One hundred years from now, baseball fans will debate whether Roger Clemens used steroids to pitch into his 40s as if he were still in his 20s. The debate did not end Monday with a Washington jury any more than it did for Joe Jackson and his involvement with the Black Sox scandal with a Chicago jury in 1921.
updated: Tue Jun 19 2012 08:14:00
Anderson Cooper talks to legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin about Roger Clemens' acquittal in the federal case against him.
updated: Tue Jun 19 2012 07:56:00
Joe Johns looks at how the perjury case against Roger Clemens fell apart, leading to his acquittal.
After 10 weeks, the jury in U.S. v. Roger Clemens has given the seven-time Cy Young Award winner his most cherished win: a not guilty verdict on all six counts (for perjury, false statements and obstruction of Congress). This is a complete victory for Clemens. All 12 jurors unanimously agreed that the government failed to persuade them, beyond a reasonable doubt, of the charges. This means that there is no chance of a retrial, which would have been a possibility had there been a mistrial (a non-unanimous jury vote) on any of the counts.
Dueling scientists, a former trainer, friends and family are among the witnesses whose testimony a jury will consider as they decide if famed baseball pitcher Roger Clemens lied to Congress during an investigation of steroid use among major league players.
After nine weeks, 46 witnesses and several instances of jurors dozing off, lawyers' arguments in U.S. v. Roger Clemens have finally ended. Twelve jurors -- eight women and four men -- will now decide the fate of the seven-time Cy Young winner. Clemens faces six felony counts of perjury, false statements and obstruction of Congress. All of the counts stem from his infamous testimony before Congress in February 2008. Here are some of the key questions as the jury begins its deliberations:
More than four years since he and Roger Clemens gave contradictory testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Brian McNamee appeared before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton over the last two days to answer questions from government prosecutors. In doing so, he provided the most pivotal testimony yet in U.S. v. Clemens. McNamee also set the table for a contentious showdown with Clemens' lawyers as they cross-examine him late this afternoon and into tomorrow.
As the Roger Clemens trial plods along, many are asking, in one form or another: Why did Congress waste millions of our tax dollars to investigate if a baseball player used steroids?
U.S. v. Roger Clemens -- take two -- starts today in the D.C. chambers of U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton. SI.com legal analyst Michael McCann answers the key questions.
Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the trial of former Major League pitcher Roger Clemens, nine months after the previous one ended in a mistrial.
To be a Texas Rangers baseball fan doesn't compare to the prestige of growing up in the shadows of Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park or Wrigley Field. The pinstriped jerseys, classic uniforms and ball caps of those Major League Baseball teams are timeless and have become iconic touchstones in pop culture.
A U.S. district court judge granted federal prosecutors a new trial for former Major League pitcher Roger Clemens on Friday, setting a start date of April 17.
Baseball legend Roger Clemens is hoping to pitch a no-hitter against prosecutors, who are hoping a judge will again put him on trial for allegedly lying to Congress.
Government prosecutors want former baseball star Roger Clemens to face a new perjury trial and admit they made a mistake in July, when they presented evidence that had been ruled inadmissible.
A half-dozen contract security officers at the federal courthouse where baseball's Roger Clemens was put on trial last month are in trouble with their employer for accepting gifts from Clemens' defense team after the judge declared a mistrial, the U.S. Marshals Service said Thursday.
The lawyer for former baseball player Roger Clemens asked a federal judge Friday to dismiss all charges and block any retrial of his client, who is accused of lying to Congress over alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.
If you ever wanted to see the courtroom equivalent of the ball going under the legs of Bill Buckner in the 1986 World Series, you saw it today. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial in the government's expensive case against legendary pitcher Roger Clemens, who allegedly lied before Congress in February 2008 about using steroids and illegal performance enhancers. The mistrial does not preclude a retrial, but it sets the government's case back considerably, if not irretrievably.
The perjury trial of ex-baseball all-star Roger Clemens ended in a mistrial Thursday after jurors heard statements in a prosecution video that the judge had ruled inadmissible until later in the case.
updated: Thu Jul 14 2011 13:34:00
A federal judge declares a mistrial Thursday in the perjury case against ex-baseball star Roger Clemens.
updated: Wed Jul 13 2011 17:35:00
In 2008, Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee testified before Congress about the all-star pitcher's alleged use of steroids.
