Report: Selig Prepared To Ban A-Rod For Life Today or Tomorrow

From Bob Nightengale:

Commissioner Bud Selig is prepared to levy a lifetime suspension on New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, while suspending about eight others before the weekend, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports.

The people were unauthorized to speak publicly because no announcement is expected until Thursday or Friday.

"I hope he does it,'' former Commissioner Fay Vincent told USA TODAY Sports. "It's right for baseball. The harder he comes down, the better it is for baseball.''

Rodriguez, according to his attorney, David Cornwell, will appeal any suspension, regardless of the severity. The other players are expected to receive 50-game bans, and most are considering accepting the discipline without appealing, according to one of the people.

As many as 20 players were originally linked to Biogenesis, a Miami clinic that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs, but some players could not be disciplined for lack of evidence.

Besides Rodriguez, All-Stars Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers and Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers are facing possible suspensions, along with shortstop Everth Cabrera of the San Diego Padres.

...

In banning Rodriguez for life Selig could invoke Article XII (B) of the CBA, which states:

"Players may be disciplined for just cause for conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of baseball, including, but not limited to, engaging in conduct in violation of federal, state or local law.''

MLB will contend that, in addition to lying about performance-enhancing drug use, Rodriguez lied to MLB officials while attempting to sabotage their investigation, according to one of the people.

When asked if MLB is planning to impose a lifetime ban on Rodriguez, union executive director Michael Weiner said in an email: "I can neither confirm nor deny.''

This could all go down as soon as today so stay tuned.

What are you hoping happens? Do you want to see A-Rod in pinstripes ever again?

Major League Baseball Expected To Suspend A-Rod, Many Others

From Jon Heyman:

Alex Rodriguez, who once appeared on his way to breaking baseball's all-time home run record, is all but assured of a Biogenesis-related MLB ban being levied against him -- quite possibly more than the usual 50 games for first-time offenders -- people familiar with the case say.

Rodriguez is expected to be one of up to 15 or so players to receive suspensions by MLB when they are announced, possibly within a couple weeks. All the suspensions could be announced simultaneously.

Rodriguez declined to answer the questions of MLB investigators when they interviewed him, sources told CBSSports.com, as did perhaps most of the other players linked to the PED case. The players union believes baseball's Jenkins Rule allows players not to answer MLB investigators' questions, and players are being advised that their answers could be used against them in a possible appeals process or additional legal matter.

A-Rod, Brewers star Ryan Braun -- the other high-profile player linked to the case -- and most other players involved publicly denied they received performance-enhancing drugs from now-defunct Biogenesis or its proprietor, Tony Bosch, who became a witness for MLB in the case.

Any Biogenesis-related suspension based on so-called "non-analytic positives" (not triggered by a positive test) is subject to appeal -- though the likelihood now is that suspension announcements would be made before any appeals. Players union chief Michael Weiner told the New York Daily News, speaking generally and not necessarily about A-Rod, that appeals aren't necessarily automatic, explaining that in cases where the evidence is overwhelming the player might simply accept a suspension.

...

'I don't think he's going to beat the suspension back to the field,' one person connected to Rodriguez said...

...Sources who have spoken to Rodriguez say the Yankees third baseman is expecting a suspension, though he hasn't said that publicly.

MLB people declined to comment, except to say its investigators are going where the evidence takes them.

MLB appears to be readying bans which likely will be based on the drug-test failure standard:

•First offense: 50 games
•Second offense: 100 games
•Third offense: Lifetime ban

...

"MLB has receipts, checks, the whole nine yards," a person with ties to an investigated player said.

"He's looking at a lengthy suspension," another player-connected source said about A-Rod.

I know people have been saying this was going to happen for months, and then nothing would happen, but this time I think the shit is finally about to hit the fan for A-Rod and the rest of his merry band of cheaters. And I can honestly say I don't care. If this idiot cheated again, he deserves whatever he gets, and probably should just retire and save us all the future head aches.

UPDATE: Bruan has been suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season.

MLB Preparing to Suspend Players Linked To Biogenesis, Including A-Rod

Here's the story via ESPN:

In case you were wondering about Cano, John Harper reports that he isn't part of this upcoming wave of suspensions because "according to a Yankee source, there has been no indication from MLB that Robinson Cano is in danger of being suspended." Hopefully, that is true.

By now I'm sure we're all pretty sick of A-Rod and everything that has come along with him. I know I am, and I don't care if he's suspended. The Yankees probably don't care either.

Rumor: A-Rod, Cano, Granderson To Be Suspended For PEDs

Ummmmm, what????

