I Have Questions: Does The Rocket Have Answers?

Roger Clemens has ducked the media ever since the Mitchell Report came out. So now that he has "agreed" to be interviewed on "60 Minutes" by his friend Mike Wallace, writers and broadcasters everywhere are filing their If I Were Mike Wallace reports. I'm hearing things like, "I'd ask him point blank, 'Did you use steroids or HGH?' or, 'What would you say to Brian McNamee if you were face to face?' and, 'What do you think of Andy Pettitte's admission of HGH use?'" Yadda, yadda, yadda...

Mr Wallace probably will ask these very questions, or some variation of them. Clemens probably will not provide any earth-shattering answers and will continue to deny using steroids and HGH. Sounds like a big waste of time to me. I'd bet you could ask Clemens anything in that interview and you wouldn't get any meaningful answers. So why bother with the Mitchell Report? Here's what I'd ask:

1) When you signed your last contract with the Yankees earlier this year, you revealed that George Steinbrenner confided in you about something and it was instrumental in getting you to come out of retirement. You said you'd share what he told you at the end of the season. The season ended two months ago. What did Mr Steinbrenner tell you?

2) Roger, let's talk about Mike Piazza. Did you throw at him because you couldn't get him out? Why couldn't you get him out?

3) You said Andy Pettitte was a big reason you came back to pitch for the Astros several years ago. Can a teammate be that influential? What do you have to say about those who believe money and not Pettitte was a major reason for your comeback?

4) The names of all of your children begin with the letter "K" for strikeout. People have said this is proof that you're self-absorbed. What do you have to say about that?

Just a few things for The Rocket to ponder! Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to the Mike Wallace interview. Clemens also is supposed to make himself available to the rest of the media after the interview airs. The evening of January 5, 2008 should be very interesting, indeed.

Christmas Fun

Whether you're a Yankee fan or not, you'll love this take on the classic Christmas poem:

'Twas The Night Before (Yankee) Christmas

Thanks Peter Abraham. And to all my cherised readers: "Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

The Lady

Good News For Clemens & Pettitte

The LA Times has some explaining to do. They will be printing a retraction in one of their upcoming editions stating that their report about Clemens and Pettitte (along with Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons) being in Jason Grimsley's affidavit was an error.

This comes after a Blue Jays trainer says he never witnessed Clemens taking steroids.

Could Clemens be telling the truth (through his agent) after all? His name is mentioned in the Mitchell Report more than any other player's, but isn't that really because his long-time trainer did most of the talking to the Mitchell investigators?

The Rocket got win yesterday when this affidavit was unsealed. Are there more wins under his (lawyer's) belt?

The Lady

The Mitchell Report: Even More Fallout!

I attended the Knicks game last night at The Garden and witnessed another blow-out, this one at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, specifically Mike Dunleavy, who scored a career high 36 points, 27 of them in the second half.

Towards the end of that second half a fan sitting near me, obviously looking for a way to entertain himself, started chanting "Let's Go Yankees!" A man sitting in his row retorted, "Let's Go Steroids!" He then said, "That whole team is using steroids!"

This seems to be the sentiment on various message boards and "anti-Yankee" blogs I've visited. Yankee haters would love for this to be true, but it's ridiculous. So, it wasn't the money that won the Yankees the championships after all? It was really performance enhancing drugs? Come on. If the whole Yankee team is using (or has used) steroids, so is every member of every other team in Major League Baseball.

While I don't believe the whole Yankee team was using steroids, I do believe Roger Clemens was. If he's waited this long to address the issue, I think it's safe to say The Mitchell Report is probably correct as far as he's concerned. The only things he's said so far are "I'm not talking to y'all about it," and, "We'll handle this our way." Well, Rocket, you'd better hope and pray that your way is the right way.

The Lady

[Photo: Theodorakis/News]

Update: Clemens released another statement this afternoon, again through his agent, again denying the use of steroids. Come on Roger, stop hiding behind your agent.

A-Rod's Attempt At Damage Control

During Alex Rodriguez's appearance on "60 Minutes" last night he revealed that he and agent Scott Boras haven't spoken since The Opt Out.

According to A-Rod, Boras really had nothing to do with negotiating the new contract. However, "60 Minutes" reported that he'll get his $15 million commision and will stay on as the third baseman's agent.

So, let me get this straight: Boras had nothing to do with the new deal. Boras and A-Rod are not speaking. Boras is still getting paid. Boras will continue to be A-Rod's agent. What does it spell: Damage Control. A-Rod tried his best last night to separate himself from Boras and the opt out debacle, but he didn't do it as far as I'm concerned. I know that someone else in Scott Boras Corporation could have negotiated the deal, but why should they have? If A-Rod was really upset he could have gotten any number of competent people to help him out. Instead, he stuck with the Boras Camp.

