On the baseball field, Roger CLemens won 366 games in his illustrious career.  Off the field, Clemens scored the biggest victory in his life yesterday.   Thing is, there is another court that I don't think he has won over, and that is the court of public opinion.

Clemens was found not guilty of all charges that he perjured himself and lied to Congress when he testified at the steroid hearings a few years back.  This is important to understand.  Basically, the way I understand it, Clemens told Congress that he didn't use steroids.  Then a few people, like his trainer Brian McNamee and Andy Pettitte told people he did.  A jury said they didn't believe them or they couldn't prove it.  Now Clemens has his good name back.

Sorry friends, but I don't think it's that easy.  I think Clemens most likely DID do steroids pr HGH.  He took a huge gamble that McNamee and company did not have the proof necessary to convict him.  That gamble paid off, but I don't think the general populace will simply say, "well good.  Roger Clemens never did steroids or HGH.  Glad we can put that to bed now".  

It all makes too much sense that Clemens used.  You have a trainer who says he injected him.  What did McNamee have to gain by doing so?  Is it all just to generate publicity for himself?  Hard to believe.  Did he have an axe to grind against the Rocket?  Seens unlikely.  And what about Pettitte?  Andy Pettitte came out and admitted to using roids or HGH, and said Clemens did it with him.  Why would a beloved teammate say that?  Did he want to bring someone else down with him?  Again, seems unlikely.  They were buds.  Petitte was one of the main reasons Clemens signed with Houston.

The stats seem to back it up.  After a great career with the Red Sox, Clemens struggled in his final three years in beantown.  He went to Toronto, and suddenly, at age 34, he had two of the best years of his career, which allowed him to sign a huge contract with the New York Yankees at age 36.  At age 41, he moved onto Houston, where he went 18-4 his first year, then had ERA's of 1.87 and 2.30 his next two years at age 42 and 43.  

A power pitcher like Clemens, who made his living throwing 90 plus mile an hour darts, never had such success in his 40's.  Well, other than Nolar Ryan, who was just a physical freak.  Other power pitchers like Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and many others lost it quickly when they reached their mid to late 30's.

The big question is, how will this whole scandal affect how voters vote when it comes to his hall of fame chances?  We will see.  I think he will get in either way, and probably on the first ballot.  The numbers are there in spades.  He was probably a hall of famer before even going to Toronto.  Still, there will always be that suspicion, no matter what happened in today's trial.

There is also no doubt that Clemens is not the only one who will live the rest of their lives with that cloud of suspicion over their heads.  Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro, I-Rod and A-Rod, Bagwell, Biggio, Finley, Giambi, Pettitte and so on and so on, all have valid suspicions.  Some, like Pettitte, Giambi and A-Rod have admitted to using.  Palmeiro had a positive test.

The thing is, there is no way to separate the ones that we think used from those who we never really suspected.  How can anyone be so sure that Bonds, Sosa and Pudge Rodriguez used and also be so positive that Ken Griffey Jr, Jim Thome or Albert Pujols never did?

The only thing we can do is to go by numbers.  Statistics are still the God of baseball.  Sure, the steroid era has made a mockery of the record books, but we can't completely disregard them.  I still think you have to say, "if the numbers are there....if they are hall of fame worthy, you have to open the doors to Cooperstown and let 'em in". 

Put a disclaimer on the hall of fame plaques that "this player played during the 'steroid era'" or something like that if you want, but if you are going to do that, you have to put it on Pujols, Thome and Griffey's plaques as well in my opinion. 

We will probably never know, and that is the most frustrating thing about all of this.  At least Roger Clemens got a measure of redemption today.  Hopefully now, this witch hunt can finally end.

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