Clemens' Ship Is Sinking

Loose lips sink ships.

Some years ago, a former colleague would offer those words of advice to his department staff whenever the rumor mill began to work overtime.

Someone should have given that same advice to Roger Clemens. The seven-time Cy Young winner is now being investigated by the FBI for allegedly lying about using steroids.

Clemens can’t really blame anyone but himself for getting into this mess. It seems the more he opens his mouth to defend himself, the worse he makes it for his case and the less people believe him.

If he is innocent as he claims, wouldn’t it have been better if he had simply issued a written statement to the press or on his Web site, then say no more? Instead he had to go on 60 Minutes to convince viewers that he never used steroids, then testified at a House committee hearing earlier this month claiming that his former personal trainer Brian McNamee is lying, not him.

Have we learned nothing from Barry Bonds, who was found guilty of lying to federal investigators about his steroid use just last November? It’s the same story, only the characters have changed. As Bonds learned, and as Clemens is about to learn, you never, ever, ever lie to the Feds.

It’s not the steroid usage that got Clemens into trouble, it’s lying about it. And that can only mean one thing: Clemens’ ship is sinking.

The Rocket Rejoins the Bronx Bombers

Future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens announced he is returning to his former team, the New York Yankees, for the remainder of this season. The 44-year-old ace made the announcement to a crowd of more than 52,000 fans at Yankee Stadium Sunday during the seventh inning stretch. After spending a few weeks training and getting into pitching shape, Clemens is expected to join the team sometime in early June. He will earn $28 million, or $4.5 million per month through the rest of this season.

The acquisition of Clemens is a huge shot in the arm for the Yankees, who clearly were desperate for starting pitching. Whether or not that boost lasts through the season and helps manager Joe Torre keep his job remains to be seen. It’s not good news for the AL Central either where many figured one of the four top teams -- the Tigers, Twins, Indians and White Sox – could win the Wild Card. That may not be the case anymore. If both the Yankees and Red Sox make the playoffs, the AL Central – arguably the best division in baseball -- would only have one team going the playoffs. And that means a more intense fight to the finish.