The damage is still out of control.

The Lady

Justice Calls For Justice

Former MLB player David Justice, whose name was included in The Mitchell Report, appeared on Yankee announcer Michael Kay's radio show last week. He did a very good job of denying HGH use and defending his name:


David Justice Interview

What's most interesting about this interview is that Justice said he'd have taken HGH if it had been offered to him in pill form, as opposed to the injectable kind.

The Lady

Pettitte & Clemens: The Fallout Continues

Now that Andy Pettitte has admitted using HGH, what will happen? While some members of the media have rejected his statement (among them, Peter Abraham and Mike Lupica), I'm not inclined to do the same. Pettitte apologized and I accept it. Abraham and Lupica are paid to pick things apart and (whether they want to admit it or not) to help sell newspapers. They're grabbing at straws at this point.

How will this affect his very close friend Roger Clemens? Will he admit anything or continue to have his lawyer vehemently deny everything? The more he continues to hide behind his lawyer, the more guilty he looks in my opinion.

Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez answers questions about steroids on 60 Minutes tonight. I'm sure Jose Canseco is waiting with baited breath for that interview.

The Lady

The Mitchell Report: Incomplete

I have a million things to do today and I don't have time to delve into this Mitchell Report thing. I'll only ask this question: Why are so many names missing from The Mitchell Report?

Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte being on the list really doesn't surprise me. There have been whispers about them for the past year or two. However Mark McGwire not being on the list does. Also, I wasn't expecting the 2007 AL MVP to be on the list and he wasn't, but Jose Canseco is surprised that Alex Rodriguez is not on the list.

This report does nothing to end the steroid era. All it is is one big can of worms.

The Lady

Michael Kay Knows How To Throw A Party

Well readers, your Lady was lucky enough to score an invite to the 2nd annual Michael Kay Show Christmas Party! The festivities were held last night at Blondies East here in New York City. I wasn't there representing this blog or in any other official capacity. I was just one of the lucky listeners chosen to attend. For that, I'm truly grateful.

When it comes to celebrities or any kind of media personality I have a tendency to get really nervous and to clam up. It was no different last night as I felt as if my tongue had been ripped out of my mouth. I was so nervous that I was afraid to adjust my camera, whose flash wasn't working properly. I was thinking, What if I mess the camera up entirely? I left it alone and, as you can see in the slide show below, things look pretty dim and grim at the party.



The Michael Kay Show Christmas Party 2007



But it really wasn't dim and grim! Michael Kay and the show's other regulars (Don LaGrecca, Joey Salvia and Christina Stoffo) were really nice and took the time to chat with and pose for pictures with anyone who walked up to them. Joey even gave kudos to the blog! 1050 ESPN Radio provided an open bar and gave everyone a little gift pack as well.

My friend Paula, whom I brought as my guest, also attended last year's party. She told me that this year's party was even bigger than last year's. Paula actually won a pair of Knicks tickets for being brave and singing the show's theme song in front of everyone. I'll be going with her to the game on Monday night. Too bad it's the 2007-08 Knicks and not one of the good teams from the '90s.

The Lady

The Mitchell Report: Do You Care?

Bud Selig now has the Mitchell Report in his hot little hands and he'll reveal what it says tomorrow. Does anyone care? I don't.

To be more clear about this, I don't care about the Mitchell Report but I do care about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. The Media keeps saying that I don't, but that's simply not true.

Every media organization I turn my attention to says the fans don't care if players are using steroids or HGH. To hear them tell it, all fans only care about seeing their favorite players hit balls out of the park. It doesn't matter how or why they do it, as long as they do it.

That's an insult. Just because attendance goes up every year and the MLB coffers are overflowing doesn't mean fans don't care about steroids or HGH. Heck, I believe the real fans do care. The real fans are the ones who don't miss a game on their regional sports network, who know why a batter bunts, who know why a runner can't score from third on a fly ball with two outs. The real fans, for the most part, can't spend a lot of money on high-priced tickets and merchandise. The real fans, for the most part, aren't rich people who know nothing about the game and only show up at the ballpark to be seen. Fans do care, and I'm tired of hearing that we don't.

As for the Mitchell Report, I refuse to give any credence to someone who was on the payroll of an MLB team, a team who, up until now, has had not a single player come under suspicion for use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Lady

LaTroy Hawkins? Lol!

It looks as if veteran pitcher LaTroy Hawkins will sign a one-year $3.75 million deal with the Yankees. Well, at least it's only one year.