Prosecutors in Roger Clemens' perjury trial wasted no time Wednesday telling the jury what they plan to show them.
Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds were long considered first ballot Hall of Famers, but the steroids scandal that has dominated baseball since the '90s has destroyed their reputations and could very well keep them out of Cooperstown.
The Roger Clemens trial is going to bring back all the bad stuff that baseball has been trying to put in the rear view mirror. It's exactly what Bud Selig does not need as the commissioner flies to his second home in Arizona for the All-Star Game.
For those of you depressed that two of our grandest leagues -- the NFL and the NBA -- are both temporarily out of business via lockout, cheer up, because there's other major news to divert you. Drugs are back, front and center; in fact, it's currently a veritable pharmaceutical hullabaloo.
Jury selection in the perjury trial of former Major League Baseball player Roger Clemens is underway in Washington, and it started with the judge scolding the defense team.
In a trial where Roger Clemens' believability will make all the difference, the manner in which jurors react to his voice and delivery of words could prove crucial. Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton heard arguments over whether audio of Clemens in private depositions should be available. Prior to Clemens testifying in a nationally televised hearing on February 13, 2008, he was deposed in private by the House Oversight Committee. According to Clemens' lawyer Rusty Hardin, the majority of Clemens' 15 allegedly false statements stem from the pre-hearing deposition and not the hearing that was televised. Clemens' defense team has audio and video of the televised hearing, but only a transcript of the pre-hearing deposition. Hardin insists that Clemens' tone of voice and demeanor are essential for the jury to fairly decide whether or not he was telling the truth.
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton may have altered the legal strategies of prosecutors and Roger Clemens' attorneys this afternoon when he said that he will probably deny former Yankees players, including Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, from discussing any performance-enhancing drugs they received from Brian McNamee, Clemens' former trainer and chief accuser.
With jury selection set to get under way Wednesday in the trial of baseball legend Roger Clemens, the judge in the case says he is leaning toward not permitting some of Clemens' former teammates to testify for the prosecution about their history of performance-enhancing drugs.
For baseball fans, July signals the midpoint of America's pastime: the All-Star Game, the full swing of pennant races.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Roger Clemens' tenacious pursuit of victory on the pitcher's mound is re-emerging as he enters federal court this week to fight charges he lied about using drugs and to try to ruthlessly discredit the former friend who says he did.
The Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of a ruling on a defamation lawsuit filed by former star baseball player Roger Clemens against his former trainer, Brian McNamee, over alleged steroid use.
Less than two weeks before the start in his criminal trial, baseball legend Roger Clemens scored a victory Thursday when his lawyers were granted access to evidence related to the illicit use of steroids by fellow players.
Baseball legend Roger Clemens may get a chance to see internal documents compiled by a law firm handling a report on the illicit use of steroids that named him among possible players involved.
Two courtrooms, one on the West Coast and one on the East Coast; two legendary baseball players, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens; and one game neither wants to lose: fighting charges that include perjury and obstruction of justice related to investigations of illicit steroid use.
Baseball legend Roger Clemens is accused of throwing a wild pitch as he tries to subpoena certain evidence to fight federal charges that he lied to Congress.
Attorneys for baseball great Roger Clemens are pressing their challenge to the indictment against him, once again calling it an improper "kitchen sink" of allegations stemming from an investigation into illicit steroid use.
Prosecutors are asking a federal judge to proceed with the upcoming criminal trial against baseball's Roger Clemens, saying his defense attorneys failed to establish why any charges should be dismissed.
A federal judge has blocked the lead defense attorney for Roger Clemens from questioning Andy Pettitte, the ex-baseball star's longtime teammate and friend, once his client's criminal trial starts in July.
A federal judge has delayed until next July the perjury trial of baseball great Roger Clemens after defense lawyers Wednesday asked for more time to review the prosecution's evidence in the steroids case.
updated: Tue Aug 31 2010 11:57:00
On February 13, 2008, baseball great Roger Clemens denied his former trainer's allegations of steroid use.