Now, before you start with the whole "Who the hell is this guy and why would he know?" stuff, he happened to report the Melky Cabrera suspension a month before it happened, so there is a slight chance that this is legit. It's probably not true, but honestly, I don't know what to think.

Here's some backstory from Joe.

Schilling: Members of Red Sox organization encouraged me to use PEDs

From WEEI:

Curt Schilling, in a Wednesday interview on ESPN Radio, said toward the end of his tenure with the Red Sox he was encouraged to use performance-enhancing drugs by “members of the organization.”

“At the end of my career, in 2008 when I had gotten hurt, there was a conversation that I was involved in in which it was brought to my attention that this is a potential path I might want to pursue,” Schilling told Colin Cowherd.

Asked for more details, Schilling said the conversation occurred in the clubhouse and involved “former members of the organization — they’re no longer there. It was an incredibly uncomfortable conversation. Because it came up in the midst of a group of people. The other people weren’t in the conversation but they could clearly hear the conversation. And it was suggested to me that at my age and in my situation, why not? What did I have to lose? Because if I wasn’t going to get healthy, it didn’t matter. And if I did get healthy, great.

“It caught me off guard, to say the least. That was an awkward situation.”

Schilling also was asked about A-Rod and said he believes his career is over:

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to play physically this year anyway [after offseason hip surgery]. I really don’t,” Schilling said. “But I would be shocked if he [ever played again] — not shocked, I’d be surprised. I think he’s done. I think he’s done because I think everybody that has a say in him coming back wants him to be done.”

Schilling said there were always questions about Rodriguez shortly after he broke into the big leagues as a teenager.

“Given where he came from, from a college perspective, and given all the stuff that’s coming out, and it seems that Florida is a hotbed for a lot of this stuff — I know there were always questions,” Schilling said. “There were a couple of guys that were in the conversation well before this became a topic of conversation. There were a couple of guys that guys wondered early in their careers, that were in the conversation.”

Well, we know this report is going to piss off Red Sox fans, and if you check the comments section over on WEEI you'd see it already has. However, it wouldn't surprise me if this occurred in many clubhouses over the last 20+ years, even the Yankees'.

A-Rod: Everyone is just out to get me

From the NY Daily News:

Alex Rodriguez is taking his wildest swing yet in his fight against steroid allegations: The Yankees and MLB are conspiring to push him out of the game.

Sources say the embattled Yankee star is “scared” that bigger forces are at work to try to discredit him and sink his career. Holed up in Miami, Rodriguez has been huddling with an army of lawyers and PR people as the performance-enhancing drug scandal enveloping him intensifies.

“He’s scared, because he thinks this is so unbelievably false, and he’s wondering who could be behind this,” said a source, referring to last week’s Miami New Times report linking A-Rod to an alleged Miami-area performance-enhancing drug scandal. “He thinks something could be going on larger than anyone might think.”

The source added that Rodriguez is wondering if the Yankees or even Major League Baseball are behind the latest controversy.

A-Rod’s concerns intensified as agents from MLB’s Department of Investigations met in Miami Monday with editors of Miami New Times, a weekly newspaper that posted hand-written records and files last Tuesday linking Rodriguez and several other players to Anthony Bosch, a self-described “biochemist” who is being investigated by baseball and federal authorities for possibly providing performance-enhancing drugs to the players.

To be quite honest, I don't really buy this story. One reason, the NY Post of all papers, had a much different take on the situation including quotes from named sources, mainly Brian Cashman:

The Yankees have been cagey about Alex Rodriguez’s spring-training schedule, and they intend to stay that way.

Mindful of the heat generated by the recent Miami New Times story alleging massive illegal performance-enhancing drug usage by Rodriguez, the Yankees will give the public no advance warning of their rehabilitating third baseman’s whereabouts.

“I’m not going to say to try and keep away the extra, whatever you want to call it, paparazzi, whatever it is, the stakeout, wherever he is working out,” general manager Brian Cashman said last night at the Hard Rock Café in Manhattan, where the Yankees held a fundraiser for WCBS-AM radio producer-engineer Carlos Silva, who is battling cancer. “That’s the only reason I’m not going to say where he is going to be on a given day.”

So if the Yankees are trying to protect him, how would they be trying to derail his career at the same time? Either way, this story is a complete clusterf*ck that nobody needed this close to spring training. Also, if you haven't heard, Ryan Braun, Francisco Cervelli and Jesus Montero were also linked to this PED clinic.

In other, completely unrelated news, did you know you can buy Yankees tickets from Sliding Into Home? Well you can. Check out the banner on the right for the best deals on tickets to all spring training and regular season games.

