Mike Piazza, a former Major League Baseball catcher, believes Roger Clemens used anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) if his wife is to be believed. While a TMZ cameraman was attempting to interview Piazza, his wife interrupted and told TMZ that her husband beleived Clemens used steroids. TMZ speculated that Alicia Rickter, an actress and model who posed nude as the 500th Playboy Playmate as Miss October 1995, was under the influence of alcohol when she put Piazza in the awkward situation.
“Does he think that Roger Clemens was on ’roids when he broke that bat?” Rickter asked. “Yes! He does think that.”
Rickter referenced a bizarre incident during Game Two of the 2000 MLB World Series. During the game, Clemens delivered a pitch that shattered Piazza’s bat and sent the broken barrel directly at Clemens. Clemens caught the barrel and threw it towards Piazza in frustration. The incident has often been cited as “proof” that Roger Clemens used steroids and suffered from “roid rage” on that particular night.
Clemens was accused by federal prosecutors of lying under oath about his use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (hGH) during a 2008 appearance before Congress. He was charged with six counts of obstruction of Congress, false statements and perjury. A jury acquitted Clemens of all the charges in June 2012.
While Clemens was exonerated by a jury, few baseball fans were convinced that Clemens never used steroids. Sportswriters have debated ad nauseum whether Clemens should be inducted into the Hall of Fame under such a cloud of suspicion.
Piazza, who many feel will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, has had to deal with his own fair share of steroid suspicion. Most of the steroid accusations have originated with one sportswriter. Murray Chass has publicly speculated that Piazza was a steroid user based on his observation of acne of Piazza’s back during his playing career. Steroids are known to cause acne on the shoulders and back in some individuals. However, profiling steroid users based on the appearance of ‘back-ne’ is an extraordinarily poor method of determining whether an individual uses steroids.
Piazza was taken by surprise when his wife introduced the topic of Roger Clemens and steroids. He did his best to extract himself from the discussion.
“And so it’s really tough for me to say, ’cause I never played with him, just against him,” said Piazza. “I mean, look, he was a great pitcher. His record speaks for itself.”
Source:
WFAN (July 20, 2012). Piazza’s Wife Plunks Clemens, Believes ‘Roid Rage At Play In Bat Toss. Retrieved from http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/07/20/piazzas-wife-plunks-clemens-believes-roid-rage-at-play-in-bat-toss/