Major league pitching legend Roger Clemens pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he lied to Congress during a 2008 investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
The Roger Clemens arraignment mug shot, complete with spiky blond highlights, is making the rounds. Jury selection in his perjury trial is set for April 5, 2011.
The long and potentially complicated courtroom saga began for Roger Clemens on Monday afternoon, as Clemens was arraigned in the chambers of U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. The arraignment lacked the drama of Clemens' appearance before Congress in 2008, but nonetheless sets the table for what could become one of the most closely followed sports trials in U.S. history.
For a recent 13-month span, my goal in life was to figure out Roger Clemens. I was in the midst of researching and writing a biography of the man, which meant leaving no stone unturned. I dug through some 10,000 pages of clips. I watched hours of old tapes. I contacted every friend, every teammate, every coach, every relative.
I think Roger Clemens is going to go to prison. I think he lied his butt off when he appeared before Congress in February 2008. For me, there is no joy, no satisfaction, in watching this sad story unfold.
updated: Fri Aug 20 2010 11:18:00
CNN's American Morning talks to a panel about baseball great Roger Clemens facing perjury charges.
Retired baseball star Roger Clemens says he's looking forward to fighting perjury and other charges brought against him Thursday and again denied he ever used performance-enhancing drugs.
"The thing about Americans is we have no heroes of substance, only athletes and movie stars." -- Jim O'Brien, former Baltimore Colts kicker
The indictment of Roger Clemens was a formality from the day he told former Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia and Rep. Harry Waxman of California the legal equivalent of, "Gimme the ball." He didn't have to testify at that House committee hearing in 2008. He did so willingly. He did so because Roger Clemens always took the ball, no matter how much cortisone, anti-inflammatories and convincing of his own body -- he always talked about his body like it was not of his self, but rather like a tradesman's tool -- that it took.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Roger Clemens was vehement: "Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH," he told a House committee in 2008. Now, instead of the Hall of Fame, baseball's seven-time Cy Young winner could go to prison after being indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for allegedly lying to Congress.
In a serious if unsurprising development, Roger Clemens was indicted Thursday on six counts of federal perjury, false statement and obstruction of Congress charges. While Clemens is undoubtedly worried about the prospect of a conviction and possible prison sentence -- under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, a defendant convicted on these charges may be sentenced to up to five years in prison for each count -- an indictment is a long way from a conviction. That is especially true for someone of Clemens's wealth and capacity to afford a "legal dream team."
Will Mark McGwire's admission that he intentionally used steroids be followed by other notable players admitting the same?
My favorite part of the Roger Clemens interview on the Mike & Mike in the Morning radio show Tuesday came when he said steroids could be bad for him because of his family history, and then cited his stepfather's heart attack as evidence.
Offering a preview of his defense in a possible criminal trial, Roger Clemens appeared Tuesday morning on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning to reiterate his assertions that he never used steroids and to dismiss damaging claims made about him in American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime, a new book out today.
This story appears in the April 27, 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated.
From the book, THE ROCKET THAT FELL TO EARTH: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality by Jeff Pearlman. Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Pearlman. Published by arrangement with HarperCollins, LLC. All rights reserved.
With Barry Bonds' perjury trial postponed until later this year, the other headliner in baseball's Steroid Era takes center stage. Roger Clemens remains the subject of a grand jury proceeding, which centers on whether Clemens knowingly lied to Congress in February 2008. If the grand jury finds there is probable cause that Clemens knowingly lied, then it will indict Clemens for perjury and he would then face a federal trial. Clemens is also the plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit against his former trainer, Brian McNamee, who has been the leading source of evidence connecting Clemens to steroids. The civil lawsuit is being heard in a federal district court in Houston, Texas.
According to The Washington Post, preliminary DNA tests of syringes provided by Roger Clemens' former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, reveal a match with Clemens' blood. Assuming the results are corroborated by additional testing, the evidence raises the likelihood that Clemens will be indicted by a grand jury and brought to trial on perjury charges in connection with an investigation into whether Clemens lied under oath to Congress last year when he denied using steroids or HGH.
Roger Clemens and his legal team may receive much-needed positive news with Tuesday's publication of Kirk Radomski's new book, Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report.
The grand jury's investigation into whether Roger Clemens committed perjury and obstruction of justice bodes poorly for Clemens and his legal team.