ESPN: Bosch Injected A-Rod With HGH

From T.J. Quinn:

The texts, the source said, usually came late at night, telling Anthony Bosch to come to the house. Bosch would then head to the waterfront mansion on Biscayne Bay, through the gate on North Bay Road, to inject performance-enhancing drugs into Alex Rodriguez.

Procedures were different, though, sources told "Outside the Lines," for the other athletes who were customers of Bosch's Biogenesis of America clinic in Coral Gables, which Major League Baseball considers the center of a widespread doping operation in South Florida. Those athletes, sources said, relied on intermediaries to transport the performance-enhancing drug regimens Bosch provided.

But for A-Rod, the service was always personal: "Only Tony handled A-Rod," one source told "Outside the Lines."

The visits took place every few weeks. One night last spring, a source said, Bosch told associates he had been kicked out of Rodriguez's home after he had trouble locating a vein, infuriating the player. The sources did not say why Bosch would have been tapping a vein, as HGH and testosterone do not require intravenous injections. But whatever he was doing, "Tony said A-Rod was pissed at him," a source said. "He said he was bleeding everywhere."

Several sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Bosch spoke openly about his relationship with the Yankees All-Star, and two sources said that documents they reviewed detailed the drug regimens and schedules Rodriguez received.

A spokesperson for Rodriguez on Friday said "the allegations are not true."

...

Bosch termed the allegations against him "bull----" and "all wrong" when reached by "Outside the Lines." His attorney, Susy Ribero-Ayala, also put out a statement denying the allegations and told "Outside the Lines'' that Bosch wouldn't be talking "any time very soon."

This story keeps getting worse for A-Rod.

A-Rod Linked To Recent PED Use, Denies Everything

From Andrew Marchand:

The Miami New Times, in a long investigative piece, has details that suggest Rodriguez had close ties with Anthony Bosch, a South Florida nutritionist. The story says Rodriguez has made PED transactions as recently as during the 2012 season.

...

Bosch has been under suspicion for a long time. Bosch allegedly gave Manny Ramirez the women's fertility drug that ultimately led to his first suspension in 2009. MLB is investigating Bosch's practices.

The New Times writes about specific times when Rodriguez allegedly made transactions with Bosch for performance-enhancing drugs. In Bosch's files, Rodriguez was listed as "Alex Rodriguez," "Alex Rod" or a nickname, "Cacique," a pre-Columbian Caribbean chief. Rodriguez's name appears 16 times in the records the New Times obtained:

Take, for instance, one patient list from Bosch's 2009 personal notebook. It charts more than 50 clients and notes whether they received their drugs by delivery or in the office, how much they paid, and what they were taking.

There, at number seven on the list, is Alex Rodriguez. He paid $3,500, Bosch notes. Below that, he writes, "1.5/1.5 HGH (sports perf.) creams test., glut., MIC, supplement, sports perf. Diet." HGH, of course, is banned in baseball, as are testosterone creams.

That's not the only damning evidence against A-Rod, though. Another document from the files, a loose sheet with a header from the 19th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging and Aesthetic Medicine, lays out a full regimen under the name Cacique: "Test. cream ... troches prior to workout ... and GHRP ... IGF-1 ... pink cream."

IGF-1 is a banned substance in baseball that stimulates insulin production and muscle growth. Elsewhere in his notebook, Bosch spells out that his "troches," a type of drug lozenge, include 15 percent testosterone; pink cream, he writes, is a complex formula that also includes testosterone. GHRP is a substance that releases growth hormones.

There's more evidence. On a 2009 client list, near A-Rod's name, is that of Yuri Sucart, who paid Bosch $500 for a weeklong supply of HGH. Sucart is famous to anyone who has followed baseball's steroid scandal. Soon after A-Rod's admission, the slugger admitted that Sucart -- his cousin and close friend -- was the mule who provided the superstar his drugs. In 2009, the same year this notebook was written, Sucart (who lives in South Miami and didn't respond to a message left at his home) was banned from all Yankees facilities.

The mentions of Rodriguez begin in 2009 and continue all the way through last season.

Melky Cabrera, Yasmani Grandal, Barolo Colon, Nelson Cruz, and Gio Gonzalez were also linked to PED use in the report.

As you might expect, A-Rod is saying the report isn't true and his spokesman has issued this statement:

"The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Bosch are not true. Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch’s patient, he was never treated by him and he was never advised by him. The purported documents referenced in the story -- at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez -- are not legitimate."

It's hard for me to believe that he would be THAT stupid, but then again, people do stupid things. If it is true, I'd hope the Yankees could do something to void his contract because I know that we've all had enough of A-Rod's crap already. Speaking of which, an article in Forbes today get into the specifics of how something like that could be done:

The question now becomes whether the Yankee’s may have cause to void Rodriguez’s contract? Article 7 of the Major League Uniform Player’s Contract specifically states that:

7.(b) The Club may terminate [a] contract upon written notice to the Player (but only after requesting and obtaining waivers of this contract from all other Major League Clubs) if the Player shall at any time: (1) fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition or to obey the Club’s training rules.

