Caught Red-Handed: Ronny Paulino of Marlins Suspended 50 Games for PEDs

August 20th, 2010 by James Bondman No comments »

According to a report by The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer, Marlins starting catcher Ronny Paulino has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

The suspension would put the Marlins catcher out for the rest of the regular season with 40 games left to go for the Marlins, as it will be effective immediately. 

Paulino started the year off as the Marlins' backup catcher to John Baker, but when Baker went down with an injury, Paulino assumed the bulk of the catching duties.

He becomes the first Marlins player to receive such a suspension since the steroid policy was enacted in 2006. He is also the first major league player on a 25-man roster to be suspended for PEDs this season. 

Paulino played in 91 games this season and hit .259 with four home runs and 37 RBI. Paulino hit .282 in the first half but since the second half has started has hit only .195 with a home run and seven RBI. 

If Ronny Paulino were to sign a contract with any team next season, he would miss the first 10 games of the season since he is to miss the remaining 40 games with the Marlins. 

The Marlins called up catcher Brad Davis from Triple-A New Orleans to replace Paulino. Brett Hayes becomes the Marlins' everyday catcher for the rest of the season, even if the injured John Baker were to return. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Texas Rangers Meltdown? Not So Fast

August 20th, 2010 by No comments »

After losing four games in a row, Rangers fans are fearing the worst. It's all too familiar of a scenario for a Rangers fan. The trend usually involves the Rangers battling for first place until around the All-Star break, and then a slow and painful collapse ensues.

Recently it may look as though this trend will continue, with losses against the Rays and the Orioles to construct a four game losing streak. The Rangers just can't seem to pull it together, especially against the Orioles, who swept the Rangers in a four game series leading into the All-Star break.

Why will this year be different?

Rest.

Of their normal eight starters (pitcher not included) the Rangers are consistently fielding two. Mitch Moreland (the newcomer) at first base, and Julio Bourbon (the speed demon) in center field. They are also batting only four of the normal nine starters for the lineup. Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Julio Bourbon, and Mitch Moreland.

The rest of the lineup consists of bench players, designated hitters, and temporarily called up players. These include David Murphy (bench) left field, Vladimir Guerrero (DH) right field, Jorge Cantu (bench) first and third base, Andres Blanco (bench) infielder, Joaquin Arias (bench) infielder, Taylor Teagarden (Minors) catcher).

Why so few starters? Is the Ranger lineup really so banged up that they can only start a few of their best players?

No not really. They just have such a large lead in the West, why not rest some players?

Lets run down the list and see just how hard the Rangers have been trying to win these past few games.

Michael Young is listed as active, yet has sat the bench a couple of nights, he slept wrong and was a little stiff. You know the team is confident when they sit this guy, he just doesn't miss games.

Ian Kinsler tweaked something. Probably could have played, but definitely don't want to take the risk. By the way, with Ian Kinsler healthy the Rangers are 47-29, without him they are 20-24. They will need this guy at 100 percent.

Nelson Cruz is out just to make sure his hamstring is back to 100 percent before things get real serious for the Rangers. He has had trouble with it before and started to again, but the last thing he said before he went on the DL was that if felt better after two days of it being sore. Precautionary move by Ron Washington.

Matt Treanor hurt his knee running to first base a while back. He ought to be back before very long though. Either way the Rangers hope Bengi Molina will be the primary catcher, supplementing Treanor the way they are doing now with Teagarden.

Elvis Andrus is active, just taking a breather with Michael Young on the bench a little more frequently than normal.

Really, the bottom line is that Ron Washington just wants all of his players to be 100 percent for the final stretch down and into the playoffs. The batting order will likely reflect that of the order used when the Rangers took that 11 game winning streak.

1. Elvis Andrus
2. Michael Young
3. Ian Kinsler
4. Vladimir Guerrero
5. Josh Hamilton
6. Nelson Cruz
7. Bengie Molina
8. Mitch Moreland
9. Julio Bourbon

The differences being in slots seven and eight where Bengie Molina has taken over for Matt Treanor and Mitch Moreland is in for Justin Smoak (dealt to Mariners in part of deal for Cliff Lee).

This is one of, if not the strongest lineup in the majors when all are healthy. This is exactly Ron Washington's plan, and that means taking a few losses right now, to win them when they count.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com



Roger Clemens’ God Complex Created His Legend and His Downfall

August 20th, 2010 by Brad Goldbach No comments »

Roger Clemens' indictment might signal the beginning of the end for the Rocket.

Quite frankly, the only thing most people have to say is, "Why?"

Why couldn't Clemens just admit he was wrong like Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez? Why couldn't he just take it like a man and let the truth humble him just a little bit?

