Roger Clemens is in denial

Taking the opposite approach of teammate Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens adamantly denied using steroids today.
In fact, he even got preachy about it, saying, "Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take."
That doesn't ring true with pretty much anyone, given how damning George Mitchell's steroids report was in relation to Clemens, and in contrast to Pettitte (an evangelical Boy Scout vs. Clemens' a-hole hillbilly routine) admitting that he had done it.
Uncomfortable with the George Mitchell report's depiction of Clemens as lustily pursuing any bit of steroids he could get his buttocks on, a Texas high school athletic association is dis-inviting Clemens as a speaker, it was announced yesterday.
But all who worry about Clemens' ability to make a living in this post-steroids outing era, have no fear.
He can still do the pharmaceutical salesmen convention speech circuit.
And we heard Pacman Jones needs a tag team partner at some second-tier pro wrestling events next year.

Wherefore art though, Johan?

Maybe the Sox aren't getting Johan Santana after all. This thing has dragged out long enough, you would think that if a deal was going to work it would have been agreed to by now.

And while a daily news report comes out quoting prominent Yankees saying the team needs someone like Santana, and doesn't need someone like Santana, word is that the Yankees might be back in the game.

Despite another point-of-no-return, drop-dead deadline set by Hank Steinbrenner.
Despite word that the Yankees aren't adding any more prominent players to the package, i.e., no Joba Chamberlain or bet the farm package of Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes.

And despite the fact Santana is reportedly seeking a seven-year, $140 million deal in exchange for agreeing to waive his no-trade clause.

OK, so that last one is obviously not a hindrance to the Yankees. Who cares if you have $415 million tied up in only two players. If that doesn't work, the Steinbrenners could buy the entire roster of the Florida Marlins for the next 40 years and make it their new Minor League system.

There are obvious risks in offering any 28-year-old pitcher a seven-year deal for that much money.

But look at it in the light of today's Major League Baseball. You can buy a lot of Human Growth Hormone with $140 million.

Pettitte tries honesty

I was quick to blast Andy Pettitte's hypocrisy in being an outspoken evangelical Christian and also a user of illegal performance-enhancing substances, according to the George Mitchell report.
So I'll be quick to say that Pettitte's reaction to the report today has by far been the best and most stand-up response to Mitchell's accusations.
While everyone else in the report seems to be ducking, denying, hiding behind lawyers, or literally hiding, Pettitte spoke to reporters today, and admitted exactly what he did.
"In 2002 I was injured. I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow," Pettitte said in the statement released to The Associated Press by agent Randy Hendricks. "I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped."
Honesty. That's refreshing.
And that's pretty Christian of him, and it stands out amid the behavior of the many other players mentioned in the report, especially teammate Roger "Take it in the Butt" Clemens.
Pettitte could have admitted he broke the rules as soon as he started feeling "uncomfortable" with his actions and stopped. He could have been the first and only Major League Baseball player to voluntarily cooperate with George Mitchell's investigation. He could have admitted to using HGH as the issue came into the spotlight bigtime over the past year.
He didn't do any of these things until he was publicly called out for his actions this week.
Certainly not perfect, but just being honest about it, even long after the fact, is more than you can say for Roger Clemens and dozens of other current and former Major League Baseball players.

'Mr. Purity' is a steroids user

OK, so no one's surprised that Roger Clemens is on George Mitchell's list of Major League Baseball players who took steroids. Is it really that much of a stretch to think that the Rocket, someone who would throw a 90-mile-an-hour fastball at his own grandmother, would cheat to win?
But Andy Pettitte?
Andy Pettitte, the church-going family man?
Andy Pettitte, the guy who says he would be a youth minister if he weren't a Major League Baseball player?
Pettitte even wrote a book about his Christianity and how young people can live a life of "sexual purity." (Described this way on a Web site that's currently offering a $3 discount to $11.99: While life as a big league baseball player has brought Andy Pettitte fame and accolades, it has also brought with it temptation. However, Andy learned to deal with temptation long before he donned his first major league uniform. While still a teenager, Andy committed himself to Christ and a life of purity. With his target identified early on, he has been able to hit the strikezone throughout his life. Andy and author Bob Reccord encourage you to commit now to a life of purity and integrity, not only in sex but in action, thought, and motive.)
How does all that "purity" talk sound now that we know Pettitte cheated by having performance-enhancing steroids injected into his body?
Here are a few direct quotes from interviews with Andy Pettitte:
"I want to try to honor the Lord in every area of my life. Every decision I make, I go to him and ask him for wisdom about decisions I make for myself and my family. "
and...
"I constantly ask myself 'What does God want me to do?' and 'Where does He want me to go?' ... As I said in the last chapter, living a pure life means trying to please God in everything I do."
Maybe God told Andy Pettitte to take steroids?
Otherwise, can you say hypocrisy?

