The interesting thing about Bonds and Clemens is that neither has ever been caught. Is the case of Clemerns, his guilty verdict in the court of public opinon is based on the dubious testimony of a drug dealer and a half-remembered conversation with a former teamate from ten years ago. In the meantime, the feds have been pursuing the case for 16 months since Clemen's congressional testimony and have not yet been able to even indict him never mind convict. For the last five years, the fed have also been trying to nail Bonds and have not been succesful at even bringing the case to trial because of a lack of admissable evidence. But nevertheless, these two are painted as terrible villians -- no due process necessary.

Then we come to the case of Manny Ramirez -- an obvious media darling. Ramirez, the most domiant player for the most dominant team in baseball over the past decade is caught red-handed as a PED user less than a week ago. Yet from the media, there is no call for any live explanation or press apppearance, no inquiry about his past usage, not constant hounding of him as he goes about his daily life, and not even one sugestion about how his past usage might have affected his former team, a team the won two championships in four years.

Guilt or innocence in this country seems to be based on whether a handful of elitist writers like you or not. There is no sense of fairness, due process, or ethical responsibility for reporting facts without prejudging. This not only goes for sports joournalism but journalism in general. Journalism as we knew it is dead.

Clemens is a pathological liar who only took from the game of baseball and never gave back--

Clemens by far.. Bonds has actaully shut up about the allegations, Roger's quest is to make the Hall of Fame. In his mind as long as he denies any involvement, he thinks he stands a chance of getting in. Note to Roger.. Sorry Rog, its not going to happen in your lifetime. Maybe 75 years from now when all is forgotten, you'll be voted in posthumosly..

Clemens is looking more pathetic every time he opens his mouth, but Bonds let someone rot in jail for over a year just so he wouldn't have to testify.  If that guy isn't getting 8 figures for keeping his mouth shut, he needs to talk, then have Bonds beaten to a pulp.

There both dirtbags and should put in jail for lying under oath. Neiter should make the Hall Of Fame.

Neither are villians. They are the best of their sport and doing all they can do to win and entertain us. You want the real villina here, go after Selig.

Manny admitted usage. He didn't lie to Congress, lie to the press, or lie to the Americans once he was caught. That is completely not true of either Bonds or Clemens.

Stop talking about Bonds and comparing him to people that have been proven to a reasonable extent to have used steroids. Clemons, Manny, Palmero, Canseco. Why even talk about it? Bonds was shunned from a league when he deserved to play. Why was manny able to sign a rediculous contract while he was still cheating and Bonds not allowed to play when nobody had proof that he ever cheated.

Bill, you are overlooking a number of important points. The feds and a number of reporters have alot of evidence against Bonds, but the case involves a huge number of errors in police work and one giant ambiguity- it is difficlut to prove he KNEW what the substances were without Greg Anderson testifiying. Bonds' aquittital, like the aquittal of corrupt Senator Ted Stevens will be a result of key evidence not be admitted in the case because due process was not followed (I think Craig drew this comparision recently over at THT).

If the feds are "taking it slow" in the Clemens case it would indicate that they feel the evidence (and there is evidence in the way of used siringes and McNamee's testimony) is strong and they do not want to see Clemens get off because of the same sloppy procedures that taint the Bonds case. Clemens has been much more vocal than Bonds and therefore is open to far more specific charges.

As for Manny, he is not being treated differently by the media at all. He and his handlers are just doing a better job managing the crisis and his positive test is in no way as substantial as the paper trails document T/ET level testing, cycle calenders at BALCO or the McNamee/Randomski evidence being investiagated in the Clemens case. While it logically follows that Ramirez used banned substances before failing this test, simple logic and the suspisions of Canseco are not enough evidence to conclude that he was using in 2004 or 2007. It is the height of poor journalism to use the conclusions that you draw on your own without any supporting evidence. (see Selena Roberts and teenage bench-pressing) That is the fair, due process you are looking for in action. Now if a pharmacy has records of undectable PED's being sent to Manny way back when, that would be different.

Clemons will probably not get into the HOF in the next ten years, but with our notoriously short attention spans, he may thereafter. The shame of that is that Pete Rose will only receive a posthumous election if at all. He never cheated. He lied about betting on baseball, but he never benefited from the betting. The "I never profited" argument worked for the Clintons on Whitewater, but it probably won't work for Rose. Too bad for baseball.

