Astrosdawg07
01-19-2008, 07:50 PM
Justice: Clemens' fate may rest with Pettitte's take
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Through the years, Andy Pettitte has been many things to Roger Clemens. Teammate. Workout partner. Friend.
Clemens appreciated Pettitte's essential decency. He knew Pettitte was someone he could call in the middle of the night if he needed help. Pettitte would ask no questions, make no judgments. He simply would be there.
Clemens has never needed Pettitte more than he needs him now as he fights for his reputation and maybe a lot more.
Unlikely to lie
If Pettitte goes to Capitol Hill next month and testifies that he believes Clemens never used or possessed steroids, Clemens will have taken a huge step toward getting his good name back.
Those of us who know Pettitte don't believe he will lie. Yes, he has lied in the past about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. He wasn't the first to make that mistake and won't be the last.
He was blindsided by a news report linking him to human growth hormone in October 2006, and he reacted badly. He won't do that again. He'll go to Washington and tell the truth, no matter what the truth is. No one could help — or hurt — Clemens more than Pettitte.
Unless investigators have something else on Clemens, this case may come down to corroborating witnesses. Pettitte could be the best Clemens has.
Silence not golden
That Pettitte has remained silent on the topic and allowed his buddy to fight alone doesn't appear to be good news for Clemens. If he could have bailed Clemens out, he surely would have done it by now. Then again, Pettitte may not know anything.
That theory has been a tough sell from the beginning. Pettitte and Clemens have been as close as two teammates can be. They shared the same trainer — Brian McNamee — and approached preparation with the same relentless dedication.
If Pettitte goes to Washington and refuses to discuss Clemens or dances around giving real answers, Clemens could be finished. If Pettitte says he doesn't know anything, we may never know the truth.
At the moment, the lines are drawn. McNamee and Clemens both say they're willing to swear that the other is a liar. If they stick to their stories, the Justice Department could get involved, and that's when someone could be going to jail.
If Clemens is telling the truth, George Mitchell's report on baseball and steroids will become worthless. If he got it wrong on one of the two most famous players named in the report, he will owe Clemens way more than an apology.
However, of the more than 80 players named in the Mitchell Report, only one other — David Justice — has said he was wrongly accused. Everyone else has either fessed up or remained silent.
Not giving an inch
Bud Selig asked Mitchell to do the report on baseball and steroids because he believed Mitchell to be a man above reproach. He's 74 years old and a former federal judge, U.S. attorney and member of the Senate.
He brokered a peace agreement in Northern Ireland and turned down a nomination to the United States Supreme Court. He has spent almost 50 years in public life. In signing off on his report on baseball and steroids, Mitchell is staking his good name on his belief that McNamee is telling the truth about Clemens being a steroid cheat.
What's unclear is how much, if any, other evidence exists. In attacking Mitchell's credibility, in vowing to tell his story under oath, Clemens is telling the world that nothing else exists and that the truth will be his version against McNamee's.
And Mitchell's. Mitchell refused to give an inch during his testimony before Congress on Tuesday. When asked if he continued to "feel comfortable" with McNamee's claims, Mitchell said: "We believe that the statements provided to us were truthful."
Honesty best policy
Mitchell said McNamee "had an overwhelming incentive to tell the truth" because of the threat of prosecution if he were caught lying.
That's true of anyone caught lying to Congress, too. In asking the Justice Department to look into Miguel Tejada's statements to investigators, Congress was also letting Clemens and McNamee know what's on the line.
"We're sending a message to anybody who comes to our committee that they have an obligation to answer questions truthfully," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. "The integrity of the congressional system is at stake."
For Clemens, a lot more than that is on the line. He has mounted a furious defense, lashed out at those who don't believe him and released a secretly recorded conversation with McNamee.
Had McNamee slipped up, Clemens might have been home free. He didn't, though, and as the Feb. 13 hearings approach, it's looking more and more like Pettitte is Clemens' best hope.
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Through the years, Andy Pettitte has been many things to Roger Clemens. Teammate. Workout partner. Friend.
Clemens appreciated Pettitte's essential decency. He knew Pettitte was someone he could call in the middle of the night if he needed help. Pettitte would ask no questions, make no judgments. He simply would be there.
Clemens has never needed Pettitte more than he needs him now as he fights for his reputation and maybe a lot more.
Unlikely to lie
If Pettitte goes to Capitol Hill next month and testifies that he believes Clemens never used or possessed steroids, Clemens will have taken a huge step toward getting his good name back.
Those of us who know Pettitte don't believe he will lie. Yes, he has lied in the past about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. He wasn't the first to make that mistake and won't be the last.
He was blindsided by a news report linking him to human growth hormone in October 2006, and he reacted badly. He won't do that again. He'll go to Washington and tell the truth, no matter what the truth is. No one could help — or hurt — Clemens more than Pettitte.
Unless investigators have something else on Clemens, this case may come down to corroborating witnesses. Pettitte could be the best Clemens has.
Silence not golden
That Pettitte has remained silent on the topic and allowed his buddy to fight alone doesn't appear to be good news for Clemens. If he could have bailed Clemens out, he surely would have done it by now. Then again, Pettitte may not know anything.
That theory has been a tough sell from the beginning. Pettitte and Clemens have been as close as two teammates can be. They shared the same trainer — Brian McNamee — and approached preparation with the same relentless dedication.
If Pettitte goes to Washington and refuses to discuss Clemens or dances around giving real answers, Clemens could be finished. If Pettitte says he doesn't know anything, we may never know the truth.
At the moment, the lines are drawn. McNamee and Clemens both say they're willing to swear that the other is a liar. If they stick to their stories, the Justice Department could get involved, and that's when someone could be going to jail.
If Clemens is telling the truth, George Mitchell's report on baseball and steroids will become worthless. If he got it wrong on one of the two most famous players named in the report, he will owe Clemens way more than an apology.
However, of the more than 80 players named in the Mitchell Report, only one other — David Justice — has said he was wrongly accused. Everyone else has either fessed up or remained silent.
Not giving an inch
Bud Selig asked Mitchell to do the report on baseball and steroids because he believed Mitchell to be a man above reproach. He's 74 years old and a former federal judge, U.S. attorney and member of the Senate.
He brokered a peace agreement in Northern Ireland and turned down a nomination to the United States Supreme Court. He has spent almost 50 years in public life. In signing off on his report on baseball and steroids, Mitchell is staking his good name on his belief that McNamee is telling the truth about Clemens being a steroid cheat.
What's unclear is how much, if any, other evidence exists. In attacking Mitchell's credibility, in vowing to tell his story under oath, Clemens is telling the world that nothing else exists and that the truth will be his version against McNamee's.
And Mitchell's. Mitchell refused to give an inch during his testimony before Congress on Tuesday. When asked if he continued to "feel comfortable" with McNamee's claims, Mitchell said: "We believe that the statements provided to us were truthful."
Honesty best policy
Mitchell said McNamee "had an overwhelming incentive to tell the truth" because of the threat of prosecution if he were caught lying.
That's true of anyone caught lying to Congress, too. In asking the Justice Department to look into Miguel Tejada's statements to investigators, Congress was also letting Clemens and McNamee know what's on the line.
"We're sending a message to anybody who comes to our committee that they have an obligation to answer questions truthfully," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. "The integrity of the congressional system is at stake."
For Clemens, a lot more than that is on the line. He has mounted a furious defense, lashed out at those who don't believe him and released a secretly recorded conversation with McNamee.
Had McNamee slipped up, Clemens might have been home free. He didn't, though, and as the Feb. 13 hearings approach, it's looking more and more like Pettitte is Clemens' best hope.