Article 3 of the contract also specifically states that:

3.(a) The Player agrees to perform his services hereunder diligently and faithfully, to keep himself in first-class physical condition and to obey the Club’s training rules, and pledges himself to the American public and to the Club to conform to high standards of personal conduct, fair play and good sportsmanship.

It can easily be argued that the illegal usage of performance enhancing drugs may be construed as a failure to “keep himself in first-class physical condition” as well as a blatant violation to “conform to high standards of personal conduct”. Presuming that the Yankees can prove that Rodriguez misrepresented himself for not only failing to admit his usage of PEDs with the Rangers, but than subsequently lying that he never used them again with their organization, they may be able to at the very least shift the remainder of Rodriguez’s salary to a non-guaranteed deal.

Of course, from a legal prospective, unless the MLB and Yankees can come up with hard evidence of his usage of the drugs, the MLBPA will offer significant protection to Rodriguez.

Hard evidence will be hard to obtain, but if true let's just hope the Miami New Times did their due diligence and published a story that is based on something tangible.

Jeter Responds To Skip Bayless and His Stupid Comments

In case you did not know, here's what Skip said yesterday on First Take:


In this second video you can hear Jeter's response and Skip & Stephen A's reaction to said response:


It would seem that Skip's real issue--besides being an idiot--is with MLB and their lack of HGH testing, which I think we all can agree with, however, making Jeter your target is just ridiculous. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, it's Jeter.

Bartolo Colon Suspended For PEDs

Here's the latest from the athletes are morons department via the AP:

Former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon of the Oakland Athletics was suspended for 50 games Wednesday after testing positive for testosterone.

...

"I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A's," Colon said in a statement released by the players' association. "I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program."

He will miss the final 40 games of the regular season and the first 10 games of the postseason if Oakland advances that far. Any remainder of the suspension would be served in a future season, if Colon signs another major league contract.

"It's a shock," Oakland reliever Grant Balfour said. "He's a guy that we're definitely relying on right now. I guess you could say it's bad timing any time, but especially now."

Oakland, which hasn't made the playoffs since 2006, began Wednesday a half-game out in the AL wild-card race. The A's were preparing for an afternoon series finale with the Minnesota Twins at the Coliseum when they got the news from the clubhouse TVs. A closed-door team meeting was quickly called.

"The Oakland Athletics are disappointed to learn of today's suspension," the team said in a statement.

The 39-year-old Colon is 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts this season, his first with the A's, and has a 171-122 record in 15 big league seasons. He was due to start Thursday in Tampa.

Seriously, what the **** is wrong with these guys?

Melky Cabrera Tests Positive For PEDs, Suspended 50 Games

Here's a quote from the Melky:

"My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used ... I am deeply sorry for my mistake."

Thanks for stating the obvious, you cheater. Anyone who watched him as a Yankee should have known something was a little fishy by his numbers this year.

Reggie blasts PED users, others, in new SI Article

From Phil Taylor:

It's when Jackson is plunging into touchy issues that some of the Reggie of old emerges; the only difference is that the star no longer has as big a stage. Over a plate of seafood at an oceanside restaurant in Monterey, he casually mentions that he plans to bring up the issue of undeserving members of the Hall of Fame at the next members-only dinner in Cooperstown. He believes that the Baseball Writers Association of America, whose members vote for the Hall, have adopted too low a standard. "I didn't see Kirby Puckett as a Hall of Famer," he says. "I didn't see Gary Carter as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Don Sutton as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Phil Niekro as a Hall of Famer. As much as I like Jim Rice, I'm not so sure he's a Hall of Famer." What about Bert Blyleven? "No. No, no, no, no," Jackson says. "Blyleven wasn't even the dominant pitcher of his era -- it was Jack Morris."
...

He isn't silent on the subject of steroids in baseball either. Jackson makes no secret of his displeasure that since his retirement in 1987, he has been passed on the home run list by seven players, five of whom, Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa, have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs. "I don't think the fans really count them, and I agree," he says. "I believe that Hank Aaron is the home run king, not Barry Bonds, as great a player as Bonds was." Jackson was a supporter of Bonds (who is a distant cousin) as recently as 2007, when he said, "They tried to get this guy more than anybody ... and they've got nothing on him." But he says now that the volume of evidence against Bonds is so great that he has changed his mind.

And A-Rod? "Al's a very good friend," Jackson says. "But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his usage does cloud some of his records."

