Houston, We Have A Problem

The Rocket, Roger Clemens, and his former trainer Brian McNamee are scheduled to testify publicly Wednesday at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. In what will no doubt be a cotinuation of the same old story, the seven time Cy Young winner will vehemently deny ever using performace enhancing drugs. This is certainly something we've seen before.

Wednesday's session will be held in the same wood-paneled hearing room baseball fans have become so familiar with. In March of 2005, we painfully watched several big name players essentially ruin their careers and reputations. This list includes Sammy Sosa, who forgot how to speak English, Mark McGwire, who forgot how to speak period, and who can forget the finger-waving Rafael Palmeiro.

In a weird twist, McNamee recently turned over used needles and gauze as evidence. Why would he even keep those things lying around for that long? What's more, the former trainer is now claiming he even injected Clemens' wife with HGH. Wow. The plot has certainly thickened in the past several days.

With all this said, the future does not look bright for Roger Clemens. Appearing before congress did not exactly bode well for players like Palmeiro and McGwire. The once hallowed slugger Palmeiro tested positive for steroids five months after testifying in front of the committee and quickly slipped into oblivion. The former home run king McGwire also fell off the face of the earth following his testimony. These two have a questionable chance of gaining entry into the Hall of Fame, and saying questionable is being generous.

Wednesday, then, will be yet another chapter in the Steroid Era Saga. Will The Rocket follow suit and crash and burn like his predecesors, or will one of the greatest pitchers of all time keep fighting and clear his name for takeoff into the Hall?