Two people briefed on the matter said the charges came from testimonies that Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee had given under oath to a panel at the House of Representatives. They had contradicted each other on whether Clemens used banned substances. 

Clemens faces charges of obstruction of Congress, making false statements and perjury.

You can lie to your family, friends, fans, baseball, and the world, Roger, but you can't lie under oath in a court of law. You are not above those rules.

Is not getting into the Hall of Fame worth going to jail?

Beginning his career in 1984, Clemens finished with a 354-184 record while becoming one of only four pitchers to have 4,000 strikeouts.

No pitcher has won the Cy Young more than Clemens (seven). He was also on 11 All-Star teams.

Clemens spent 13 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, two seasons with the  Toronto Blue Jays, where he won the pitcher's Triple Crown (wins, ERA, strikeouts) in 1997 and 1998, and was then traded to the New York Yankees in 1999, where he won his first and only World Series.

Clemens then spent 2004-2006 with the Houston Astros and 2007 again with the Yankees.

In his last regular season outing, he allowed two hits and one unearned run in six innings against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. In that same year, Clemens threw his last pitch ever against the Cleveland Indians in Game 3 of the ALDS, striking out Victor Martinez.

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They are forgetting the whole team factor and how as long as you have a finger to point, you could manage this New York Yankees team. 

Is it hard to put together a lineup featuring Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Nick Swisher? 

Can you close your eyes and point?  You could literally be blind and make a good lineup out of that cast.

The Yankees went out and got Girardi not just the best talent in free agency, but in the game in the forms of Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett, while trading for Nick Swisher.  The Cubs went out and got Piniella, Milton Bradley for $5 million more than Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu combined, and re-signed one-year wonder starting pitcher Ryan Dempster to a big fat contract.

Yes, I'm sure it was hard putting up with the Alex Rodriguez mess, so Girardi put his thinking cap on and played Cody Ransom and Ramiro Pena?  Really?  The Yankees went 13-15 during that stint. 

I guess the Yankees forgot to buy Girardi a backup third baseman.

With all the problems that usually come with Alex Rodriguez, Girardi received a gift in the fact this season Rodriguez stayed out of the spotlight and just played baseball.  Piniella got Milton Bradley and Carlos Zambrano who re-discovered their crazy ways this season.

Is it really that hard to hand the ball to a healthy Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettitte over and over again?  The only real decision Girardi had during the season is he made a mess of the fourth and fifth starter for the Yankees.

Girardi threw around Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Phillip Hughes, Sergio Mitre, and Chad Gaudin when in reality, for the future of the Yankees and for the best pitching staff, it clearly should have been Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. 

You do not give up on a 23-year-old like Phillip Hughes and stick him in the bullpen.  Yes, he's done a fantastic job in the bullpen, but after starting 13 games two years ago in his rookie season, you give up on him after eight starts?

Hughes pitched 86 innings this year, so why not let him be the fifth starter?  All you really need out of your fifth starter is an ERA below 5.00, so there really isn't much pressure.

Although, this was probably the best for Hughes with Girardi's history of ruining pitcher's arms as he did in 2006 with the  Florida Marlins, he still won Manager of The Year for finishing fourth in the division with 78-84 overall record.  

Scott Olson (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (22-year-old rookie a year after having an elbow injury) -180.2 IP, 4.04 era, 1.30 WHIP

2007 - 176.2 IP, 5.81 ERA, 1.76 WHIP
2008 - 201.2 IP, 4.20 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
2009 (Left shoulder surgery to end the season) - 62.2 IP, 6.03 ERA, 1.72 WHIP

Josh Johnson (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (22-year-old rookie) - 157 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

2007 (Tommy John Surgery) - 15.2 IP, 7.47 ERA, 2.43 WHIP
2008 (returns from Tommy John midseason) - 87.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP
2009 - 209 IP, 3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP

Ricky Nolasco (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (23-year-old rookie) - 140 IP, 4.82 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