There is little need to ask whether Jackson thinks any of the PED-linked players should be inducted into the Hall. "If any of those guys get in, no Hall of Famer will attend," he says. There is only one player in that category for whom he might make an exception. "The question is going to be a guy like Andy Pettitte, who admitted that he got involved for a while, but who is so universally respected in the game. I think he'll get in, but there will be a lot of [members] who won't go." Would Reggie? Jackson takes a deep breath. "He's an awfully good friend," he says. "I've known Andy since he was 20. I'll leave it there."

I agree with everything he said except I don't think Andy Pettitte is any different than A-Rod or any other cheater. In my opinion if you did PED's you don't belong in the HOF. I'm not saying you can't root for these guys--I do--but when it comes to the HOF, that's where I would draw the line.

Clemens Trial: Not Guilty On All Counts

From The Associated Press:

Roger Clemens has been acquitted on all charges by a jury that decided he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Jurors returned their verdict Monday after close to 10 hours of deliberation. The outcome brings an end to a 10-week trial that capped an expensive, five-year investigation into one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball.

The 49-year-old Clemens was accused of perjury, making false statements and obstructing Congress when he testified at a deposition and at a nationally-televised hearing in February 2008. The charges centered on his repeated denials that he used steroids and human growth hormone during his 24-year career.

The verdict is the latest blow to the government's pursuit of athletes accused of drug use.

And the United States Justice system continues to be an embarrassment to all citizens of this great nation. Clemens cheated, he knew he cheated, and he lied about it to Congress. Somehow the painfully obvious was lost on these 12 idiots.

"Hey Rusty, I can't believe they bought it."

Mistrial Declared in the Roger Clemens Case

For the details, I'll turn to ESPN:

Is this the real reason Pettitte may retire?

This article comes from Bob Klapisch, who wondered how the upcoming Roger Clemens trial may have impacted Pettitte's decision to return or retire.

One theory circulating at Yankee Stadium is that Pettitte is spooked by none other than Roger Clemens. Knowing he’s going to be the government’s star witness this summer might be enough to force Pettitte into hiding – especially if Clemens decides he’s going to take his former buddy down with him.

The trial, which is set to begin in July, figures to be a doozy. Unless The Rocket has a change of heart (or tactics), he’s going to swear he never used HGH or steroids. Those who’ve testified otherwise, including Brian McNamee and Pettitte, will be cast as witnesses with bad memories or are just flat-out lying.

Pettitte, however, gave Congress a sworn deposition, during which he said Clemens talked to him about using HGH in 1999, at The Rocket’s home in Houston.

Clemens says Pettitte “mis-remembered” that conversation. Therein lies his defense strategy: for Clemens to prevail, he’ll have to destroy Pettitte’s credibility. One person who’s known the left-hander for many years said: “You think that’s not weighing on Andy’s mind? Who knows what Clemens is going to dig up?”

Indeed, the dual burden of facing Clemens in court and then taking the mound in the Bronx might be too much for Pettitte. After 16 years, he might be thinking there’s no reason to fight two wars, not this late in his career, not at this point in his life.

Like Klapisch said, they're going to have to "destroy Pettitte's credibility", and it's not going to be pretty. Anything Andy's done throughout his career that doesn't fit the mold that Andy Pettitte represents in public will come out in court, and all thanks to his good pal Roger.

I can't blame Andy for getting spooked. Knowing that potential nightmare was only a few months away would probably drive me into hiding, too.

MLB Investigating Nova Over B-12 Shots

From George A. King III:

Major League Baseball is investigating Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova and minor league hurler Wilkin De La Rosa for allegedly injecting each other with B-12 shots last season when they were teammates in Trenton (Double-A), The Post has learned.

Though B-12 isn’t on the list of baseball’s banned substances, only licensed physicians are allowed to inject medication. And MLB wants to make sure that the shots were indeed B-12.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he was unaware of the investigation, and MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said, “We don’t discuss the work of our investigative group.’’

If you remember, Roger Clemens claimed that he was only using B-12, and there were also stories that B-12 was clubhouse slang for steroids..... Maybe that's where that fastball came from.

The Game Ain't Clean Yet

Kinda fitting that this would come out around the same time as Clemens indictment... Marlins catcher Ronny Paulino has been suspended for 50 games after failing a drug test.

Paulino tested positive for an unspecified performance-enhancing substance and his suspension begins immediately, MLB announced Friday.
...

Paulino is the second major league player suspended for drug policy violations this year but the first one who will actually miss time because of it. The Reds' Edinson Volquez drew a 50-game ban in April but he already was on the disabled list after undergoing surgery last year and didn't return to the field until after the All-Star break anyway.