Reports surfaced on Monday that Roger Clemens' former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, gave samples of his DNA to federal investigators who are trying to determine whether the former pitcher committed perjury before Congress when he testified last February that he had never been injected with human growth hormone or steroids. The major point to be drawn from that news is that McNamee's evidence is stronger than it initially appeared, and that raises the probability that the evidence would be deemed admissible and persuasive in a trial.
Convicted steroid distributor Kirk Radomski handed over shipping receipts to federal investigators for a package of human growth hormone that he claims he sent to Roger Clemens' home
SI.com legal analyst Michael McCann has been closely following the Roger Clemens-Brian McNamee story since the release of the Mitchell Report late last year. Last week, in this story's latest legal twist, McNamee's lawyer filed a new motion to dismiss Clemens' defamation suit against him or have it moved to New York. Today McCann answers four key questions about Clemens' growing legal problems and predicts what may become of them.
"How do we believe you because you lied, lied, lied, lied? Roger Clemens is a baseball titan...." -- Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) to Brian McNamee, Feb. 13, 2008
Roger Clemens apologized Monday for unspecified mistakes in his personal life but denied having an affair with a 15-year-old
Prospective Cubs owner Mark Cuban got as far as the front row last week in Wrigley. But although it would be a treat to see the Dallas Mavericks' outspoken owner also own baseball's beloved 99-year loser, he still may never get any closer to the owner's box than he was the other day.
The baseball star dismisses allegations of an affair with Mindy McCready
The country singer says she's known the baseball star "a long time"
For a minute more, think back to the image of Roger Clemens sitting before Congress. (Just for another tick of the clock; then we'll take this in another direction). Thick neck. Burr-head. Twitchy, righteous indignation on his face and in his body language. Fish out of water. Fish in a barrel. Either way. Got the image? Okay, onward.
A person close to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee with knowledge of its proceedings tells SI.com that Roger Clemens and his legal team made a devastating strategic blunder in regards to the now infamous Jose Canseco lunch party that took place in June 1998. The alleged blunder caused members of the committee and their staff to deeply question Clemens' veracity and the wisdom of his legal team's counsel.
updated: Thu Feb 28 2008 17:02:00
Famed pitcher Roger Clemens testifies on Capitol Hill that he never used steroids or human growth hormone.
The FBI is investigating whether baseball great Roger Clemens perjured himself in testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee earlier this month, government officials told CNN on Thursday.
The FBI has begun investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress when he denied taking steroids, officials said
Leading members of the House of Representatives asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to probe whether baseball great Roger Clemens "committed perjury and made knowingly false statements" during a congressional hearing.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's request to the Justice Department may trigger lasting consequences from both legal and political perspectives.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Roger Clemens climbed out of his Hummer on Wednesday morning, looked up at the dozen or so reporters waiting for him at an entrance to the Astros' minor league facility here and shook his head slowly, grimly, side to side. It was, undoubtedly, the most telling comment the embattled pitcher made all day.
According to the New York Daily News, federal investigators have a picture provided by a young man who was at the now infamous Jose Canseco house party in 1998 that reportedly shows definitively that another guest was there: Roger Clemens.
I don't do baseball, but I find a common thread between the Clemens hearing and the infamous Destruction of the Tapes. So I'll lead off with a pair of e-mails that get me talking about what I wanted to talk about anyway ... do you find this acceptable?
One afternoon in April 2003 a group of advertising executives gathered for a luncheon at the 21 Club in New York City to hear Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens speak. There was slight alarm that Clemens might not attend because, it turned out, he was scheduled to pitch that night against the Seattle Mariners, and on the days they take the mound, starters are known to be as edgy and unsociable as thoroughbreds on race day.
updated: Mon Feb 18 2008 21:07:00
Roger Clemens testifies he believes his friend, Andy Pettitte, misheard comments about him using HGH.
There has been a Dueling Banjos dynamic between two conflicting analyses that attempt to address the potential impact of performance enhancing drugs on Roger Clemens' career. One, put out by Hendricks Sports Management, Clemens' agency, suggests that Clemens' late-career success is relatively normal, citing a handful of specific examples such as Nolan Ryan and Curt Schilling. The other, prepared by the Wharton School of Business for last Sunday's New York Times, uses a broader set of "durable" comparable pitchers, and comes to the opposite conclusion.
