Am I the only one who recalls the acrimony when Roger Clemens left the Red Sox for the Toronto Blue Jays? Am I the only one who recalls then-GM Dan Duquette saying Clemens was in "the twilight of his career" back in 1996?
Clemens signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997, went 21-7 and won the AL Cy Young Award to prove Duquette's assessment premature. However, in 1998, Clemens got off to a 5-6 start, and, according to trainer Brian McNamee in the Mitchell Report, began to use steroids. He finished the season on a 14-0 run to won his second consecutive Cy Young Award.
Beginning with the 2006 season, baseball instituted its steroids policy, and Roger Clemens began taking the first part of the year off. In light of the information in the Mitchell Report, can this lay-off be attributed to the inability of Clemens to use performance-enhancing drugs?
As a fan of Roger Clemens, I am afraid the Mitchell Report disclosures will begin the process of re-writing his legacy. What other events in Clemens' career need re-examining?