According to Biz of Baseball, 75 minor leaguers have been suspended for drug violations this season.

When are these morons going to get it and stop cheating?

I'm starting to think it's time for MLB to implement a one strike and your out rule. Maybe then these players will wake the hell up.

Clemens Indicted

From Michael S. Schmidt:

A federal grand jury has indicted Roger Clemens on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The 19-page indictment charges Clemens with three counts of making false statements and two counts of perjury in connection with his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. According to the United States attorney’s office, Clemens faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, but under the current sentencing guidelines, a conviction would likely bring 15-21 months.

Clemens’s allegedly false testimony came in a public hearing in which Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee, testifying under oath, directly contradicted each other about whether Clemens had used the banned substances.

“Americans have a right to expect that witnesses who testify under oath before Congress will tell the truth,” United States Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. said in a statement announcing the indictment. “Our government cannot function if witnesses are not held accountable for false statements made before Congress. Today the message is clear: if a witness makes a choice to ignore his or her obligation to testify honestly, there will be consequences.”

The authorities will not seek to arrest Clemens. According to a spokesman for the United States attorney’s office, Clemens will be asked to appear at arraignment through a judicial summons. The spokesman said that a date had not been set for the arraignment although it could be set later today. The congressional hearing at the heart of the indictment came just two months after McNamee first tied Clemens to the use of the substances in George J. Mitchell’s report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. After Mitchell released the report, Clemens claimed McNamee made up the allegations.

The same thing happened to Barry Bonds and it was only a matter of time before these lies caught up with Clemens. Don't look at me for any sympathy, this lying idiot deserves whatever he gets. He'll always be a Red Sock anyway.

But if you thought perjury charges would be enough to get this guy to put a halt on those lies, well you'd be wrong:

I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress. I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court.

Rocket

Whatever you say, Roger.

Two Opinions on A-Rod's 600th

First, from one of the greatest players who ever lived, Willie Mays:

"That's good. Tell him good luck," Mays told the Daily News shortly after A-Rod clocked Shaun Marcum's 2-0 pitch over the center-field wall, putting the third baseman 60 behind Mays. "I got there a long time ago."

"I've said that once he hit it, everything was going to be fine," added Mays. "I'm sure there was a little pressure. He probably didn't want to admit that. I know about that when I was going through the same thing. He'll be fine. He's been a good player for a long time."

Mays cut off any questions about A-Rod's record being viewed as tainted after Rodriguez admitted last year to using PEDs while he played for Texas from 2001-03.

"You called about the hit and I've talked about that," said Mays, 79. "We need to support him."

And now for something completely different via David Wells:

"It takes away from it," says David Wells, who along with Ramon Ortiz and Bartolo Colon has allowed the most homers to Rodriguez, eight apiece. "Normally, I'm fired up about people getting those milestone numbers, pitcher or hitter, but this just takes away from it. It'll be just another number for me and, if you're dirty, it's not going to be the same for most fans, either."

...

"How much of that stuff helped him out?" Wells says. "That's what gets me. He's put up a lot of big numbers against a lot of people and made a lot of money. Is it fair he has that contract? How much was legit? That's the bigger picture."

The fact that Mays, and many other guys from his era, are so forgiving still surprises me.

I was happy for A-Rod yesterday, but I can't say I felt the same way I did about his 500th since I now know he cheated. At that point, he was going to be the guy to clean up the record books. Now, he's just another name on the list connected to steroids. Either way, I'm just glad he finally hit it and that the Yankees can now move on and focus on winning.

What are your thoughts on A-Rod's 600th?

Lupica Strikes Back (with More Shoddy Journalism)!

This article comes from Mike Lupica, and was in this Sunday's paper.

Alex Rodriguez is supposed to start hitting home runs in bunches soon, the same as Mark Teixeira is, A-Rod currently one behind Teixeira. The two of them, total contract value, are about half-a-billion dollars of corner infielders, the most expensive bookends in all of sports history. As you might imagine, home runs are sort of part of their deals.

Players have been paid to hit home runs since Babe Ruth's heyday - this is nothing new.

It means Rodriguez could be at 600 homers before the month is out, at which point the city and the Yankees will be expected to come to a dead stop, mostly because there is money to be made off a magic number like that.

There's money to be made from any athletic accomplishment, really. This isn't different from any other milestone in Major League Baseball - people turned out to see an ineffective, over-the-hill Craig Biggio accumulate 3,000 hits.

At least it used to be a magic number.

The 600 Home Run Club used to be one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports, a club that was about as easy to get into as Augusta National. Because here were the three players in that club, for an awfully long time in baseball:

Henry Aaron.

