Roger Clemens made his first public comments since being indicted on federal charges for perjury during an appearance on the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Telethon yesterday.
“I’m not going to get into details. All I’m going to say is that I
learned a lot. My eyes were opened by some of the things that happened
and did not happen,” Clemens said. “We’re going to deal with it, guys, I
don’t really know what else to say. We’re going to deal with it and
have our day.”“It really wasn’t a surprise. I mean, I got my eyes opened up quite a
bit when we went in there an the things that we went through before.
… I sent it out in a tweet [denying the charges]. I thought that was
the best way to go about it.”
Clemens also told WEEI that he no longer talks to Andy Pettitte and that he didn’t play baseball in order to go into the Hall of Fame.
On a related note, according to Mike Fish of ESPN.com, attorney Rusty Hardin said Clemens turned down a “very fair offer” from the government in return for pleading guilty several months ago.
“The government made a recommendation [for a plea agreement] and we
declined,” Hardin said. “I will tell you the recommendation they made
was a very good one if he was guilty. And if he was guilty we would have
jumped on it. Everybody has all this great solicitous advice, all the
media and you guys — ESPN. Nobody is answering the question: What if he
didn’t do it, what should he have done? And everybody wants him to
confess.”“I have even heard people suggest that even if he didn’t do it he
should have said he did so that everybody will move on. That is a
helluva commentary.”
Stunningly enough, the offer reportedly included no jail time. It’s a bold move by Clemens, but a calculated one. We’re probably still a long way from this actually going to trial, but a conviction isn’t a sure thing, especially with Brian McNamee as a key — and rather shady — witness.