I have personally met Clemens at an autograph signing in Haverhill Massachusetts in the early 90's. What an arrogant, egomaniac of a man. I have been collecting baseball cards since the early 70's. I'm at the signing handing Clemens a baseball to sign for my collection, I'm about 26 years old at the time. He took the ball below the table and signs it with a magic-maker. Anyone who knows about the "sweet spot" and autographs on baseballs knows that you don't sign a ball with magic marker – it smudges and runs. You sign with ink – only use ball point pen. I couldn't believe my eyes when he gave me my ball back and wouldn't make eye contact with me as I was ushered out of line. From that day forward I, a life long Red Sox fan and Clemens fan, up to that point, have been hoping for "sweet justice". I hope to heaven he gets treated like he once treated me – without just cause he treated me like a chump. Just knowing that he's living a lie is satisfactory. His comment about having three eyes or whatever ridiculous comments he's made is sweet music to me….I'm cheer and clap when he gets convicted.
Deep within himself he knows we know the truth….

Bud Selig & the owners are the biggest villians. What people are forgetting is these owners & Bud Selig (17 million in pay last year) are the real villians, they made billions off of it, the guy investigated steriods, Bud Selig's buddy. It was all meant to make the players look bad & yes they are guilty too, but so are the reporters who loved covering the home run chase, never a bad word written about any of this until way after the fact. So quit trying to make the villians out to be ball players only. Hell you wrote this article, but I bet you were got up with the home run chase too. The whole group of you stink & are phonies.

As stated above, Bonds let someone rot in jail while he paraded around scot free. The very fact that Anderson won't testify is a pretty good indication of Bonds' guilt. If Bonds wasn't guilty, why not testify???? Bonds is scum, always has been, always will be....Doesn't belong in the hall of fame even as a visitor.

Clemens is no better. He suffers from the "Nixon" syndrome....where I really think he has convinced himself of his lies by repeatedly telling them over and over...

I do agree with the criticism of the writers. They have their favorites and their scapegoats and, as the book about A-Rod shows....will write anything whether it is based on fact or not, to sell a story. The media has become no better than grocery store tabloids and, none of them should EVER call themselves journalists....

The dirtbag Bonds of course! If only he had treated people like human beings instead of crap don't you think he'd have strong support? And isn't support from your fans a plus? The bastard just never got it. Talk about take the money and run!!!! And that fool in jail for him. Must be guaranteed a nice little nest egg when ever he gets out. What a pair!

Bonds did not let someone rot in jail, Greg Anderson (I think that is his name -- going from memory) chose not to testify. If he wanted to get out of jail, all he had to do was testify against Bonds and he would be free. The fact that he didn't testify and has spent years in jail makes me wonder what Bonds has given him. I am guessing Anderson is getting more than a little bit of money to keep his mouth shut. Other than (not) letting someone rot in jail, Bonds hasn't done much to hurt the reputations of others.

The same is not true of Clemens. In his desire to protect his reputation, he has thrown just about everyone under the bus. He threw his wife under the bus. A very classy move. He threw his teammate under the bus. He threw his teammate's father under the bus.

I have always thought (and hence I am maybe biased) that Clemens cared more about his reputation as a baseball player than pretty much anyone else playing the game. How many times have you heard Clemens say in interviews either before or after big games that, to paraphrase, "I don't want to make any excuses, but my shoulder has been a little tight lately. It's not an excuse. I have to go out there and perform." Hey, thanks for telling us about that "shoulder tightness." Now we know that if you perform poorly, it was because you were hurt, and if you perform well, you are superhuman.

Also, I think part of the "monster" calculus is how great the player was in the period before allegations of their steroid use. It is impossible to know when each player started to use, but by the late 1990s, Bonds was already a sure-fire, can't miss, first ballot hall of famer even if he had never hit 700 home runs (or 500 for that matter) and Clemens career was pretty much over. Remember why Boston let him go? Because they thought his career was over. Do you know why they thought that? Because it WAS over. And then Clemens started using steroids and became the "most dominant pitcher of his generation." Because his legend as a player was improved more by PEDs, I think Clemens was the bigger monster.

Finally, to those who say that there is no evidence on either, I think you should remember that, as fans, we do not need to meet the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard. If the fans were to try these two players, our trial, if it were to have a burden of proof, would have a "preponderance of the evidence" standard. Stated simply, was it more likely than not that these players used PEDs. I think the majority of baseball fans would agree that it was more likely than not that Clemens and Bonds used steroids. And as to attacking McNamee's credibility, the only thing he could have gotten in trouble for when giving his statement to the authorities was lying. If he lied, he would have gone to jail. To me, that gives a person tremendous credibility.

You are forgetting the enablers, without whose blind eye and indifference ,the "steroid era" might not have happened. Bud Selig and some the owners.

clemcal:

Manny admitted usage. He didn't lie to Congress, lie to the press, or lie to the Americans once he was caught. That is completely not true of either Bonds or Clemens.

Of course he lied -- all of the times he took those drugs he lied. What, you thinik he was walking around the Boston clubhouse telling people what he was doing with drugs all tht time? You're kidding. Right!?