By inducting Clemens, Boston seems to be bucking the Selig Iron Rule of Baseball Morality: That no player accused of using performance enhancing drugs shall be recognized for past achievements. According to the National Sportswriters Sacred Code of Hypocrisy, Roger shall be closed out of Cooperstown, along with Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. No decision has been made on Jason Giambi, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Bartolo Colon, et al - and the avalanche of names still awaiting public disclosure, when a few years from now a bunch of destitute, or conscience-weary, or attention-starved players start writing their tell-all books. (See CANSECO, Jose.)
I hate to say this, I really really really really do:
Bravo, Boston.
Wait a minute. I know there are Redsock fans out there who:
a) Will hate the idea of Clemens being honored.
b) Will claim he was surely clean when he pitched for Boston.
c) Will say this designation means nothing, there is no meaning here.
Fine. OK. No problemo. However, I prefer to think Boston, by recognizing Clemens' work is being:
a) Magnanimous. After they've now won three championships in a decade.
b) Smart, because they know if they start applying morality to all their stars, in a few years, they won't have anybody to induct into their Hall of Fame (See ORTIZ, David).
c) Realistic about human nature and the minds of professional athletes.
Listen: Baseball cannot continually scrutinize and tear apart its aging stars in their declining (and, maybe not coincidentally, their highest paid) years. It's a crappy model. It's also 1948 Russia. When does it stop? Not long ago, there were allegations that Mickey Mantle was juicing back in 1961. Should MLB investigate? And if it's found true, should The Mick's legacy be stricken from the books?
Of course not! Dear God, that would be insane! (And stupid.) And what happens when the yet unknown truth comes out in their tell-all books? Will baseball pull down their plaques and strike them from the books, like OJ Simpson's Heisman Trophy at USC, or Joe Paterno's statue at Penn State? No.
What's done is done.
For better or worse, we cannot take back Barry Bonds' home run records. (And he probably hit some off pitchers who were juicing.) Yes, it's a bad chapter in history. But PEDs are also an ongoing chapter that will never end. At least Boston is willing to turn the page and move on. Roger Clemens was a great player. Give him a plaque, give him a drink, give him a round of applause. Was he a cheater? Probably. Was he a warrior? Damn straight. Does he deserve to be shunned and shamed for the rest of his life, whenever he steps out in public?
I hereby salute the Boston Redsocks Hall of Fame. Let's hear it for these great members.
Roger Clemens (new)
Wade Boggs (2004)
Red Ruffing (1995)
Luis Tiant (1997)
George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1995)
Don Zimmer (2010)
You go, Socks!
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