Simply put, Clemens couldn't or wouldn't because he has a God complex unlike many we have ever seen.

Of course, that complex is also part of what made him so great as a player.

He would get in anyone's face, challenge anyone, and more often than not, he would come out on top. 

He didn't give a damn about throwing a bat at Mike Piazza or beaning anyone who stepped up to the plate and looked at him wrong. A lot of people probably hated him for that, but a lot of people feared and respected him and his game because of that intensity.

Not to mention, he managed to sit out half a season and negotiate a contract that did not force him to travel on road trips. So, in many ways, the God complex was fostered by those around him.

In many ways, Clemens was one of the best pitchers we will ever see take the mound. When it came to baseball, you really couldn't question his God complex. He was simply that good.

Unfortunately, Clemens thought that he was not only bigger than the game of baseball, but also bigger than the justice system, and maybe bigger than life itself. He really might think he is God.

They say that things are bigger in Texas, but this isn't what they meant, Roger.

That right there is why Clemens is about to burn in sports infamy, and maybe in jail too when it is all said and done.

Clemens is not guilty yet, and all of these are currently allegations, but the evidence continues to be overwhelming. 

The strangest part about it is that Clemens seems to think that he is above all of this; that he can just throw high and inside and it will all go away; that the judge will just shake his head and walk away from the plate, another strikeout victim to God Clemens.

I hate to break it to you, Roger, but this ain't a game anymore. Your intensity and supreme ego are not going to get you out of this one. They are only going to bury you.

Clemens' biggest strength turned out to be his biggest weakness, and he proved that no one really is bigger than the game—and certainly no one is bigger than the law.

Clemens deserves whatever he gets. He was just too stubborn to swallow the humble pill and admit he was wrong. That is all he had to do.

The craziest thing about it is that Clemens has not only entrenched himself in this uphill battle because of his ego, but his ego is only intensifying the wrath of the justice system. The more this seems to drag on, the more Clemens seems intent on continuing this fight.

ESPN's Bill Simmons once referred to Clemens as the Antichrist. Many baseball fans probably feel that way as this continues to escalate. The only place on earth where Clemens doesn't stir up these connotations might be inside his own head.

As Clemens keeps fighting this losing battle, he is proving that contrary to popular belief, he feels the opposite. He still feels like he is God.

That is why Clemens will lose the most important game of his life.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Roger Clemens Lied on Final Strike: No Sympathy Whatsoever

August 20th, 2010 by Jonathan Mathis No comments »

What exactly was Roger Clemens thinking when he testified and told a fib to Congress in Capital Hill? As much as we want to believe that the Steroid Era has suddenly vanished, we’ll never forget all his rehearsed and inglorious lies, inexplicably and simply covering the truth and denied confessing of his wrongdoings.

With some serious explaining, now is the time Mr. Clemens may want to consider telling the truth and nothing but the truth, to avoid further dishonesty and public humiliation. Amid the most embarrassing twist, all we want is the truth, but apparently the feds and their grand jury uncovered the specifics. There’s no sympathy for the seven-time Cy Young winner who fabricated his accomplished career and, still to this day, lives a lie ever since juicing his level of performance for an advantage in a competitive sport.

What is exactly mind-blogging is that an infamous crisis is getting worse, epically for the endless dirtiness it displays, sabotaging the beauty of the game. The despicable crime labels Clemens as a fraud, a lying dumb-ass apathetic by a damaged legacy that smeared his credibility long before honesty surfaced. His steroid scandal, which ruptured the irreparable image of Clemens, who is perceived as a hopeless, unworthy right-hander, poses as a disgrace in a sport deteriorating and falling into oblivion.

It was 2½ years ago when Clemens declined in a congressional hearing as a national audience watched it nationwide on television, that he ever used performance-enhancing drugs. Huh! In the end, you were hoodwinked, cheated and fooled. How does it feel to be lied to? How does it feel to be betrayed? Trust me, I know how it feels.  

And to believe that Clemens never used an unlawful substance, or even advocating it’s acceptable to tatter the integrity of the sport in general is foolishness. It turns out that he’s the equivalent of my ex-girlfriend, a pseudo and betrayer for erroneously committing fraud on a game he truly relished and mastered before revelations manifested clear evidence of drug usage.

At this point, the man formerly known as the Rocket is unsurprisingly the Big Fat Liar, perhaps the biggest liar sports may have ever witnessed in this decade, if ever. If Clemens committed such a sickened crime, instead of being deceptive and secretive, he’d release much tension and guilt by unleashing the truth. That’d seem very rational to avoid further nonsense and clear his name of guilt. But this happens when someone is self-indulgent, arrogant or ignorant, subsequently for getting caught and accused furtive sins.