Except for this past year, I don't ever remember being impressed with LaTroy Hawkins. In fact, every time I've heard his name mentioned, I've laughed out loud. Every time. I think it goes back to that perfect game pitched by David Wells. Hawkins was the opposing pitcher for the Twins in that game and I remember the defeated look on his face as his offense failed to get anything started against Boomer.

Hopefully Yankee fans won't see that look on his face too often in 2008. Good luck, Mr Hawkins.

The Lady

[Photo: Pensinger/Getty]

Gibbons Gone For Fifteen Days

Well, I was wrong about Jay Gibbons. He is being suspended for his involvement with HGH. He'll sit out the first fifteen days of the 2008 season.

Gibbons has accepted his punishment. Jose Guillen refuses to accept his, filing a grievance through the players association.

Is this just the tip of the iceberg? The Mitchell Report is due out in three weeks. How many other players will be suspended for the beginning of the 2008 season

Will there be any Red Sox players mentioned in the report? If there won't be I'll cry foul.

The Lady

Tiger Mauling At Winter Meetings

So while everyone else was focusing on Johan Santana and where he'll play in 2008, the Detroit Tigers swooped in at Nashville late yesterday and completed a deal with Florida that brings highly coveted 3B Miguel Cabrera to Detroit along with The D-train, Dontrelle Willis.

If you didn't think the Tigers should be taken seriously before this trade, you'd better start changing your thinking. They already have a great lineup and Cabrera puts them closer to the top. I'm not sure how Willis will do in the American League, but being part of a solid Tigers rotation shouldn't hurt him any.

The American League is now even stronger. This move just brings more truth to what I said back in September: Those weaker sisters in the Senior Circuit can't hold a candle to the American League. Teams in the AL continue to work on being competitive because they know the Yankees and the Red Sox are that much better. Perhaps the day will soon come when everyone will be adding a third or even a fourth team to that list. We might be saying, "...they know the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers and the Angels are that much better."

The Lady

Dukes & Milledge Are Teammates!

Elijah Dukes was traded to the Washington Nationals yesterday. The troubled outfielder joins another troubled outfielder recently traded to the Nats, Lastings Milledge. Dukes and Milledge together. On the same team. In Washington, DC. Am I the only one that sees a potential for trouble here?

I might be out of touch right now and things in Washington might not be as bad as they were years ago. I only know that several members of my family who have lived there over the years have had problems with the law; some with one side of it, some with the other side. Both of these young men are extremely talented and have bright futures in the Major Leagues. However, they've both had their legal troubles off the field, and dressing them up in the same uniform and plunking them down in the Nation's Capitol might be prove to be a bad mix. Too many distractions for two young men who seem to have trouble being good citizens off the field.

Let's hope I'm wrong. Good luck, guys.

The Lady

Pettitte Coming Back

Andy Pettitte's agent told the Houston Chronicle that the lefthander will be back to pitch for the Yankees in 2008. That's great news for Yankees Universe.

Does this mean the deal for Johan Santana is off? (I certainly hope so.) If Hank Steinbrenner stays true to his word, all interested parties should find out tonight for sure whether or not Pettitte will be the Yankee's only lefthanded starter in 2008. Tonight's deadline will definitely be easier to stick to with Dandy Andy back in the mix.

The Lady

Upheaval In The Hughes Corporation?

The Yankees are now willing to include Phil Hughes in a trade for Johan Santana. I guess I haven't been paying close enough attention, because I thought Hughes was already included. Can you blame me? All this media speculation was bound to confuse someone out there. Might as well be me.

I said earlier that I liked the idea of the Yankees getting Johan Santana. But, the more I mull this whole Santana trade thing over in my head, the less I like it:

Santana's coming off a bad year (for him, at least). Who's to say he won't have an even worse year in 2008? Also, who's to say that Hughes won't prove to be just as good as, if not better than, Santana?

His agents are pushing for a six-year deal to go along with the trade. Pitchers really shouldn't get more than three-year deals, even if they're as good as Johan Santana. Though he's never been hurt, he's obviously going to get older during the contract and that means possible injuries.

Hughes didn't live up to all the hype in 2007, but that doesn't scare me. What scares me is that he'll come into his own in a Minnesota Twins uniform, around the same time Johan Santana will go on the decline. If all that's being written is true, Hank Steinbrenner doesn't care if this happens. Does he want to un-do all the hard work Brian Cashman did developing young players? Cashman's been quiet since Joe Torre left town. Hank's been doing all the talking. I don't think I like where things appear to be heading.

The Lady