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September 12, 2007

Under The Knife

The Madness of Crowds

by Will Carroll

I debated a number of ways to start today's column and finally figured it out. You're smart and you don't need to be spoon-fed anything. When I offer my opinions here, they're here as nothing more than that; sometimes I'll make a compelling argument and sometimes I won't, but the facts and analysis of injuries is what I really do. I got roped into the steroid arena because no one else had done it—and as it turns out, that must be for good reason. In his latest ESPN article, Howard Bryant writes about his ... well, I'll just let you read it and make up your own mind.

The only thing I know for certain is that the media, or at least certain sections of it, love the easy attention but simultaneously thoughtless output that the steroid story allows them. Bryant, the author of Juicing The Game, is anything but thoughtless, which is why I offer this column up here. B-12? That's a red herring, one that any journalist could ask Johnny Pesky about. You remember Pesky, that noted juicer. No? Disagree? So do I. It's simply not that simple. It's a nuanced problem that defies the type of knee-jerk responses that seem to be the norm coming out of the press room. I'm just one guy, an accused apologist, but I know you, and that you're smart enough to make up your own mind.

There are a couple of parts to the Roger Clemens story. First and foremost, he's on track to pitch again after informing the team that he threw two bullpen sessions over the weekend. He was in Houston at home, as is his contractual right, and sources tell me that he was working with "his trainer and a couple of other regulars", though I couldn't get names or what kind of "regulars" these are. I'll assume that it's a regular bullpen catcher rather than something more nefarious. It appears that the cortisone shot Clemens got last week worked, at least to some extent, and he's on track to start against the Red Sox this weekend. Clemens is reporting that there's some mild ligament and muscular damage, though Clemens' translation leaves something to be desired as far as medical precision.

The other part of the story is the apparent tension between Clemens and the Yankees staff, most notably between the Rocket and Joe Torre. Clemens was reported to have avoided Torre's calls, and while their relationship has never been close, it's never been unprofessional. On top of this are some whispers that the Hendricks' have started asking around regarding interest in Clemens' services for next year, notably back in Houston. Added up, there's no clear picture on what is going on, but there seldom is with one of history's best pitchers. The only thing for certain is that Clemens loves his own legend as much as he does the game of baseball. If he can have his own bloody sock moment, he'll do it.

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