There wasn't anything terribly interesting or new to come out of Roger Clemens' interview with Mike Wallace last night, but there was this:"I understand that as a public person, you're gonna take some shots," Clemens said. "The higher you get up on the flagpole, the more your butt shows. And I understand all that. But I'm tired of answering to 'em. That's why I will not ever play again. I don't want to answer to it. I want to slide off and be just a citizen."I must not climb enough flagpoles because I don't really understand why your butt has to show, but the sentiment behind the metaphor is pretty clear. Clemens thinks he's getting all of this attention because he's a big shot famous star, kind of like all of the other big shot famous stars the Mitchell Report singled out, like Miguel Tejada and ... Larry Bigbie and F.P. Santangelo. Wait, what? Nevermind.
Wallace replied, "You're retiring? Period."
Clemens said, "Probably. I would say, yeah. If I sit here and tell you right now, I would say yes."
Wallace said, "You're not going to pitch again?"
"You'll never see me pitch again," said Clemens, who has retired before several times only to return.
In any case, forgive me for not being too convinced that Clemens is really, finally and truly hanging them up. Maybe he's telling the truth, maybe not, but I'm guessing even he doesn't know yet. If anything, I'm guessing he'll bide his time, see if the Salem-witch-trial-attitude surrounding those named in the Mitchell Report dissipates and if any team out there hates its P.R. department enough to consider signing him before ultimately making up his mind for good a couple of months into the season.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-07-2008 @ 10:13AM
JT said...
Ummmm here's a weird statement Clemens made...
"Why didn't I keep doing it if it was so good for me? Why didn't I break down? Why didn't my tendons turn to dust?" Clemens said.
His tendons (ie hamstrings) did turn to dust.... He pulled one every other game last year... It was a well known fact, if you wanted to get him out of a game...you BUNTED. Everytime he went to field a bunt he pulled the Hammy...
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1-07-2008 @ 10:54AM
Sue said...
You're right about one thing - Clemens pulled his hamstrings - but, that doesn't mean he used steroids, maybe it's because he's 45 YEARS OLD!!!
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty??
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1-16-2008 @ 11:24PM
Gordon Grider said...
He danced around the lie detector test question. He changed his story from "he never injected me" to "he injected me with lidocane & B-12". He could not give a reason of why McNamee would tell the truth about Petitte but lie about him. HE IS A CHEATER. Look at his stats! It matches up, just like it does with Barry Bonds. Oh, and by the way... if his body does start to break down in the future it is because of the Vioxx that he has been taking like "skittles". Anyone who believes this guy is in denial. I hope that he is exposed either by the Congress or Andy Pettite himself. Trust me Clemens is giong to be OK. He's a millionaire and he always will be. The only thing he will loose is his good name in baseball. And he should...he is a cheater! By the way if Pete Rose is banned from the Hall of Fame, it is only right to ban these players who have cheated!
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1-07-2008 @ 8:38PM
cesar said...
You're right about one thing - Clemens pulled his hamstrings - but, that doesn't mean he used steroids, maybe it's because he's 45 YEARS OLD!!!
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty??
YOU RIGHT; DO YOU REMEMBER THAT O.J. SIMPSON WAS FOUND INNOCENT BASE IN YOUR "INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY".
BONDS OR CLEMENS WERE IN THE 90'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS THAT MADE THEIR CAREAR BASE IN THE ILEGAL USE OF STEROIDS.
BONDS WAS THE HITTER, CLEMENS WAS THE PITCHER AND THE YANKEES WAS THE TEAM
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1-07-2008 @ 3:31PM
Laverne Fischer said...
Roger Clemens why do you lie? Do you really expect
us to believe you, give me a break. Didn't you state I just wanted to be in the crowd. Come on Roger you are as guilty as the rest. Everyone lies about this problem. People like you give baseball a bad name and I personally have lost interest in baseball. There are always a few rotten eggs and I think you fall into this catagory.
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1-07-2008 @ 3:37PM
Phil said...
HEY SUE, I HOPE U WERE SAYING THE SAME SHIT ABOUT BONDS. YOU KNOW, INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. BUT I GUESS YOU CAN GIVE THE WHITE MAN A CHANCE RIGHT? RIGHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
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1-07-2008 @ 5:40PM
TERESA said...
Here we go someone is going to bring race into this, This has nothing to do with race. I am a Big fan of baseball I will admire them still whether they did or did not. I have been on injured for about 6 weeks and on crutches and alot of pain, If I thought steroids would help I would say Juice Me UP!
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1-07-2008 @ 6:07PM
nickstoli said...
Juiced or not, why would anyone want him? What did he do for the Yankees last year?
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1-09-2008 @ 7:38PM
Ron-nyc said...
I say THANK YOU ROGER CLEMENS you where and always will be the greatest pitcher in MLB I wish you and your family the best it was always a pleasure watching you pitch you brought an excitement to the game that has not been matched. I beleave you to be an honest man and beleave that you did not ever take any banned drugs. either way your still the best and I for one would take you on my team if you where in a wheel chair and had a broken arm you are and always will be the best .. thank you for the years you gave us.
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1-08-2008 @ 8:59PM
Frank Zavorski said...
In the 60 Minutes interview, Mike Wallace was hand picked, questions were hand picked. Does that tell you anything about credibility? Check out the video. Check out the Mitchell Report pg 75-83, it also mentions a party in Miami with Jose Conseco discussing steroids. Why wasn't that brought up. I guess that would tarnish his credibility. Lets not forget the man accusing Clemens also gave Andy Pettite steroids and And doesn't deny it. The accuser has credibility not Roger Clemens.
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1-08-2008 @ 11:06AM
CeeJay said...
I watched that so called press conference yesterday, what a joke!! If that were me talking to a one time close friend who had just told a huge lie about me, the first question I would have asked him is, "Why the hell did you tell that lie on me you SOB?
You know you never injected me with that shit why would you tell them that?" Never heard it, did you? Roger is a liar and a cheater but can't admit it. Just like he thought that he was throwing a ball at Piazza when it was a bat even though 50 million people saw what he did. It's unbelievable that people still believe this *******.
His head makes him look like Mr Met.
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