Until Clemens’ legacy is truly revealed, keep him out of Cooperstown

On Monday, the verdict came down for the pitcher that many over the year had called “The Rocket,” Roger Clemens. He was found not-guilty on all counts of perjury.

Andy Petite, one of Clemens’ former teammates in New York, was seen as a critical part of the prosecution’s case, but during cross-examination by the defense last month, Petite backed off his claim that Clemens had told him about his past human-growth hormone use, considerably weakening the prosecutor’s case.

Clemens, 49, fought back emotion as he addressed the media after the verdict came down. “All you media guys that know me and have followed my career,” he said, “I put a lot of hard work into that career.”

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For now, it seems that in Clemens case, judgment begets even more judgment. As the five-year long battle for Clemens to regain his “innocence” comes to a close, another battle is on the horizon: The National Baseball Hall of Fame. Many felt that Clemens had battled so hard against the allegations because he specifically did not want to lose his chance to be immortalized among baseball’s greats.

If you look at Clemens numbers, it’s a no-brainer – 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts (third-most all-time) and seven Cy Young awards. But, because the Baseball Writers Association chooses the honorees, Clemens could very well never get the honors he believes he is due.

Many baseball writers have taken a hard stand against MLB’s “steroid era,” refusing to elect anyone who was associated with the use of performance-enhancing drugs. With a mountain of evidence against him, including a beer can with syringes and bloody cotton balls that both contained his DNA, Clemens has an uphill battle in the court of public opinion.

This case harkens back to the 1919 Chicago Black Sox Scandal, when eight players were accused of fixing the World Series. Although those men were later acquitted of the charges, the public never got over it, which is why names like “Shoeless” Joe Jackson will forever live in infamy.

Unfortunately for Clemens, that too will be his fate. While he may have been acquitted in the legal sense, it’s going to take much more than attacking a former teammate or trainer’s credibility to move the needle with the public. It will take nothing short of a full admission of all his wrongdoings from Clemens for the Baseball Writers to even allow him to be considered for Hall of Fame induction.

Based on his attitude to this point, that’s an admission the public will likely never receive. Until he and the fans of Major League Baseball can come to terms with his true legacy, “The Rocket’s” bronze bust will be just another slab of metal.