Roger Clemens is the classic example of the perceived steroid user who ended up being an actual steroid user. He began to decline in his final years in Boston, posting a record of just 29-25 for the Red Sox teams from 1994-96. Though the strike-shortened 1994 season was a forgettable one for Boston (54-61), the Sox won the AL East the following season and recorded 85 wins in '96. So Rocket's mediocre stats were not due to pitching for a bad baseball team. After the Sox gave up on him, Clemens had a “rebirth” in Toronto winning 20 or more games in both of his seasons north of the border. Suddenly in 1998, really the beginning of all the steroid talk, Clemens was 20-6 and won the second of back-to-back Cy Young Awards at 36. In the peak of the Steroid era (2001) Clemens had one of his best seasons ever, 20-3 with a 3.58 ERA and another Cy Young Award to go with it. Clemens won 88 games in the five seasons since his 35th birthday (from 1997-2001). Rocket won just 58 games from the ages of 30-35.
Just a slight difference, right?
All of these statistics, Clemens’ physical appearance, and his continued dominance well past his 40th birthday were suspicious, but there was nothing to back it up until now. Brian McNamee, Clemens’ personal trainer, told Sen. George Mitchell that he personally injected Roger with steroids during his time with the Yankees. Does he have proof? No. Does he have videotape of him sticking a needle in Clemens’ backside? No. But does he really need it? People I’ve been telling you all along: LOOK AT THE NUMBERS! That is where the truth lies. Look at Clemens after his 35th birthday. Take a gander at Sammy Sosa’s (who, by some stroke of magnificent luck, was not implicated in the Mitchell Report) stats during the 1997 season, then take a look at his ’98 season. These are not coincidences.
Look at some of the lesser stars on the Mitchell Report. Can you tell me with a straight face that Denny Neagle didn’t juice? Or the oft-injured Troy Glaus (averaged 40 HRs and 107 RBI from 2000-02)? All that being said, none of this matters now. The Mitchell Report won’t take away Denny Neagle’s $51 million dollar contract he signed with the Rockies in 2000. The Mitchell Report won’t take away Troy Glaus’ $45 million dollar deal with Arizona from 2004. They did it, they got paid, and it was worth it.
Though it doesn’t justify what they did, I will say that there are differences between what some of the players did in the report. Andy Pettite, for instance, says he used HGH only once to come back from injury. Regardless of that excuse, which holds as much water as Rafael Palmerio’s “vitamin injection” claim, Pettite still went through his clubhouse attendant to speed up his healing process. Was that really a smart decision? Both of them knew that what they were doing was wrong. However, there is a difference between using HGH in an injury situation (which some players truthfully did) and being on a regimented program of steroids to enhance performance (i.e. Bonds, Clemens). Unfortunately for Pettite & Co., their names will forever be lumped in with all the others. That’s the consequence.
Though the infraction is slight, Pettite is just as guilty as the rest
This Mitchell Report is only the tip of the iceberg. It’s a bit biased in the aspect that a majority of the players named played for the New York and Bay Area teams (23 Yankees, 17 Mets, 16 Angels, 16 Dodgers, 15 Padres). That is because Mitchell’s only two sources - Kirk Radomski (BALCO) and McNamee (Clemens’ trainer, Mets clubhouse attendant) were linked with those teams. Once people come forward from Boston or from Chicago, there will be more players and more names surfacing.
The Steroid era is now a reality. It will take time but at least now baseball can finally wash their hands, learn from their mistakes, and move past this - past the lies, past the shadows, and past the cheating to the pure American pastime that it used to be.
But in reality, baseball will never be the same.
SHOOTING THE REST OF THE SPORTS WORLD:
Swish: Miami Dolphins
This team is really bad, like
all-time bad. But you have to give them credit because they never quit. The Fins kept their names out of the record books with a thrilling 22-16 overtime win the lifeless Ravens. Somebody named Greg Camarillo turned a short completion into a 64-yard touchdown in the extra period for the victory. Six of Miami's thirteen losses have come by exactly three points, and the Ravens almost made it seven out of fourteen, but Matt Stover's game-winning field goal attempt was wide left. Miami's win makes it clear that there may never be a winless team in the NFL again, that is unless the Jets keep Chad Pennington around.
The agony is over...for now
Brick: Pro Bowl snubs
Maybe they should rename the Pro Bowl to exactly what it is - the NFL's beauty pageant. Someone explain to me how Marques Colston, Fred Taylor and Mario Williams were left off the rosters? Check out the comparisons:
Pro-Bowl bound Donald Driver: 78 rec, 1016 yds, 2 TD
Marques Colston: 87 rec, 1092 yds, 9 TD
Pro-Bowl bound Joseph Addai: 251 car, 1014 yds (4.1 ypc), 11 TD
Fred Taylor: 216 car, 1091 yds (5.1 ypc), 4 TD (and Addai doesn't have Mo Jones-Drew stealing his TD's away)
Side note: there are NO Jaguars on the AFC roster. They are one of the five best teams in the NFL. That sounds fair.
Pro-Bowl bound Kyle Vanden Bosch: 48 tackles, 9.0 sacks
Mario Williams: 53 tackles, 13.0 sacks
I think Driver's selection is the most glaring. You could make an argument that his teammate Greg Jennings (12 TD!) is having a better season. I hate all All-Star games in all sports.
