Why does Roger Clemons get a pass on steroid accusations? 40+ yrs still pitching?

Question

As hard as pitching is on the shoulder and elbow I have to believe he has had some "Help" healing. Why doesn't he get the hate Barry gets. It appears Roger is a JERK too. Soooo....why the love?

Answer 1

It's a racial thing.

Seriously, I don't know but the racial thing wouldn't be that far-fetched of an answer.

Clemens may be a jerk but he talks to the media, rarely gives them sh*t, so they give him a pass for being one.

Bonds won't talk to the media and when he does, he shows them too much animosity. Most of the media people I know personally hold this against him.

Media are like anyone else. They have their darlings and their devils. Some try to just do their jobs, whilst others think the players owe them everything.

EVERY player has some kind of help healing. Not everything IS a steroid. Bonds' name is linked to them via BALCO, etc. Clemens had never been linked to anyone involved in steroids before Grimsley got busted. Grims is probably throwing any name he can out there trying to save his own ****. Face it, once you're even remotely linked to something negative, it's going to follow you around forever.
That's how the media plays it, that's how the world is.

People can be SOOO uneducated at times. If Bonds was 'juicing' and suddenly became a power hitter, that means he's been juiced since 1990 when he hit 33 HR's. Only TWICE since 1990 has he hit less than 33, 25 in 1991 and 5 in 2005 when he was out for all but 14 games. Kind of hard to believe a guy is still playing ball after 16-17 years of juicing. His body would've broken down by now. That's not to say he hasn't used. About the only player who hasn't used has to be Jason Tyner ... I mean geeez, poor guy STILL hasn't hit a Major League HR yet in over 1,000 AB's.

They're mainly haters because Barry's going to get the All-Time HR record. Such is life, very few records stand the test of time. And this one may not even last. AROD could topple it as he's only 32, will easily clear 500 HR's by the end of this season and misses very few games.

Answer 2

If you knew the slightest thing about him, you wouldn't even be asking this question. The guys workout routines are legendary. I guess Nolan Ryan must have been juicing too? They both lasted as long as they have because they kept themselves in fantastic shape, and more importantly for pitchers, have near perfect throwing mechanics.

What's sad is that now any time a player does anything above the status quo, they are automatically accused of steriod use.

Barry brings the hate on himself. He despises the media, and insults the very fans that want to root for him. I have tried to be a Barry fan, but he makes it impossible. Roger on the other hand, has almost always had good relations with the media and the fan base.

Answer 3

Yeah, Clemons is almost 45 years old. Thats your answer. If he had been taking steroids, he would have been done a long time ago. Steroids help heal for a short period of time (Anti-inflammatory steriods), for things such as bursitis, Impingement syndrome, etc. But eventually it starts to tear down ligaments and tendons. Since Clemons is a pitcher, he has constant strain on his shoulder (rotator cuff mostly), and the only way he is still pitching is because of the health of his shoulder and joints.

Answer 4

I think one is because he's white, and the other is that his name hasn't been thrown around with other investigations, I mean it hasn't been harped on in the way McGwire, and Palmeiro, and Sosa's have been. Another reason might be he wasn't at the Steroid trial a couple years back in Congress, there is speculation but for some reason the media is kinda mum on him, again for whatever reason, part race, part maybe baseball is trying to keep it to power hitters, and not open up a whole new can of worms with pitchers too and blow up the whole baseball scene, it's a difficult question to answer, but in the years to come, everything is going to come out, probably after all the alleged players retire.

Answer 5

Well, for one thing, Clemens hasn't been caught admitting to anything. For another, Barry is generally a jerk, so it is easier to hate him for most people.

However, I will say this. I personally have been accusing him for years. From what I understand, Jason Grimsley accused Roger of using, but it does not seem to have gotten as much press as Barry. I think perhaps a power hitter who was never a power hitter before, who grew to grotesque proportions, and is assaulting the most hallowed record in all of sports, while also making a TV show about it on the biggest sports network in the world, might have something to do with the added spotlight.

Personally I think Clemens juices, and I also thinks he's a jerk for the way he strings along his hometown team for millions, acting as though he'd be doing them a favor to pitch for 3 months.

Answer 6

The problem that the public neglects to realize on the steroids issue is that steroids do not help Bonds to make contact with the ball. While they may give him more power in his swings, the bat speed that Bonds has actually contradicts the usage of excessive steroids.

In Clemen's case, steroids would likely cause him to break down more easily. Yes, the substance allows players to heal quickly in the short run, it also poses a risk to the health in terms of longevity.

Answer 7

I don't love Clemens and I do think he is a jerk. However, there has never been any indication of steriods. He hasn't bulked up massively (Bonds has), his performances have been consistent throughout his career, plus now he doesn't travel much with the team. A lot of pitchers have made it into their 40's, if they don't have arm trouble. Look at Nolan Ryan. He could still throw some heat in his 40's.

Answer 8

For one he looks more like the pillsbury dough boy than a body builder, second steroids don't help you heal, it's pretty much the opposite. Third if Roger Clemens performed like Bonds started to after juicing he would have something like a 31-1 record with 400 strikeouts and a 0.90 ERA.

Answer 9

The only allegations against Clemens have been a couple hearsay-level comments. The allegations against Bonds fill a book several hundred pages long.

Answer 10

he didnt get a pass. no congressional investigation, but he was accused by a former teamate who got caught using steroids. the guy who got caught named names and clemens was one of those names. Clemens denied it.
the guy who talked is a snitch.
Barry is great. he keeps his mouth shut. I LOVE BARRY! i do. and soon, he will pass hammerin' hank. 11 to tie, 12 to pass.
GOO BARRY! BARRY!BARRY! BARRY!