2007 (out 75 days with right elbow inflammation) - 21.1 IP, 5.48 ERA, 1.64 WHIP
2008 - 212.1 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
2009 - 185 IP, 5.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Anibal Sanchez (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (22-year-old rookie) - 114.1 IP, 2.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

2007 (shoulder problems during spring training, demoted to AAA on May 4, surgery to repair tear in his labrum June 21) - 30 IP, 4.80 ERA, 2.07 WHIP
2008 - (returns midseason) - 51. 2 IP, 5.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP
2009 - 86 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

Dontrelle Willis (italics is the Girardi year)

2003 (Rookie of the Year) - 160.2 IP, 3.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
2004 - 197 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
2005 - 236.1 IP, 2.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP

2006 (24 years old) -  223.1 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

2007 - 205.1 IP, 5.17 ERA, 1.60 WHIP
2008 - 24 IP, 9.38 ERA, 2.21 WHIP
2009 - 33.2 IP, 7.49 ERA, 1.93 WHIP

As a Rookie of the Year winner, Dontrelle Willis pitched 160.2 innings. 

If Willis was pitching 160.2 innings, then why were Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, and Ricky Nolasco, as 22 and 23 year-olds, pitching more or around that same level on a team that was clearly not going win the World Series?

Notice the setbacks and injuries each of these pitchers have had in their careers and in the case of Willis, Nolasco, and Olsen, the essential endings of their careers after Girardi wham-bam-thank-you-ma'amed them in a quest to finish fourth in the division.

The Cubs need not look no further than Kerry Wood to know the effects of overworking pitchers under the age of 25.

Comparing Lou Piniella or any manager for that matter to Joe Girardi is not fair. 

What happened last year when the Yankees were hit with injuries to Jeter, Rodriguez, Posada, and the main horses for Girardi's pitching staff were Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte?  What happened when Girardi had to do some actual managing? 

The Yankees didn't make the playoffs for the first time since 1993, finishing with 89 wins. 

In 2009, Girardi was given one of the best hitters in the game in Mark Teixeira and two aces in the forms of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, both of whom stayed healthy for him.  Along with that, the Yankees got a steal for Nick Swisher who although wasn't pressured to do anything, threw in 29 home runs on the season and a .371 OBP.

He was given the perfect team under perfectly healthy circumstances and he will most likely finish with the perfect result.

What managing did he actually have to do?

Girardi is just a finger that can point to the bullpen when Mariano Rivera needs to come to the rescue. 

That finger, however, will probably have a ring on it soon thanks to 2009 All-Star Team New York Yankees.

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Baseball Tonight continues to talk more about Derek Jeter than more deserving candidates like Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Miguel Cabrera, or Mark Teixeira. 

Just as they did last year to Kevin Youkilis, ESPN isn't even getting the MVP of a team right, but they continue to push their love of names/personas instead of actual numbers.

Joe Mauer—.373 BA, 25 HR, 78 RBI, 76 R, .442 OBP, 3 SB

Justin Morneau—.295 BA, 29 HR, 96 RBI, 80 R, .384 OBP

Miguel Cabrera—.343 BA, 27 HR, 82 RBI, 77 R, .407 OBP, 3 SB

Mark Teixeira—.285 BA, 31 HR, 95 RBI, 78 R, .384 OBP, 2 SB

Ben Zobrist—.292 BA, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 74 R, .409 OBP, 15 SB

Kevin Youkilis—.308 BA, 22 HR, 74 RBI, 77 R, .419 OBP, 5 SB

Derek Jeter—.333 BA, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 87 R, .397 OBP, 21 SB 

Jeter has had a great season, but he shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as the first four names. 

I repeat, he is not the MVP.

Do not try the bogus lifetime achievement excuse attempted with justifying Tim Wakefield as an All-Star either. Give him a plaque, but not the one that says 2009 AL MVP.

As I write this, Jayson Stark has just written this:

"If Miguel Cabrera, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist or Michael Young lug their teams into the postseason with huge Septembers, they belong in the argument. But the big debate could be between the prime Bronx contenders—Derek Jeter versus Mark Teixeira."

No, Jayson, those players (minus Young) belong in the debate no matter what. 