Amphetamines.

Babe Ruth.

Hookers and booze (when booze was illegal).

Willie Mays.

Amphetamines.

So you could have argued that here was this one small club that included the three greatest players in history, though it wouldn't have been much of an argument.

And all three of them broke the law, though I get the feeling that this will get glossed over, as is the norm.

But when A-Rod, who was sitting on 591 through Wednesday night's game - and just eight for this season - gets to 600, there will be seven members of the club. Along with Aaron, Ruth and Mays, you will have Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa and A-Rod.

I assume you're going to gloss over the fact that Griffey's bodily breakdown can be easily compared to the sorts of injuries associated with steroid use/abuse… but I'll keep my fingers grossed, so long as you're slinging around slander and assumptions.

Please keep in mind that I'm not dragging Griffey through the mud here - I just feel that his free pass is a bit baffling.

A-Rod is an admitted user of steroids, even though he never actually used the word when he went to his media confession in the spring of 2009. "We knew we weren't taking Tic Tac's," he said at the time, talking about the "Boli" he says he took in Texas - but only in Texas! - and the phantom cousin who administered it to him over three full seasons.

Why should he use the word "steroids?" What is there to gain from that?

And why harp on the three-year use of steroids? Rodriguez hasn't tested positive for anything since joining the Yankees, he hasn't lost or gained noticeable amounts of weight, and he hasn't suffered any steroid-related injuries… I guess that's not important, though.

I've also noticed a trend wherein you seem to forget things that have happened. Rodriguez's so-called "phantom cousin" spoke to the media, appearing in interviews both alone and with Rodriguez.

Bonds only admits to accidentally using a steroid called "The Clear," saying he thought he was only taking flaxseed oil, because, hey, who hasn't made a simple mistake like that?

You've never accidentally drank from someone else's glass? Or ate from someone else's dish? Or ate something that you were allergic to? Or taken a laxative instead of a Tylenol?

I'm not defending Bonds' shenanigans, but I do believe that such a mistake could be made - particularly if you have a strict regiment of supplements as most professional athletes do… it can be overwhelming.

But unless you believe that the book "Game of Shadows," which detailed Bonds' steroid regimen, is a work of fiction, Bonds is a drug cheat, too, him and his ridiculous home run surge after the age of 35.

And if "Game of Shadows" is a work of fiction, Bonds would have sued the authors by now, right?

Litigation costs a great deal of time and money. It results in heartache and headlines. It involves dragging the names of yourself and your loved ones through the mud. This must be irrelevant.

Then there is Sosa, who hit 60 home runs three times in four seasons and sits at 609 career home runs. He says he never used illegal performance-enhancing drugs, no sir, swear on a Bible.

And he's never been caught or implicated in any significant way.

And if you believe that, you believe that it's only a coincidence that his appearance starts to make the name "Lady Gaga" come to mind. Stop me if you've heard this one, but Sosa is the latest sports example of the old country line:

Who you gonna believe, me or your own lyin' eyes?

Wouldn't assuming that Sosa - who never tested positive for PEDs and wasn't named in the Mitchell Report - used PEDs be trusting your "lyin' eyes?"

There has never been a hint of drug use with Junior Griffey, and I hope there never is, even if the moment in sports has long since passed where you can be sure about anybody or anything.

Well… you sort of mentioned it. I mean, aside from his Rodriguez-like bulking over the course of his career and steroid-esque injuries, there's no reason to assume that Griffey used PEDs.

Always remember the idiotic theorizing, after "Game of Shadows," that we just had to wait a few years for A-Rod to eventually break Bonds' record of 762 home runs, maybe even be the first guy to 800, so that the all-time home run record would once again be as pure as it was when it belonged to Aaron, Ruth, Mays.

Aaron - amphetamines. Ruth - hookers and (illegal) booze. Mays - amphetamines.

Pure.

By the way? "Pure" with The Babe obviously refers to the time in his day between the first pitch of the game and the last out. A lot of the rest of his time, if you believe the books on him the way you do "Game of Shadows," he was as much of a legendary slob as he was a home run hitter.

Only it didn't matter much at the time because he was the biggest and most famous athlete in the country, he was "The House That Ruth Built," he was the real beginning of the Yankees, the biggest brand in all of sports.

Rodriguez is pretty freakin' famous. He may not be the most well-known athlete in the country, but he's certainly up there.

With the Babe, people didn't want to know what they didn't want to know, the same as they didn't want to know what Mickey Mantle was doing until the bars closed, and often after that.

That the media has entirely changed course over the last thirty or so years should be linked with Rodriguez, obviously.

With A-Rod, fans know.

They sure do.

