Steroids: Apparently Beneficial

By Kevin Ohms
Friday December 14, 2007

We've all seen this story before, haven't we? A professional athlete is called out as a steroid user and instead of immediately jumping on live TV or live radio to defend themselves, they have their agent or lawyer release a statement saying that the accusations are completely untrue. Has the story of any athlete accused of steroid abuse ever not gone this way? Additionally, has an athlete in America ever been proven to be innocent after being linked to steroids?

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, Roger Clemens, one of the best starting pitchers in baseball history, was named in the Mitchell Report that was released yesterday. The report details his steroid use in the late 90's and into the 2000's. The accusations are told by Brian McNamee, a strength coach for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1998-2000, and then with the Yankees starting in 2000. Clemens apparently was the reason the Yankees hired McNamee.

So you don't have to read through the 400+ pages in the report to see what Clemens is accused of, here are some of the highlights and also some interesting statistics.

• "On or about June 8-10, 1998, the Toronto Blue Jays played an away series with the Florida Marlins."

• "Toward the end of the road trip which included the Marlins series, or shortly after the Blue Jays returned home to Toronto, Clemens approached McNamee and, for the first time, brought up the subject of using steroids. Clemens said that he was not able to inject himself, and he asked for McNamee's help."

• "Later that summer, Clemens asked McNamee to inject him with Winstrol, which Clemens supplied. McNamee knew the substance was Winstrol because the vials Clemens gave him were so labeled. McNamee injected Clemens approximately four times in the buttocks over a several-week period with needles that Clemens provided."

Looking at Clemens stats from 1998, he in fact started one of those games against the Marlins, on June 8th. The report states that "later that summer" McNamee injected Clemens. McNamee obviously doesn't remember the exact date he started injecting Clemens or it would be in the report. I am simply going to guess, and say that it was a little over a month later, on July 12. Here are Clemens' stats from 1998.

• 1998 Stats, before July 12: 9-6 record, 3.55 ERA, 119 IP, 47 ER
• 1998 Stats, after July 12: 11-0 record, 1.71 ERA, 115.2 IP, 22 ER

Wow, what a coincidence. Clemens really hit his stride "later that summer." Here is another interesting stat from 1998. In his first 11 starts that year, Clemens had ZERO games in which he struck out at least 10 batters. In his final 11 starts, he had SEVEN such games. Weird.

• "In 1999, Clemens was traded to the New York Yankees. McNamee remained under contract with the Blue Jays for the 1999 season."

What a stunner that Clemens had a down year in 1999 without his buddy McNamee, going 14-10 with a 4.60 ERA. Presumably, McNamee was the only person Clemens felt comfortable enough to let put a needle in his ass.

• "In 2000, the Yankees hired McNamee as the strength and conditioning coach under Jeff Mangold. According to McNamee, the Yankees hired him because Clemens persuaded them to do so."

• "According to McNamee, during the middle of the 2000 season Clemens made it clear that he was ready to use steroids again. During the latter part of the regular season, McNamee injected Clemens in the buttocks four to six times with testosterone from a bottle labeled either Sustanon 250 or Deca-Durabolin that McNamee had obtained from Radomski."

So "in the middle of the 2000 season" Clemens started using steroids again. Lets take a look at his stats from the first 3 months, and the last 3 months of the season.

• April-June 2000: 4-6 record, 4.76 ERA, 81.1 IP, 43 ER
• July-Sep 2000: 9-2 record, 3.00 ERA, 123 IP, 41 ER

Simply amazing. No wonder so many players were using steroids. They're like magic! And once again....

• "McNamee said that he and Clemens did not have any conversations regarding performance enhancing substances from late 2000 until August 2001."

• "According to McNamee, Clemens advised him in August 2001 that he was again ready to use steroids. Shortly thereafter, McNamee injected Clemens with Sustanon or Deca-Durabolin on four to five occasions at Clemens's apartment."

• 2001 Stats, April-July: 15-1 record, 3.58 ERA, 148.1 IP, 59 ER
• 2001 Stats, August thru playoffs: 6-3 record, 3.10 ERA, 98.2 IP, 34 ER

While Clemens' record obviously didn't get any better, his ERA did. And ERA is the only thing he has control of. Also, at his age, numbers typically don't improve at the end of the year (look at Glavine last year). Clemens on the other hand allowed just 2 earned runs in his last 3 starts.

Roger Clemens was over the hill and on the downside of his career in 1996 at the age of 34. By 2005, at 43 years old, he was possibly the best pitcher in baseball history. There is a reason Clemens was named in the Mitchell report and Pedro Martinez and Ken Griffey, Jr wasn't. You aren't supposed to improve at age 40.

All of the players implicated in the Mitchell Report are in the exact same situation as the one's mentioned in the Canseco book. There is really not any proof of anything. So, as an athlete, if you are completely innocent, why aren't you suing the people implicating you? Go under oath. Take a lie-detector test. Clemens has hundred of millions of dollars he could use to take legal action. But he won't, of course.

So what was Clemens' course of action, just hours after the Mitchell Report was released? He had his lawyer release a statement saying he is completely innocent. Big. Fucking. Surprise. Where you at, Roger?