If you keep saying something over and over, people will start to believe it and it becomes pushed as fact. Listen for Derek Jeter's name over the next two months, but do not believe it as fact.

Do not let ESPN decide another MVP.

Pictures of running out to a football field, or slowly walking to home plate staring at the pitcher as if to say, "I'm going to hit you.  You know it and I know it, so you better throw the ball then get the hell out of the way," begin to run through my mind with "Voodoo Chile" in the background.

It is a mixture of the two greatest things in the world: sport and music.  Both drive us to do things we never thought we could.  

Why am I dancing like this?  Why won't my head stop moving?  How did I just hit that ball over the fence?  How did I just knock that guy out cold?  

We don't think, we just react.  While partaking in sport or music, is one of the few times in life we do not over-think, we do not over-analyze, we just do.  When you put these two animals together, you get the perfect fit.

It is the reason teams huddle before a game, rock back and forth, and chant.  They get into a rhythm that only song can bring to prepare to go to battle.  Music is their war cry.

The most interesting part of the sport and music psyche is the music used to prepare for sport is mostly of a genre we would never listen to in any other situation. 

Headbangers will listen to techno to keep their pace on the treadmill.  Hip-hop dancers will listen to "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica while lifting.  The entire world loves to hear the "Summer Overture" by Clint Mansell put to their favorite team's highlights.

This is the greatness of music.  You never know when a song will be perfect for your situation.  

Here is a list (in no particular order) of songs that fit perfectly with sport.

1. The Head Bangers

These are the songs that are loud, but universally crowd-pleasing.  A nice mixture of the old and the new.  Beware of walls while listening to these for they may get punched or headbutted.   

Jimi Hendrix—Voodoo Chile

Too smooth to not be on this list.  There is something about that intro guitar work that gives you an extra push.  If a song were to play in the background while I kicked down a door, it would be this.

Honorable Hendrix Mention—Machine Gun, Highway Chile 

AC/DC—Thunderstruck

Extremely cliche, but I do not believe there is a song out there that can get a crowd crazier than "Thunderstruck."  You know you used this song when putting together a power point of your high school team's highlights, you nerd.

You wouldn't believe what this sounds like before Game 163 of the baseball season.

Honorable AC/DC Mention—Hells Bells (Trevor Hoffman), For Those About To Rock

Metallica—For Whom the Bell Tolls

It tolls for thee.  Find me a bass (yes, that is bass) that sounds like an electric guitar as in the beginning of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and I'll pay you a dollar.

Honorable Metallica Mention—Harvester of Sorrow (Paul Konerko), Enter Sandman (Mariano Rivera)

Led Zeppelin—When the Levee Breaks

Can't beat Jimmy Page using a slide on the guitar.  If I were to walk in slow motion, this would be my background song. 

Honorable Led Zeppelin Mention—Immigrant Song (live)

Black Sabbath—War Pigs

Notice, heavy metal bands, metal can actually have talented guitar work and decipherable lyrics.

Honorable Black Sabbath Mention—Paranoid, Iron Man, Crazy Train

Kings of Leon—Four Kicks

Known for their easy listening, Kings of Leon punches you right in the face with this nice southern diddy.  You are allowed to punch the person closest to you while listening. 

Pearl Jam—Even Flow

It must be this version of the song, however, because the recorded version is a bit too slow for the headbanger list.  This was the pre-writing-awful-acoustic-songs-about-everything-stupid-and-stereotypical-regarding-the-Cubs Eddie Vedder.  It's intense, but with a smooth rhythm and solo. 

Honorable Pearl Jam Mention—Go, Animal, Do the Evolution

The Offspring—Half-Truism

Fast rhythm, slower but good chorus, and awesome bridge.  It's simple math.

Soundgarden—Rusty Cage

Fast, loud, effective.

Honorable Soundgarden Mention—Spoonman, Mailman

Alice in Chains—Man in the Box

The perfect rhythm to walk to the plate to.

