Begs the question.......

If many of the hitters scrutinized during the steroid era were hitting against pitchers like Clemens (who were also on steroids), does that mean there was no real advantage (either way)?

After all, it would be ridiculous to think Clemens was the only big name pitcher who was using....

Just a thought!

Wayne,

You're right, there was no advantage on either side, just as there has never been a pure era of baseball.

Good. Screw him. Clemens thought that he could arrogantly bully his way through the press, and bully his way through the courts. He was wrong. Now he is reaping what he sowed.
If he had just said "Yeah, I did it, I'm sorry", it would have been over a long time ago. Now, Clemens' nightmare continues.

Once again I blame the Commisssioner idiot Bud Selig for enabling the steroid circus to grow and proliferate in order to increase revenue for MLB. The fans should demand that he step down.

In Clemens case it did not take "Rocket" science to understand that a worn out pitcher who begins to increase his velocity at age 40 may be injecting more than B12 in his ass.

My heart just bleeds for Clemens, absolutely bleeds I tell ya.

I completely agree about Selig. He's a waste of life if there ever was one. That's no sarcasm either and I'm someone who defends Angelos now and then.

Clemens is/was a punk. Karma is great. Well in terms of his lawsuit. When the long term effects kick in, I'll feel bad.

Wayne,

How many pitching records were broken during the steroid era compared to the HR derby stats? You really think there wasn't an advantage to the hitters? Barry Bonds laughed so hard at that his head went up another hat size.

Wayne;

There is a clear advantage to the hitters from steroid use. Look at the numbers at the historical team stats page at MLB.com.

Comparing the last decade to the 80s, HRs are way up, so too runs scored and pitchers ERAs. What else is there. Case closed.

I don't think the various investigations and lawsuits going on now are pointless, now that the plainly baseless Clemens defamation suit was dismissed.

First, if Clemens ends up going down in McNamee's suit it might reduce the likelihood of that favorite tactic of the professional athlete caught breaking the rules: targeting the accuser and witnesses. I've read all kinds of things about McNamee and don't expect that he's a model citizen, but the implications here are more important than whether you like him or not. Besides, if Clemens deliberately defamed him, that IS illegal, so even though some sports reporters may be tired of the Clemens saga that doesn't mean it is pointless.

Second, perjury is a serious criminal offense (it is a direct affront to our system of justice) so I don't necessarily agree that the investigation there is without merit. What kind of signal would it send to future participants in the legal system if the government just dropped this because it cost money? Enforcing laws costs money- that doesn't mean we shouldn't enforce them! Because of the brashness and remorselessness of Clemens behavior here, this is exactly the kind of case prosecutors need to pursue aggressively. Don't you see that the very fact of the investigation, through being so well-publicized, has likely made millions more aware and respectful of perjury laws?

Finally, Clemens is such a thoroughly despicable character, epitomized by his behavior throughout the steroid saga, that simply on a moral basis he deserves everything that's coming to him.

I hope Clemens gets nailed and looses some of the millions he cheated to get.

Simply noted that it begged the question....

Maybe I'm the idiot Pete says I am, but if the pitchers were stronger and able to recover from injury sooner (both like hitters), doesn't it cause one to think?

No, it's not as obvious as it pertains to hr records, etc... but Clemens did win a couple extra Cy Youngs. Start thinking of the other great pitchers of the era. Are we to think they weren't using?

Again, just a thought!

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Pete's reply: I think the difference was, steroids turned borderline power guys into big-time power guys. It doesn't work the same way with pitchers. You're either a power pitcher or your a different style of pitcher, so the benefit may have been more pronounced among the hitters. I don't think the home run numbers lie, in this case, however.

Yes Selig deserves much of the blame for the steroids mess, but so does the press.. with a few exceptions sportswriters turned a blind eye to what was happening at the time.

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Pete's reply: There's some truth to that, though the problem for the media was something called libel law. Everybody could see that something was way out of whack, but you couldn't just come out and accuse someone of being on steroids, especially with no testing program in place. Remember, Roger Maris hit 61 homers and he wasn't even that great a player, so it is possible to do that without steroids.

One more thing about Clemens, if he was smart he would take a plea bargain now, admit what he did and beg for leniency, because he may get nailed for perjury, as Andrew pointed out.

Of course, in return for the plea bargain the prosecuter would want other names, places and dates, and I doubt Clemens would give them up.

It all needs to stop. The MLB has strict guidelines now. Law suites and character assassination is no way to go forward. Clemens and sleeze bag McNamee, need to dial it back, hope the feds throw it all out.

Fact is the only thing left to do for all sides; Feds, MLB, players association and the players is to start understanding you cannot fix the past, you learn from it, fix it for the future and anything more than that, is a waste of time and tax paying dollars. How many times can Major league baseball defend this, they have better rules and testing now, time to move forward.

hey pete. a little off topic
but are alfredo simon and lou montanez in the o's plans for 2010? if not, AAA? seems like both of those guys have potential and limited major league experience. they may be helpful next season. thoughts?

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Pete's reply: I think Lou Montanez will have to come to spring training with a first baseman's glove to have a chance to make the team.

Who cares about the rocket? We got real baseball going on!

Pete, no post on the MD game...I mean the "welcome to a sick Cal tram America" game?

I'm at the Yard now, it is gorgeous. Another win would be sweet and take the sting of being an MD alum this morning.

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Pete's reply: I watched the Maryland game, then was too discouraged to fire up the laptop. Sorry. It was an abomination, but I guess they had it coming after doing the same thing to Cal when the Bears came here in the same situation. The Terps, and Cal, might think twice about those coast-to-coast road openers in the future.

Wow,

O's fan and a MD alum? Why wake up?

"...the grand jury stops wasting its time and our money..."

Brian Roberts admits steroids use, the issue goes away. Andy Pettitte admits steroid use, the issue goes away. Roger Clemens barks protestations at the world, the issue spawns lawsuits. Shocker.

Moreover...we're to all blame for the interest in discovering the "truths" of such things...much like we're all to blame for driving up interest in pro sports to points at which million-dollar salaries are "justifiable".

People starving in Africa? Well, yeah...but they don't play baseball over there.

Moral of the story: people are ridiculous, and I seriously doubt the steroids story will be going anywhere anytime soon...

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Pete's reply: Can't argue with your basic point.

Brian Roberts 2B
Felix Pie CF
Nolan Reimold DH
Nick Markakis RF
Melvin Mora 3B
Ty Wigginton 1B
Jeff Fiorentino LF
Chad Moeller C
Robert Andino SS

I hate this lineup. I hope we win today but I hate watching Wiggy, Andino and Moeller playing at the same time.

tired hearing about clemens, rose, favre, dick cheney, nancy pelosi, manny and a-rod
as madeline kahn said in blazing saddles..i'm tired. may the schmuck be with you.

The question is

who is worse Wiggy or Scott?

Dempsey and Hunter...

Good job Moeller! I take it back... You earned it..

I know right?

Fire them all and Dave Trembley

Dave Trembley would take Sandy Koufax out of the game if the first batter, in the 7th, hit a soft grounder to the SS who booted it and bring in a right handed palooka to pitch to a righty. That's all he knows. He will never develop 9 inning pitchers or 6,7, or 8 inning pitchers.

Somebody needs to buy Reimold and Pie firts basemans mitts for Xmas.Lou Montanez is a >.300 plus hitter with power.