Pettitte, too

In addition to Clemens, WNBC TV in New York is reporting that the Mitchell steroids report names Yankees players Andy Pettitte, Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth and Jason Giambi.

Rocket fuel!

BREAKING NEWS: ESPN reporting Roger Clemens will be named in Mitchell Report
BRISTOL -- ESPN has reported on SportsCenter that Roger Clemens will be among those players named today in the Mitchell Report.
Citing unnamed sources, the sports network said that Clemens’ personal trainer Brian McNamee may have supplied Clemens with steroids.
McNamee formerly worked as the trainer for the New York Yankees. This season he worked with Clemens and Yankees' pitcher Andy Pettitte.

Because he looked so good in Game 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Chien-Ming Wang appears to be the Yankees' likely starting pitcher Monday night if New York forces its series against the Indians to a fourth game.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said Saturday that Mike Mussina would be available in relief on Sunday night should Roger Clemens falter. Mussina also would have followed Luis Vizcaino had Friday's 2-1, 11-inning loss gone much longer.
Wang has started on less than four days' rest just once, allowing one hit in seven innings to beat the Orioles on June 6 last year. That outing came three days after he got the final two outs and a save in a 10-inning win at Baltimore.
Wang's sinker was up against Cleveland in the series opener, when he matched his career high by allowing eight runs in a 12-3 loss.
Pitching Wang in Game 4 lines up Andy Pettitte to pitch a potential fifth game. Roger Clemens joked about the way his buddy pitched out of trouble to throw 6 1-3 scoreless innings in Game 2.
"I told Andy he looked great from the stretch since he was in it all night," Clemens said.
Pettitte has a $16 million player option for next year and will need to speak with his family before deciding whether to exercise it. The status of Torre, in the final year of his contract, also will play a part in his decision.
"That definitely would be something that I would factor in," Pettitte said.

God hates the Yankees

It was Maine Sen. George Mitchell who said to Oliver North that "God doesn't take sides in politics."

Now George Mitchell is investigating steroid use.

And God is taking sides in Major League Baseball.

OK, this has nothing at all to do with steroids or George Mitchell.

But who can deny that Divine Intervention came into play Friday night as the Yankees lost to go down 0-2 vs. Cleveland and be on the brink of having their season ended.

The game was even - a pitchers' duel - and the Yankees had gotten as good an outing as they could have asked for from Andy Pettitte.

Their phenom fireballer, Joba Chamberlain, was on the mound, and he's been unhittable.

Yankee fans everywhere were starting to think about pitching matchups against the Boston Red Sox, jumping ahead to a prospective ALCS.

And God looked down on Jacobs Field, and sent a swarm of insects left over from one of the plagues on Egypt, to smote the Evil Empire.

Blinded by swarming bugs, Joba started throwing wild pitches, and the rest is playoff history.

Way to hold them to 9 runs, Andy!

With the playoff picture decided already, Andy Pettitte got a meaningless win over the Orioles tonight in an effort that looked like he was really, really trying to improve Baltimore's self-esteem heading into the offseason.

Pettitte gave up 9 runs, 8 of them earned, in five innings pitched, but still got a victory out of it to improve to 15-9 on the season.

That was due to the 10 runs Baltimore pitchers gave up in the 4th inning.

So the Yankees won 10-9, and it means nothing whatsoever.

It truly was a battle of who could care less about this game. And Baltimore came through again on that one.

Andy Pettitte? He's outta here!

Yahoo Sports just reported that Andy Pettitte is considering retiring at the end of the season.

He wants to be a full-time dad to his four kids, according to Yahoo, and considered retiring at the end of last season as well.

So goodbye Clemens, goodbye Mussina, goodbye Igawa, goodbye Farnsworth, goodbye Rivera, goodbye Posada, goodbye A-Rod, goodbye Abreu.

Hey, you've still got Kyle Farnsworth and Wilson Bettimet.

Yankees fail to make Little League World Series

Andy Pettitte has provided consistent good pitching for the Yankees. Until today, when a Little League team pounded him for 5 runs in 6.1 innings.

The Yankees fall 6 games back in the AL East as the Sox were led to victory by another rookie pitcher, and enter a series with the Seattle Mariners having just gotten their asses kicked by Tampa Bay. That's got to be demoralizing.

And Seattle, in a major slump with 8 straight losses, is due to snap out of it right about now. They're a much better team than their recent performance would indicate.

In short, the Yankees are poised to squander the Wild Card lead. Can't wait.