A three-ring circus has nothing over Major League Baseball. Whatever happened to arguments about who’s better – Mantle or Mays, Williams or DiMaggio, Koufax or Gibson? What about a good old-fashioned debate regarding the designated hitter? Or how about this one: Who hit the greatest home run ever – Bill Mazeroski, Bobby Thompson, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe Carter, Calton Fisk or Roger Maris?
Nope…none of that talk anymore. This good ole baseball bar-room banter is now replaced with talks of steroids, cheating, congressional hearings, and phone-tap conversations. Thank you Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, MLB, et al.
To make matters worse, we now have a potential cheater even downplaying the importance of his election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. If he made nothing else clear in his recent press conference charade, Roger Clemens made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t give a “rat’s ass” about getting inducted in baseball’s most treasured shrine in Cooperstown. I wonder how that plays with some of the legendary players of the game who cherish their place in the Hall – or, even more so, with those still waiting for the honor like Rice, Blyleven, Dawson, or Lee Smith?
Whether innocent or guilty, I hope writers remember how important the Hall of Fame is to Clemens. A one-time first-ballot lock, I guess he now has more to worry about than Cooperstown.
For me, Clemens seems more guilty after the press conference. Why did he never ask McNamme why he lied? That phone conversation was like listening to a scene from Goodfellas!
Hopefully, the Hall of Fame voters won’t care a rat’s ass about Clemens getting in either.
Comment by Manny — January 9, 2008 @ 10:09 pm
“Thank you Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, MLB, et al.”
Excuse me? Which of those men has gone out and said “Hey, world, I’m using PEDs! Nyah, nyah!” On the other hand, which of those men has steadfastly and adamantly denied using PEDs, and have never yet had any actual hard, physical evidence introduced against them to say that they are lying? How about none and all, respectively?
But which of these men have been *accused*, without real evidence, of those things, by innumerable sports writers, announcers, and bloggers–who then complain about the men as if the accusations were their fault?
Dear me; dear me.
Comment by Eric Walker — January 10, 2008 @ 3:40 am
Let’s hope all this Clemens’ stuff is behind us when spring training begins, so we can get back to the game. Whatever happened to all the Santanna talk? I tire of all this steriod crap…
Comment by GZG — January 10, 2008 @ 8:50 am
carlton fisk?
Comment by arnold stang — January 10, 2008 @ 10:27 pm