Clemens in 2000 World Series Photo by AP	Hide your Face, Roger Photo By Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Let me take you back to a Roger Clemens moment in time.  It's the 2000 World Series, Game 2, first inning.  Courtesy of CBC Sports, the following is their Oct 25, 2000 summary of the incident itself.

The now-famous incident occurred in the first inning, when Piazza shattered his bat into three pieces fouling off an inside fastball. Clemens fielded the jagged barrel of Piazza's bat and fired it at the feet of the unsuspecting New York Mets catcher as he trotted down the first baseline. Piazza, still clutching the splintered handle of the bat, immediately turned towards the mound to accost Clemens, who claimed innocence. Both dugouts emptied, but no one was ejected. Nor did the umpires consider Clemens' actions intentional. Once play resumed, Piazza grounded out on the next pitch to end the inning. The incident overshadowed an otherwise overpowering outing for Clemens, who threw eight innings of two-hit, nine-strikeout ball before departing with a 6-0 lead. The Yankees held on for a 6-5 victory and a 2-0 lead in the Series.

CBC then interviewed some stakeholders after the $50,000 Clemens fining.  Following are excerpts from thae CBC Sports story.  The reader can judge for himself whether or not anyone interviewed felt that Roger Clemens had any hold on reality whatsoever.  Including Roger himself.

"I want to stay focused on the task at hand, helping my team win the World Series, so I do not intend to consider the question of an appeal or respond to questions about the fine or the incident itself until this series is over," Clemens said in a statement.

Asked whether an apology from Clemens would be more appropriate, Piazza replied, "To me, an apology is only as good as the source. I don't even want one."

"I have no comment. We're just here to play baseball," said normally outspoken Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Yankees manager Joe Torre also offered a terse, "No comment."

"I came back into the dugout and I said I've got to get control of my emotions and calm down," said Clemens at the post-game press conference.

  <>"He just picked up the bat and winged it," said umpire crew chief Ed Montague. "It was just an emotional deal that built over the months."

The World Series incident followed a July 8, 2000 Clemens beaning of Piazza (in the head).  Here's what Piazza had to say on that score:

"I don't want to say he intentionally hit me in the head, but I think he intentionally threw at my head," 

"There's no place for that in baseball."

Every Mets fan probably recalls that day.  That was the day we all hoped that someday Clemens would get his.  In spades.  Well, yesterday was the day.  How sweet it is.  This guy was allowed to pitch for at least six years when he was probably about as sane as Lyle Alzado in a Mr. Rogers Neighborhood mood.

This crazy, juiced man hit an All-Star player in the head in July, then threw a jagged bat shard at him just two months later.  Piazza had to miss that year’s All-Star Game as a result of his injury.  Except for the $50,000 fine, there were no repercussions.  Except the Mets losing the Series.  And Piazza being too much of a gentleman to bash Clemens in the head when he went to the mound, thus losing face for all Mets fans everywhere.

But Rocket-Juice may not make the Hall of Fame now.  He probably won’t be seeing any more big contracts.  The rooms he enters may not hush as the former great one enters.  Hang on to that, Mets fans, it’s all we’re going to get.

Much of the press I’ve read focuses on whose blame it is for this whole steroid situation and the affect that it has had on statistics and Hall of Fame applicants. Is Major League Baseball to blame?  You bet.  Is the Players Union to blame?  Oh, absolutely.  It’s hard to believe that nothing had been done sooner. In the long run, of course, it’s the players who would suffer.

I’m thankful that Commissioner Selig commissioned this report so that we can finally watch some real baseball, not the stats-inflated variety, the kind that makes it impossible to have any perspective on the game itself, on its history and the rightful place of today’s stars in that historical framework.

But that’s really secondary, isn’t it?  Are we watching just to see how the stars will do?  What about the actual competition?  Who would’ve won that 2000 World Series if Clemens hadn’t been juicing?  Would the Yanks have even made the World Series without Clemens?  Would the Mets have tied the Series 1-1, giving them the momentum to come back strong for the rest of the Series?

I’m very thankful that there weren’t many Mets involved.  I was sorry to see that Paul LoDuca was involved.  And of course Lenny Dykstra, although if you had asked me directly about Nails, I’d have said, “Oh yeah! ”

I’m pleased as punch though that some of my favorite players weren’t named.  David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado have been hopefully clean.  Favorites outside the confines of Shea too, guys like Big Pappy David Ortiz, Pudge Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones, David Wells, they weren’t named either, although, at this time it’s impossible to determine whether they are really clean or whether they just have not been caught.

I’m thankful too that these wonder drugs weren’t available when I was a kid.  My heroes are exempt.  My favorite Dodger, The Duke, Duke Snider, I can still look back and see him climbing the centerfield wall and smile.  Campanella, PeeWee Reese, Gil Hodges, Carl Furillo, they’re all clear.  And don’t forget Seaver, Gentry, Koosman, Keith Hernandez, and all my favorite Mets.  Except Nails, oh well.  It was worth it to finally get Clemens.

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