Friday Firings: Roger Clemens Trial

Clemens technically won, but he's still a loser.

If there is a record for quickest mistrial, the prosecution in the Roger Clemens perjury case has at least come close to it. After just two days in court, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial because prosecutors twice introduced evidence that Walton had declared inadmissible. This week in Friday firings we're singling out things/people from the trial that definitely need to be fired.

Fire the Prosecution - The trial turned into an even bigger waste of resources than anyone could have imagined thanks to bumbling prosecutors. Walton would not allow testimony from the wife of former Yankees P Andy Pettitte, but prosecutors showed a video from Clemens' disastrous 2008 congressional hearing that included Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., discussing statements made by Mrs. Pettitte. The other mistake made by the prosecution came on the first day of the trial, when U.S. attorney Steven Durham said Pettitte and two of Clemens' other Yankee teammates, Chuck Knoblauch and Mike Stanton, had used human growth hormone. Walton wouldn't allow that, either, because of the possibility of guilt by association. Walton said these two mistakes could have been avoided by a "first-year law student." Everybody screws up sometimes, but it's just ridiculous to make two major mistakes in two days.

Fire the Entire Trial - The prosecution's errors may have been a blessing in disguise because this trial was a waste of time from the start. Whether or not Clemens took steroids and lied to Congress about it really isn't that important. Of course no one should lie under oath, but Clemens has been and will continue to be punished. Most of the public thinks Clemens is a liar and a cheater, he'll never get into the hall of fame, he won't get any endorsement deals and he's not going to be welcome in professional baseball regardless of the outcome of any court case. He's not dangerous (unless he has a broken bat in his hand and your name is Mike Piazza), so why put him in jail? Clemens is getting what he deserves and the judicial system doesn't need to pile anything else on to that.

Just like the Barry Bonds trial, which didn't turn out a lot better, this Clemens steroid inquiry is not worth the effort. Walton is holding a hearing on September 2 to determine if the trial will restart, but let's hope he benches this case for good.