Any notion that baseball was tainted years ago, Clemens was considerably one of the best pitchers at the time, of course, taking the mound as a sham and failing to be purist or expose his artistic competitiveness without injecting himself with contaminated juice. I’ve never been so befuddled and disappointed. I’ve never felt so cheated and betrayed in my life, trusting in Clemens for pitching fiercely and performing with diligence in effortless outings.

What? He relied on juice all along. What appeared real was unreal. What seemed legit was dirty. No wonder the ball was usually covered with nasty dirt nearly following every pitch. He tried to hide the truth, a mistaken idea by Clemens, sadly adding horror and anxiety on Thursday indicted on six counts for lying under oath. All he simply had to tell the world is that he was guilty and wrongly opted to be a drug dealer, rather than a spotless pitcher. Now that he’s naïve and still acknowledged he never pumped his body with steroids or HGH, troubles are stemming from allegedly falsifying.

Clemens has taken a rapid fall from grace, and he’s a fallen star quicker than Tiger Woods or LeBron James, losing his claim to all-time greatness among elite pitchers. Didn’t he realize it’s risky and dumb to lie under oath? Didn’t he know that is perjury? Is he really that offended with the accusations and recent charges? Then, state the facts, Roger. No false statements, but the truth. It’s time he finally succumbs to reality, but ever since the Mitchell Report revealed Clemens’ name, he hasn’t spoke in clarity or helped his own cause for spinning the story.

According to the Big Fat Liar, he “Misremembers” ever been injected with the substances. Ummm! If he had sense and pride, Clemens in all likelihood wouldn’t be facing prison time, but at worse, would have only been tainted and portrayed as a fraud. For years, ultimately, we worshipped his longevity, talent and work ethic, blinded by the possibilities of cheating and the likelihood of lying. He was famously the best pitcher admired in a corrupted age of baseball, amid the rejuvenation of the game during the baseball-saving season, the summer of ’98 when the feats and incredible milestones of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were relevant.

For years, sadly, we believed in Clemens until he disappointed us, lied to us and tricked us. And to make matters worst, he never had the courage or audacity to admit to immorality. Let’s face it the performance-enhancing drugs helped him infamously win two World Series championships and 354 games. Common sense tells us that he took advantage of enhancing his game with the exception of drugs, obviously when his numbers suddenly ascended later in his career.

Ever seen a pitcher’s numbers improve late in his career? Not unless it was Clemens. More noticeably, his ERA skyrocketed greatly and he began pitching efficiently, having solid control of his command and velocity. And years later, he tried to prove his innocence and purity, which degenerated when baseball released the Mitchell Report. In the meantime, his legacy is smeared because of ignorance, and even his freedom is endangered because of lying.          

“Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.”

Not even a fool believes Clemens.

In 23 major-league seasons, he was deemed as arguably the greatest power pitcher the game has ever seen, but in recent years has plunged and he likely faces 15 to 21 months in prison. This is no surprise, after all, we are living in the Steroid Era, a time when the horrid crisis is badly ruining and bruising the game, such as Barry Bonds, the arrogant slugger who ostensibly lied under oath as well. If there’s one player loathed more in this country for wrongly surpassing Hank Aaron’s home run record on a night he captured the tainted milestone, it’s a moody and overbearing Bonds.

As for Clemens, the grand jury is claiming that he lied 15 times under oath. If so, then he may jeopardize his lifestyle and may have to serve harsh time, based on the power of law enforcers. Sure, he has every right to claim his innocence, but the evidence revealed the explanation of a dubious situation.

In the aftermath of the release of the Mitchell Report, he’s still not confessing or apologizing for deceiving, not only the game, but congressional investigators and Congress. All along, I believed his former training Brain McNamee, who stated in the report that he injected Clemens on a cycle period with steroids and HGH between 1998 and 2001. Nevertheless, on Twitter, he’s refusing to unleash what really transpired in that time span. So apparently, he hasn’t learned or simply doesn’t care.

“I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress,” Clemens wrote. “I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trail. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court.”

Why, so he can lie repeatedly? What support is he getting? Who is endorsing the Big Fat Liar? Oh, his attorney Rusty Harden.

“The problem is nobody ever talks about what he should have done if he didn’t do it,” Harden said. “And he didn’t do it and he’s adamant about that and always has been. Today is just another continuing part of that saga…Roger is looking forward to his day in court. He is happy this has finally happened. We have known for some time this was going to happen. We’ll let everything get taken care of in court.”