Honorable Alice in Chains Mention—Them Bones, Again

The White Stripes—Icky Thump

Jack White yelling, lots of bass drum, and lyrics about immigrants.  Perfect.

Honorable White Stripes Mention—Seven Nation Army, Cannon, Black Math, Expecting

System of a Down—Chop Suey

This may be a little too loud for those with sensitive ears, but deal with it, the other team is probably sacrificing an animal (at least think like that, so you feel justified listening to System of a Down).

Honorable System of a Down Mention—Aerials, Sugar

Foo Fighters—My Hero

I was about to click "publish" when this song came on my iTunes, so that has to be a sign.

Honorable Foo Fighters Mention—All My Life, Monkey Wrench, Let it Die

Rage Against the Machine—Killing in the Name

You know it.

Rage Against the Machine Honorable Mention—Bulls on Parade, Guerrilla Radio

2. Smooth Rap

These are the rap songs that are not screaming at you, but rather, with a head-bobbing beat and some lyrics, preparing you.

Kanye West—Jesus Walks

The self-proclaimed genius helps any human gain confidence with "Jesus Walks".  The slow, marine-style beat can't help but force focus.  This was before Kanye began letting machines do his vocal work for him.  

Honorable Kanye Mention—Stronger

50 Cent—Patiently Waiting

A nice easy beat with extremely fierce words said in the smoothest of ways.

Julez Santana—Second Coming

Fell upon this song while researching for this article.  The song has a beat that would make anything you do while listening to it seem important. 

3. Loud Rap

This is the rap that is screaming at you when you may need someone to yell at you.

Saul Williams—List of Demands

This one is a bit far-fetched, but I love it because of Nike's "My Better is Better than Your Better" commercial.  You have to love the intensity.  

Archie Eversole—We Ready

Never thought I would go from Led Zeppelin to Archie Eversole in the same list, but here we are.  The refrain of this rap song is impossible not to enjoy before competition. 

Eminem—Til I Collapse

He is a very angry man and if that's what you want to be before a game, here is your song.

Honorable Eminem Mention—Lose Yourself, Run Rabbit Run

Nas—You Can Hate Me Now

Lots of yelling from Puff Daddy with Nas lyrics.  Genius.

Honorable Nas Mention—Hip Hop is Dead

Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy—Victory

Title says it all.

Honorable Puff Daddy Mention—Come With Me

4. The Techno Songs

You will never admit to having these songs on your iPod as seen by the fact you sprint to change it when these songs come on at a party.  In no other time is it justifiable to listen to these songs. 

Moby—Flower

A nice mixture of blues and techno from Moby to get your blood pumping.  Most people mistakenly call this song "Bring Sally Up".   

Fatboy Slim—Right Here, Right Now

Another one of those songs that you don't recognize, but i guarantee you've heard.  The build up of the first minute is extremely intense then if you're looking for another gear, listen to the next minute.

Kabian—Club Foot

Not really techno, but I was not sure where to put this song.  Just listening to it will make you feel like running.

5. The Instrumental

Some times no words are needed.  A violin or piano can say it perfectly.

Clint Mansell—Summer Overture

Made famous by the movie Requiem for a Dream, which one can't help but shudder when thinking about, this dramatic piece will make you run an extra five miles.  

I watch this Chicago Bears clip before every game.  It is physically impossible not to get pumped up after watching that, unless of course you're one of the players whose ankles were broken by Devin Hester or an Arizona Cardinals fan.  

Honorable Clint Mansell Mention—Dead Reckoning

Mogwai—Auto Rock

Slower than one would think for a song meant for sports, but nothing can be more intense than a well-played piano.  This song was used in this Lance Armstrong commercial perfectly. 

Explosions in the Sky—First Breath After Coma

They did the entire soundtrack for Friday Night Lights for a reason. 

Honorable Explosions in the Sky Mention—The Only Moment We Were Alone

Carly Comando—Everyday

Piano solo used in the NBA "Where Amazing Happens" commercials.  

Well, what are you waiting for?  Go running or tackle someone...NOW!

