Scott Carson thinks that it would have been better for Clemens to lie low rather than release an 18,000 word report.
When I was a boy, I remember my dad telling me, while walking through a forest that, if I ever stepped into quick-sand to stay still and someone will come and get me. Perhaps someone should impart that type of wisdom on Roger Clemens because from where I sit, he can't help but thrash around.
Not a week goes by now that Clemens and his handlers aren't coming out in the press to defend 'The Rocket' against the allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs in 1998 while with the Blue Jays, and 2000-01 while with the Yankees. But instead of lying low, giving his deposition to U.S. Congress and then, ultimately, making an appearance before the panel, he continues to allow his lawyers and agents to make grandiose public statements and presentations. The latest attempt at spin doctoring, released by his agents a week before he starts answering tough questions in Washington, being a voluminous, 18,000 statistical analysis report of Clemens' career, showing that the spikes in his stats were due to a change in his approach as he got older and not due to alleged steroid and human growth hormone (HGH) use.
It says here that every attempt at PR by the Clemens group has only made him look worse, especially in the court of public opinion where he's been guilty since the Mitchell Report was released. Whether he's giving press conferences, playing taped conversations between Roger and his former trainer/whistle-blower Brian McNamee, or letting his son Koby tell reporters, "It's hard on me, but I can't imagine how hard it is on my dad", perhaps letting the whole episode play out quietly might have been the best course. Apparently, there's not a lot of sympathy for Clemens or his pups among the sporting public.
The fly in the ointment for Clemens may well be his good friend and teammate Andy Pettitte, who was named in the Mitchell Report as having used HGH and was a training partner with Clemens under McNamee. If he continues to tell the truth, which he has to this point, then Clemens may find himself in deep do-do when he finally sits in judgement before the politicians. Let's hope that the truth is finally revealed and we can all move forward and start thinking about what could be a very exciting 2008 season.
A LITTLE HELP FROM THEIR FRIENDS
The recent developments in the trade market have certainly helped the fortunes of the Blue Jays. First of all, despite Orioles' owner Peter Angelos sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, it appears that the O's will send their ace left-hander, Navan, Ontario's Erik Bedard to the Mariners in exchange for outfielder Adam Jones, lefty reliever George Sherrill and a prospect or two. It's never a bad thing when a pitcher of Bedard's ilk is removed from the A.L. East equation, especially when there's a chance that he could have faced the Jays upwards of six times in 2008. But even more important is the deal in principle that would see the Twins send Johan Santana, a perennial Cy Young award winner, to the Mets for four prospects, thus keeping him away from the Red Sox and Yankees. Maybe this truly is the year that things break right for the Jays. After all, it's been 15 years since the Jays last made the playoffs, almost twice as long as it took for them to go from expansion team to A.L. East champion the first time around.
HIGH PRAISE
ESPN and Scouts Inc. Columnist Keith Law - a former assistant to Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi - has been known to give backhanded compliments towards the Jays since leaving the organization. But there's no denying how he feels about the team's top hitting prospect, 2006 first rounder Travis Snider, the first high schooler ever taken in the opening round by Ricciardi. According to Law, Snider, despite just two seasons in the minors, is the second rated hitting prospect behind Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria. At just 20 years old, Snider is fast-tracking his way towards the Rogers Centre and is the highest rated player to have yet to rise above single-A. On an offensively-challenged, predominantly right-handed hitting club, Snider's arrival in the 'Big Smoke' can't happen soon enough. Let's just hope that they don't rush him in order to just make the playoffs. For those of you who make the annual trip to Dunedin to get your baseball fix this March after watching that joke of a hockey team in Toronto all winter, Snider will be with the big club as a non-roster invitee this spring. He'll be the one wearing #16.