Between the PEDs headlines and extramarital affairs, including an alleged affair with country signer Mindy McCready, his clean image is pathetically damaged and his credibility is lost. As of recently, he’s delusional and continues to deny all reports or any negative news that unveils. If his name was mentioned 82 times in the Mitchell Report, what makes us think he’s not guilty, what makes us think he never endangered his image or chances of being enshrined into the Hall of Fame for falsification and lagging on issuing a statement when the accusations were publicized?

If he tried to publicly spin the story and former friend Andy Pettitte’s testimony, what makes us think he’s telling the truth? Come on, use common sense. In front of your eyes, he tricked the game of baseball and all populace, after vowing to be a power pitcher legitimately. When he appears in court, Clemens may wear his immaculate face again and try persuading the court system that he’s not guilty.

“The indictment of Roger Clemens comes as no surprise to me,” said Victor Conte, founder of BALCO. “In my opinion, the case against Clemens is far stronger than the case against Barry Bonds. Brain McNamee is an eyewitness who will testify against Clemens and there appears to be strong physical evidence against him as well. I believe Roger Clemens is in a lot of trouble.”

Yes, he is in much trouble.

He’s looking at prison time. I guess that means NO Cooperstown.

The Rocket has exploded, eternally.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Roger Clemens Twitter Denial: Statistical Evidence Why He’s Lying

August 20th, 2010 by No comments »

Roger Clemens flatly denied allegations of HGH or steroid use on Twitter yesterday after news was released of his impending indictment for lying to Congress.

"I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress. I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court," said the Rocket.

Clemens already had his day in court, back in 2008 when he voluntarily participated in a House committee hearing. He denied steroid use then and, despite an FBI investigation that suggests otherwise, Clemens is stubbornly upholding his claim today.

The court documents say he's lying. But what do the numbers say?

Clemens, whether he's being truthful or not, was unquestionably one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history.

Over the course of 13 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Clemens went a remarkable 192-111 in 383 starts. His ERA while with Boston was 3.06 and he struck out 2590 batters, at a rate of 8.4 SO/9 IP. 

He won three Cy Young's and an MVP over that period en route to establishing himself as one of baseball's premier pitchers.

In his last season with the Red Sox in 1996 while 33 years old, Clemens' ERA dropped to a still respectable 3.63 and his WHIP rose to 1.33. He went 10-13 and struck out 257 batters in 242.2 innings. While his numbers were still very good, they paled in comparison to the seasons he had in his prime years (1986—1992).

Then in 1997 Clemens signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and had one of the best seasons of his career. He went 21-7 with a 2.05 ERA (career high 222 ERA+) and he struck out a career high 292 batters, while pitching in the same division no less.

Clemens won his fourth Cy Young that year as he lowered his ERA by over a point and a half, and lowered his WHIP by three-tenths of a point from 1.33 to 1.03.

A career year at the age of 34? Seems fishy.

Then Clemens did it all over again.

In 1998 during his second season with Toronto, Clemens went 20-6 with a 2.65 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 271 strikeouts in 234.2 innings. It was good enough for another Cy Young award.

There are some pitchers who get better with age. But after throwing almost 3000 innings while in Boston, it seemed unlikely that Clemens would be able to improve on his craft, let alone maintain it.

Brian McNamee, Clemens' trainer at the time, would be inclined to agree. According to reports, McNamee injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and HGH from 1998—2001.

Indeed, Clemens went on to have several more excellent seasons with the New York Yankees through 2001.

After a somewhat shaky 1999 season, Clemens pitched over 200 innings in 2000 while sporting a 3.70 ERA and helping lead the Yankees to another World Series title.

In 2001 Clemens was brilliant again, at the age of 38. He went 20-3 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP and struck out almost a batter per inning. He won his sixth Cy Young award.

After that season, the drop off in Clemens' production was noticeable. In his final two seasons with the Yankees Clemens' ERA ballooned to 4.95 (2002) and 3.91 (2003). His strikeout numbers went down and he surrendered an unsightly 42 home runs over those two years.

Clemens retired after 2003 at the age of 40. He un-retired a year later to sign a one-year deal with his hometown Houston Astros and had three more excellent seasons, winning his seventh and final Cy Young in 2004.

However, the difference in leagues is probably the best explanation for the upwards trend in performance in his final years. 

We may never know for sure during what periods Clemens was juicing. But for a pitcher to enjoy career years in his late 30's after over a decade of pitching is not just unprecedented, it's illogical.

Clemens may continue to deny that he used steroids or HGH until he's old and decrepit, but there's one thing we will always know for sure.

The numbers don't lie.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com