Chris Crockett"0 FOR 3"
May 8th 2009 14:31
Thinking back about 6 or 7 years ago, I remember talking with a friend of mine about the whole topic of steroids in baseball… The discussion really was centered around Barry Bonds, but then led to us just shooting the breeze about, “hey, what about this guy, what about that guy.” We’ve all had these discussions either at work or over a couple of beers out in the yard or at your local establishment. During that discussion that day, Roger Clemens came up and I said “no way.” Nope, Clemens was the epitome of hard work and desire in my eyes. The way he shoved it up Dan Duquette’s rear end after he left here was the stuff legends were made of in my opinion. Whether it be in sports or in any form of life when somebody tells you that you can’t do something, it lights a fire. For a guy like me, that is what it’s all about and I loved that about Clemens. To me, any little edge you can get mentally as an athlete, whether you’re on the big stage or a High School/College player, you use. If that means taking a small thing and blowing it up in your own mind to be a huge dose of disrespect even if it really wasn’t, you do it. I had also said at the time that I would be shocked if Manny or A-Rod ever cheated. In my opinion, they were just naturally that good.
In reading Jeff Pearlman’s book, The Rocket that Fell to Earth, you will come to realize that in those last few years here in Boston, Clemens still worked hard but nothing like in the previous years. He came back after the strike year 20 pounds overweight and started breaking down with little injuries. All injuries he came back from and pitched well enough thereafter but he wasn’t the Rocket. He was heard complaining about getting up at 6 am to take on one of his legendary workouts and said he’d rather be golfing at this point. That being said, he still worked his ass off according to many teammates, but it was clearly not the same Rocket they had known. His fastball was down to 90-91 and it just seemed like Duquette maybe was on point with thinking that the Rocket was slowing down some. Still a damn good pitcher, but slowing down was Duquette's opinion. Well, the rest is history… Clemens became very close with Jose Canseco during his short time in Boston and the two always were discussing steroids and various PED’s. According to various sources Clemens finally pulled the trigger on the PED’s/Steroids after his first year in Toronto, right after he convinced the Toronto GM, Gord Ash, to sign Canseco to a free agent contract. That makes me 0 for 1.
Call me naïve, call me stupid, call me what you want, but two other guys that I just never thought were caught up in this were Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. I flat out just thought that these two were “naturals” when it came to baseball. Chemically enhanced? Never. I just associated PED’s with the raw power goons at the time. The McGwire’s, the Sosa’s, those types of players.
The recent events have been really tough on the game I love the most. Yesterday, a lot of fellow Bostonians were laughing about “Mannywood” and “Manny being Manny in LA”, but I really wasn’t at all. To me, it’s sad. Guys that were as good as Ramirez, A-Rod, and Clemens felt the need to cheat. As Mike Lowell said yesterday, he’s saddened by it all and feels bad for the kids who look up to the big leaguers. Part of me just wishes anyone who wants to stick a needle in themselves and/or take PED’s, were allowed to do so. We should have a “chemically enhanced” league and a “non-chemically enhanced league.” But that would never fly with the cheaters, would it? That would take away their ability to get an edge and be far superior than their peers who play it straight. Sadly now, with A-Rod and Manny being cheaters, that makes me 0 For 3. But, I’ll never be 0 for 4, because now, anyone else who gets caught, won’t be a surprise to me anymore. I whiffed 3 times, they’re won’t be a fourth.
Chuck Hanf
Two Cents From Beantown
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