Roger Clemens Cheated (the Red Sox)

Everyone today is calling Roger Clemens a cheat. That begs the question - who did he cheat? I put forward that the group most harmed by Clemens' "cheating" were the Boston Red Sox and the fans of the team

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If you take away Clemens' resurgence to greatness due to steroids - the Dan Duquette's observation that Clemens was in the twilight of his career was correct. Clemens going on to win a couple of Cy Young Awards after leaving the Red Sox coupled with the equally contentious exit of Mo Vaughn (who was also named in the Mitchell Report) caused a GM controversy and unease in Boston.

Speaking of Cy Young Awards - that second one Clemens won in Toronto came at the expense of Boston's Pedro Martinez who went 19-7 with a 2.89 ERA in 1998 only to lose out to a juicing Roger Clemens.

Finally and most importantly - Boston fans who bemoan the steroids era point to game seven of the 2003 ALCS and that fact that steroids cheater Jason Giambi hit 2 HR in that game and without those HR - the Yankees lose and the Red Sos advance to the World Series. I would like to point out that Roger Clemens won game 3 (and co-steroids cheater Andy Pettitte won game 2). Without the steroids enhanced pitchers - never mind the steroids enhanced Giambi - the Yankees get blown out by the Red Sox.

Red Sox fans who feel cheated by Roger Clemens have a very good case to make about the damage done by the needle injecting Roger Clemens.