Air Ball: Bobby Petrino
This is going to sound outdated, but the last time I updated The Shots was about eight hours before Petrino bolted Hotlanta for Arkansas. Petrino didn't even have the cojones to tell his players face-to-face that he was leaving. Instead, he left a note in the Falcons' locker room
which safety Lawyer Milloy edited. You know what this situation reminds me of? It's like when you're in eighth grade and you've been dating a girl for like two weeks. Everything is going well until her best friend comes up to you in the lunch line telling you that she's relaying the message that you're being dumped. That's what the Bobby Petrino situation reminds me of. Bobby Petrino is an eighth grade girl. By the way, this coaching exodus is becoming an epidemic. They must regulate these multi-million dollar long-term contracts or else they aren't even worth the paper they are written on.
Copy of Bobby Petrino's 10-year Louisville contract
The Shots FANTASY Update:
BJacobs Ran Over You def. Winslow’s Soldiers 94-75
Usually I would take pleasure in dominating McCauley considering that he snuck up behind me and stole away my Fantasy NASCAR championship a couple months ago. But, since I was in the loser’s bracket, I could really care less. Steven Jackson (25 pts) was disgusting this week, and Ryan Grant and Greg Jennings each scored again (Surprise!). Drew Brees (18 pts) was great too. Now it’s on to the 5th place championship game (Hooray!) when I should be prepping this week for a possible championship. I’m frustrated. I mean, I don't even know who I'm playing this week. It doesn't matter because I'm going to beat the crap out of whoever it is. But after I win, there won't be any little trophy in my Yahoo! profile or $150 extra bucks in my pocket. Basically, there is nothing I can get this Christmas that will make up for my early playoff exit...Well, possibly this.
Isiah Groped Me def. DG4ThreeHomeRun 5-4
Well I’m back to my standard 5-4 win. That runs my overall record to 22-23, which mostly looks bad because of the 7-2 beating I took two weeks ago by the Baby Bulls. Even though the Knicks suck, Z-Bo came through big time for me scoring 98 points. I get bored with the NBA Fantasy. Ask me about it again in March or sometime around then. Oh, Caron Butler is pretty good too. That is all.
The Shots Blast from the Past: from the Week of September 4th
"Baltimore Ravens (projected record: 12-4)
The only question on this team in the 21st century has been the offense. Contrary to what most delusional Bears fans would lead you to believe, the Ravens D was #1 in the NFL once again last year. The Ravens lost Adalius Thomas to free agency but still boast the best linebacking corps in the league with Bart Scott (103 tackles, 9.5 sacks), Terrell Suggs (64 tackles, 9.5 sacks) and the always dominant Ray Lewis (103 tackles, 5 sacks). I love the addition of Willis McGahee, who could definitely go for 1,500 yards this year after rushing for under 1,000 last season in Buffalo. QB Steve McNair absolutely has to stay healthy, which is something he was finally able to do in 2006."
Well, I was almost close on McGahee (1,192 yds) who is 3rd in the AFC in rushing. But, just about everything else I said about the Ravens three months ago was horribly, horribly wrong. Baltimore, my preseason Super Bowl pick in the AFC, lost their eighth-straight game last Sunday to the 0-13 Miami Dolphins. The Ravens sit at 4-10 and right now, besides Atlanta, they are the worst team in the entire NFL. Everyone had the Chargers, I hate the Patriots and I didn't want to pick the Colts to repeat, so I took Baltimore. Yikes.
I know how you feel Kyle. P.S. You Suck.
The Shots What to Watch this week:
Georgetown at Memphis, Saturday
A nice juicy matchup between two Final Four favorites and top-five teams. Look out for the backcourt matchup between Tigers' Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts against the Hoyas' underrated duo of Jessie Sapp and Jonathan Wallace. Memphis has a couple shots at proving themselves before their pathetic Conference USA slate, and I think this is a big statement game for them.
Washington at Minnesota, Sunday
The NFC Wild Card picture is very interesting. The Skins (7-7) are in must-win mode but they have a tough test Sunday plus a home game against Dallas (who will likely still have homefield and a #1 seed to play for) so it's hard to see them hitting 9-7. But the Saints (7-7) finish with Philly and Chicago and the Vikes (8-6) finish up at Denver. The Giants (9-5) may actually be facing a must-win at Buffalo this weekend considering that they have to play New England in the finale. Let me be the first to tell you that if the Giants collapse and somehow miss the playoffs completely, I may not be around to write this column anymore.
The Shots YouTube Clips this week:
To this day, I still regard the original RBI Baseball for Nintendo as the greatest video game ever made. That being said, an extremely close second is the original Tecmo Bowl. I remember that playing with Oakland was not allowed because they had Bo Jackson. I think this clip was probably the reason why we made that rule.
Props to one of our 950 sales guys Randy, a loyal reader of The Shots, for passing this along. The rolling up the sleeves part is my favorite.
The Shots Chick Pick of the week: Jamie Lynn Spears...no, I'm kidding. Seriously, that's illegal. It's Sara Jean Underwood.
With Heff himself. I found out this week that she's best friends with Browns QB Derek Anderson.
Happy Holidays to all of you. I'm heading back to Connecticut to visit my folks, watch the Knicks on MSG, and eat real itallian food so I won't be updating again until January.
See you next year.
Shoot your own Shots in the mailbag: derek@espn950.com.
