Only the Yankees.
On the flip side is former teammate Roger Clemens. He’s awaiting a federal trial for allegedly lying to Congress about steroid usage.
All Clemens did was pitch terrifically for 24 MLB seasons.
In 2004, Clemens was 41 years old, posted an 18-4 record and had a 2.98 ERA with the Astros. He pitched 214 innings that season and struck out 218.
The following season, at age 42, he was 13-8 with an incredibly shrinking 1.87 ERA, the best of his career. He pitched another two seasons, until he was 44.
Sometime next month a jury will determine if Clemens used human growth hormone to amass those crazy numbers.
Like you, I don’t know who did what or when. Here’s what we know: HGH and similar controlled steroid usage helps productivity and extends careers.
Jeter is said to be as clean as Ken Griffey Jr. in this “juiced” era. But they are/were mostly painful to watch toward the end.
Not so with Barry Bonds, Clemens and even Lance Armstrong, who arguably were better and stronger than ever at the end. Of course, none of those three has been proven to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
After Marion Jones and Mark McGwire and countless others, we should all know better by now.
A little bit of PED government oversight would go a long way in ensuring the best athletes stay that way long after their primes.
Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author