Why is it that we assign more value to performances in the seventh, eighth, or ninth innings as opposed to the previous six innings? 

Why is it Joe Crede can strike out three times, leaving nine men on base, but if he hits a solo home run in the ninth inning to send the fans home, he is glorified for his performance?

My thesis regarding the word "clutch" is not only that it does not exist in any sport, but also that any person who has ever been tagged as clutch in baseball is nothing more than a great hitter.

The word needs to be wiped out from sports.  

Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Chase Utley: These men are considered clutch—partially thanks to ESPN replaying performances of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees over and over again, but that is beside the point. 

Why are these men considered clutch? Because they get important hits late in the game?  What people seem to forgot is that these players get important hits throughout the entire game, not just in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. 

These men are great baseball players—they are not clutch baseball players. It is impossible to find a baseball player who is considered clutch who is not a great player; therefore, clutch is not the word to describe them 

Growing up a Chicago White Sox fan means having to deal with not only idiotic Chicago fans in general, but idiotic White Sox fans as well. 

Fans who believe Aaron Rowand's "grit" was more valuable than Jim Thome's talent. Fans who believe the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 with "small ball" when they had the fifth most home runs in baseball and the most in the American League. Fans who believe Joe Crede is clutch and Alex Rodriguez is not.

Why do they believe that? Because they see Crede get a lot of walk-off hits—but what they do not see is how many runs he cost throughout a game with his bad hitting or, in the case of clutch, his awful hitting with runners in scoring position (a stat no one seems to remember when claiming a player to be clutch).  

Lets take a look at the numbers. 

I must mention, none of these numbers are accounting for the fact pitchers are going to actually give Crede strikes to hit and not pitch around him, as is the case with Rodriguez.  Even with this in mind, Alex Rodriguez is still the hitter you want in your team's last at-bat, even though Joe Crede is considered clutch and Alex Rodriguez is not. 

Why?

Because Rodriguez is a great player, and clutch does not exist. Crede is a mediocre player who happens to have hits in the ninth inning of games.

Alex Rodriguez

Two Outs and RISP: .273 BA, .406 OBP

Tie Games: .297 BA, .396 OBP

One-Run Games: .303 BA, .398 OBP

Two-Run Games: .298 BA, .390 OBP

Innings Seven Through Nine: .286 BA, .373 OBP

Extra Innings: .303 BA, .422 OBP

Joe Crede

Two Outs and RISP: .267 BA, .350 OBP

Tie Games: .275 BA, .314 OBP

One-Run Games: .258 BA, .298 OBP

Two-Run Games: .245 BA, .294 OBP

Innings Seven Through Nine: .268 BA, .337 OBP

Extra Innings: .261 BA, .294 OBP

Rodriguez has essentially the same numbers as David Ortiz—or Mr. Clutch, as ESPN has so biasedly named him—in these "clutch" situations. 

So why do people give Rodriguez such a hard time, besides the fact ESPN constantly talks about him? Because of his playoff performances?

Rodriguez is a .279 hitter with a .361 OBP and seven home runs in 10 playoff series. Ortiz is a .293 hitter with a .401 OBP and 12 home runs in 13 playoff series. 

Yes, those numbers for Rodriguez are not as good as he usually is, but they are not as bad as people attempt to portray them. Let Manny Ramirez bat in front of him and see how he hits in the playoffs. 

This is not a plea for Alex Rodriguez to be loved by any means. This is simply proving the biggest person who people have labeled as "not clutch" is actually a great hitter in pressure situations.

Why?

Because he is a great hitter in every situation.  

Guys like Joe Crede, Jim Leyritz, and Aaron Boone are considered clutch for single hits because those hits are remember more than their many failures, whereas the failures of guys like Alex Rodriguez are blown up and put under a microscope.

We can't judge a hitter based on when he gets hits, whether early in the games or late in the games, or early in the season or late in the season—or even worse, completely judge them based on a two-week span in the playoffs. They can only be judged on their entire catalog.  

If players come through early in a game, then "clutch" hits should never be needed because runs in the first inning count for the same amount as runs in the last inning.