But they no longer seem to care too much, the guy has already gotten complete absolution now that he put the Yankees back on top. All has been forgiven, for the only reason that mattered to Yankee fans in Ruth's day, in Mantle's day.

Why should they care?

I (and it would appear you) am of the mindset that a majority of players at least attempted to gain a competitive edge by using some sort of PED. If that's the case, was there really a competitive edge at all? If PEDs work wonders, why have so many of those caught been middling ballplayers?

I don't see anyone writing an article looking for some sort of sick retribution from Jack Cust or Jerry Hairston Jr.

He is one of theirs. He helps the Yankees win. It doesn't make Yankee fans remotely unusual.

The vast majority of the fans of every other Major League Baseball organization seem to share this sort of not-caring outlook.

Even though you have to say that The 600 Home Run Club ain't what it used to be. The way The 500 Home Run Club ain't what it used to be. And never will be again.

Nor is any other milestone "club."

Nothing against Jim Thome, who's currently sitting at 569 home runs, which means 17 behind Frank Robinson and four behind Harmon Killebrew, but have you watched Thome for one minute of his career and thought you were watching one of the great sluggers of all time, and a future Hall of Famer?

Are you asking me? Well I'm going to answer anyway - yes.

Thome hit baseballs as far as any player that I've ever seen. He worked counts, used the whole field, and appears to be the consummate professional. He's personable, outgoing, and gregarious. Check out the numbers: 67.5 WAR (65th all-time), 146 OPS+ (44th), and a .406 wOBA. Great stuff.

Thome is 39 now and with the Twins and probably won't hit 31 home runs from now until the end of his career. But how do you keep him out of Cooperstown if he gets to 600? Or even if he doesn't hit another one and quits next week the way Junior quit last week?

I wouldn't keep Thome out of the Hall of Fame.

Here are the top 14 home run hitters of all time, from Bonds to Manny Ramirez:

Bonds.

Aaron.

Amphetamines.

Ruth.

Hookers and booze.

Mays.

Amphetamines.

Griffey.

Sosa.

A-Rod.

Robinson.

Amphetamines.

McGwire.

Killebrew.

Palmeiro.

Thome.

Reggie.

Booze, amphetamines, and adultery.

Manny.

There are some serious scumbags on that list, eh?

Six of the guys on that list, nearly half, are either known drug guys or suspects.

Why aren't amphetamines drugs?

If A-Rod stays healthy, he will eventually climb over everybody. It will be 600 this season and 700 in a few seasons and then who knows? His story - and he is, by God, sticking to it - is that he only used performance-enhancing drugs for those three seasons in Texas because of the pressure of living up to his huge contract.

And why are we supposed to believe him on this?

Why shouldn't we believe him? What has he done to earn this venom?

It's a good question, when you think about it.

Why?

This list, these inflated numbers that go with the inflated bodies, is as much a record of this time in baseball as George Mitchell's report. Bonds. Sosa. McGwire. Rafael Palmeiro, the drug cheat who pointed a finger at Congress and said he'd never used steroids and then turned up positive. Manny Ramirez got busted eventually for a taking a female fertility drug, a known companion to steroids.

You cite the Mitchell Report as a resource… yet only Bonds was listed there. You may need new interns, as your research as a whole seems incredibly shoddy.

Hall of Famers, Hall of Shamers. Same club.

Why do the names and indiscretions I've pointed out mean so little to you?

I was standing near the batting cage at the old Stadium a few years ago with Reggie Jackson. It is worth pointing out again that when he played, he looked like a tight end in a baseball uniform. Now he stands there at the batting cage and looks like a leadoff man.

Reggie Jackson is 64-years old. He last played Major League Baseball on 4 October 1987. Perhaps that has something to do with it?

Reggie retired with 563 home runs. Check the list. It means he got passed by Thome.

Jim Thome was a better hitter than Jackson. Look it up.

He said that day, "When I retired with my 563, there were five guys ahead of me: Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Frank, Killebrew. Now I'm getting passed like I'm standing still."

I hate to pick on Jackson further - but he is standing still. He hasn't played a game in nearly twenty-three years.

A-Rod passed him that way last season. He is still just 34 years old. The home runs will keep coming, the home runs a lot easier for him to talk about than why he needed to see Dr. Tony Galea, the patron saint of human growth hormone, when he was recovering from hip surgery.

The question on that one isn't about A-Rod, it's for him:

Why?

Galea is a world-renowned doctor, and Rodriguez has been urged to stay quiet on the matter due to a criminal investigation.

He is one of the best players of all time. He goes with the top Yankees of all time. He is in that club. The 600 Home Run Club soon.

How are you going to feel about that, really, when the magic moment finally arrives?

Pretty damn excited.