It should have been one of the most celebrated and historic races of this era of baseball. Baseball fans should remember his dynamic stuff, his killer competitive instincts and his desire to prepare and win that was virtually unmatched by any other pitcher. But simply all we have to ponder now is a story of faded glory and a sobering look at the dire consequences Roger Clemens now faces.
The Rocket, as he was known to baseball fans, players and the media, backed up his tough image with a commanding style of pitching that was famous for driving hitters off the plate and demoralizing power lineups. Clemens finished his career with 354 wins, a record 7 Cy Young Awards, 2 World Series titles and 4,672 strikeouts. All statistics that cemented a near-automatic vote in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and paved the way for him to be inserted into the debate to name the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
Clemens was always a fierce competitor, an arrogant warrior, and a person who refused to give in to competition, even when faced with insurmountable obstacles. He demanded excellence both from himself and from those who dared to wear the same uniform. Roger expected to be courted and pampered both in his contracts and in special privileges not afforded to the average player. He loved being the center of attention, the fanfare and the almost unanimous distinction of being the best at his craft. But it was these qualities that made him so successful on the field, which now threaten to destroy his entire legacy and possibly strip him of his freedom.
It’s certainly not uncommon for a man of Clemens’ stature to initially deny taking steroids or any other illegal performance-enhancing substance. As important as winning was to the 11-time All-Star, so was his image and how he was perceived by the fans and the media. Roger yearned to be appreciated and aggressively attacked anyone and everyone who questioned his aura of greatness. What is more than puzzling is his initiation of a Congressional Committee, the subsequent broadcast of flawed testimony, and an outright refusal to come clean to the American public or proper authorities.
The Rocket’s challenge came with the knowledge that his trainer and conditioning coach, Brian McNamee, and his former teammate and friend, Andy Pettitte, would also testify under oath. It had to be made clear to Clemens that full disclosure would be made of all “drugs” administered during his training and that logical links would be discovered as to the parallels between his and Pettitte’s treatment schedule. Meanwhile, he had to come to terms with the fact that the glaring discrepancies in his story were told at the risk of perjury before a congressional committee.
Great emotion can be felt listening to the accounts of the hearings told by Congressmen Henry Waxman and Tom Davis. Each says they tried to give Clemens ample opportunity to recant and give an honest account of his true behind-the-scenes relationship with Brian McNamee. You have an honest feeling that these two gentlemen were trying to throw a life jacket at this icon and national hero. But Clemens saw this as nothing different than a stubborn hitter loading the plate and trying to take away what is rightfully his. He pressed on with defiant anger and clung to his story with verbal displays of resilience and rage. No one turned Roger Clemens off and certainly no living soul had ever cornered him without fighting for their own lives.
Perhaps the blow might have been less of a blow to Clemens if he had been a better history student. We, as a sports-loving society, have generally been extremely forgiving of our beloved athletes when they provide us with only a small glimmer of openness and truth. In the worst way, we want to leave our heroes’ flaws and indiscretions behind, to propel them back to their rightful pedestal. We gained a new level of admiration for Andy Pettitte as he recounted his steroid use in response to a body riddled with injuries. The court of public opinion still regards Alex Rodriguez as a future Hall of Famer and jubilantly celebrated his 600th career home run, even after he admitted knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs. If only Clemens had been able to control his ego and follow the example of the humble and confident athletes who had written the roadmap to heal a diseased reputation.
For now, we await the seemingly tragic conclusion to the Roger Clemens saga. We have seen him defeat the most worthy opponents on the field in stunning and decisive fashion. But he is now taking on the role of the great underdog, in a battle against the federal government and its 95% conviction rate. Awards, accolades and even Hall of Fame speculation have now receded into the background to wonder if Clemens will have the right to choose which aisles he will walk in the near future. For his sake and that of our cherished memories, we hope the Rocket gets off the mound and thinks hard before throwing the next pitch.