The most important man that we heard from Wednesday on Capitol Hill, amid all the bluster, the embarrassing fawning over Roger Clemens and the multitude of mind-squishingly moronic questions, happened to be nowhere near Capitol Hill. Yet Andy Pettitte's presence at baseball's latest hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was unmistakable, his words unshakeable.
Along with other testimony on Wednesday, Roger Clemens swore on his good name that his identity was not stitched together by baseball seams.
The woman who worked as Roger Clemens' nanny and was a focus point of Wednesday's Congressional hearings told a Houston TV station that Clemens was not at Jose Canseco's house party in 1998, as alleged by Brian McNamee.
Though stumbling on a couple of questions and leaving several others unanswered, Roger Clemens nonetheless emerged favorably from Wednesday's hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Keep in mind, Clemens' primary goal was not to preserve or rehabilitate his baseball reputation or even to convince the legions of fans who disbelieve him -- as others have written, he may have failed miserably on those ends -- but rather to avoid perjury charges. Unless verifiable physical evidences emerges to the contrary, it seems unlikely the available evidence would lead to a conclusive finding that he committed perjury. Here's why, along with other observations:
Roger Clemens said Wednesday he received only vitamin shots from Brian McNamee, but the ex-trainer insisted before a House panel that every injection contained steroids or other performance enhancers.
It was a day of misremembering, misunderstanding, and mystifying inconsistencies, and, in the end, committee members' conclusions about whether or not Roger Clemens used steroids and human growth hormone seemed to hang on how credible Andy Pettitte is, or how credible Brian McNamee isn't.
Roger Clemens squared off against his former trainer in nearly five hours of testimony before a House committee on Wednesday. Please answer a few questions on what you took away from the proceedings.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci joined in SI.com's live blog of Wednesday's Congressional hearings featuring Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. Below are excerpts from Verducci's commentary as the hearings unfolded.
Brian McNamee said he injected Roger Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs more often than he previously claimed
1) Why would Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Kirk Radomski ask out of the hearing?
Roger Clemens' claim that he didn't attend the now-infamous Jose Canseco-hosted party in June 1998 is unlikely to score big points for him at Wednesday's hearing, people connected to the House Oversight Committee told SI.com.
I love this story. I really love it. I can't help it. This has everything that you could possibly ask for in a good yarn. Drama. Mystery. Loyalty and betrayal. A good dose of tragedy. A healthy touch of the absurd. And you know what's best about this real-life struggle between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee?
Many moons ago, Mad magazine ran photos of prominent politicians with a concise expression of disgust at the bottom of each: Ecccch.
About the only thing Roger Clemens may have going for him these days is his celebrity, which is why I don't entirely blame him for his Campaign Across Congress, a tour meant to lobby for his no-steroid story with the aid of autographs and pictures.
It appears from his one-on-one meetings with members of Congress that Roger Clemens will be sticking to his guns when he goes before the congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Feb. 13.
As Roger Clemens opens a new chapter in his career -- the one where he defends everything that came before: the seven Cy Youngs, the 354 wins, the 4,672 strikeouts -- one aspect of the journey should be familiar to him. As was the case when he stared down hitters from the mound, Clemens has a single adversary with whom to do battle: his former personal trainer Brian McNamee.
With Chuck Knoblauch having agreed to meet with the congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the full batting order is set for the Feb. 13 congressional hearing. On Wednesday, Andy Pettitte will meet privately with committee staff members, with Roger Clemens, Brian McNamee, Knoblauch and Kirk Radomski heading to Washington D.C. in the following days.
The hardest part of this whole Steroids Period in baseball -- sounds much less ominous than Steroids Era, doesn't it? -- is figuring out who and what to believe. I'm not talking Roger Clemens vs. Brian McNamee here, though that's the sub-prime example of the day. I'm talking, on any given day, about the difficulty in trying to determine who has been messing around with the stuff and who hasn't. Or, in any glance through the record book, what is legitimate and what is not.
Roger Clemens had another bad outing on Tuesday. And this time, it didn't come from a pitching mound, in front of a television camera or behind a microphone.
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