Pettitte reacts to Clemens investigation
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- February
- 28
Now that the Department of Justice has been asked to investigate Roger Clemens for perjury, Andy Pettitte could once again be asked to testify.
Pettitte was asked today to comment on the situation.
“I think you all know how I feel about it. I was prepared for it happening but I hate it,” he said.
“There’s nothing I can do. There’s nothing I can do. I have nothing to say about it. Until somebody tells me to go somewhere I can’t do anything. I have one concern: That’s to try and help the New York Yankees win and get myself ready.”
Pettitte said he appreciates the cheers he has been getting from the crowds at Legends Field this spring.
“I definitely noticed it. Obviously it makes you feel good. I appreciate the support. They’ve been great; they’ve been great since I’ve been here. It makes you feel you feel good to hear people cheer for you.
“I don’t feel like I’m some kind of hero in this thing at all. I’ve made the mistakes and I’ve admitted to them. However people want to handle that, that’s how they’ll handle it. I can’t change everybody’s opinion of what they think of me and how they feel about me. I’ve been honest in everything and whatever repercussions that brings me as far as from fans, I’ll have to deal with that. I know that I feel better that it’s all over and that I told the truth and was as honest as I possibly can.”
Only it’s not all over. Far from it. But given the speed with which such investigations move, Pettitte is unlikely to be called to testify this season.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 9:59 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
What is the possibility that Pettite may miss any significant time if he is called to testify during the season? Would it be 1 or 2 starts. What a pain in the A that would be.
“Pettitte is likely to be called to testify this season.”
If that’s true, this would be the first time the government ever moved that fast about anything.
Clay Bellinger,
Since Pettitte will only be asked to testify it’s probable they’ll work around his schedule so that he won’t miss any starts. If he were being investigated it’d be a complete different story I would imagine. Of course this is only an educated guess on my part.
I just want to add that if it’s your congressman who’s participating in this thing in you’re unhappy about it make sure you do not vote for them when the time comes around for their re-election. Also, I would be writing letters to them letting them know how unhappy you are with this whole thing.
Raymagnetic:
I think that’s a pretty good guess if he’s called before a Grandjury to testify.
I know this might be bandwagon jumping, but Pettitte manages to be a really likeable guy.
Something tells me that this thing fades away with time as the prevailing feeling of these congressmens’ onstituencies express their disgust at the wasted time and money. And just to avoid the cries of unfairness against Barry Bonds, that goes away too. Let’s hope…
no way will he get deposed during the season, when i got deposed this past year i was able to postpone it for 2 months because of work issues. by the time the goverment gets thier act together it will probably be 2009. by that time our rotation of CC, Hughes, Wang,Kennedy, Chamberlain will be able to handle any time off for Pettite.
This stuffs going to be around for awhile.. Every time the Yankees travel, the local papers, TV and radio anouncers are going to bring it up.
Even if Andys not pitching, there will be a shot of him sitting in the pen, and one of the color-commentary guys will mention it.
Plus, chances are good that at somepoint during the season, somebody else in the majors or the minors is going to get caught and suspended.. Which will light the fire around the news-markets again, spurring on even more talk about Roger and Andy..
It’s not going away anytime soon. I think all we can hope for, is that it dulls down from time to time.
It’s a tad frightening that there are 151 people who think Clemens is telling the truth.
I don’t see how anyone can think that Clemens has been truthful during this whole saga.
Say it ain’t so, Clay Bellinger
I did at first. I had a problem with the way that basically one person had named names to save themself..
But then came Andy and the admissions of most of the other players named.. Then the testimonies
I don’t know how we can believe Roger now..
:angry: test
:anger: test
First, we have to see if Clemens will be indicted for perjury. The only thing the Congress has done is given the case to the Justice Department for investigation into perjury. That will take about 3-6 months (if its faster, I’ll be shocked!) If the Justice Dept finds that Clemens perjured himself, then they will go to trial. First grand jury, then indictment, then trial. That will take place at a year from now, maybe longer. Also we’ll see what happens with the presidential campaign - the Justice Dept replaces its staff when a president is newly elected. Depending on that administration’s priorities for the Justice Dept, we’ll see how far the Clemens issue goes.
The Justice department won’t touch it if they think the case is too weak. Right now, despite the list of things that look bad, the case is extremely weak.
While congress doesn’t like to be lied to, the Justice department doesn’t like to take cases it is likely to lose.
Lets hear more steriod news for those living under rocks and haven’t been updated.
Pettitte is unlikely to have to testify in any great depth again any time soon. He’s been interviewed several times, by the Government, Congressional investigators and Committee lawyers, as well as possibly by Hardin and his investigator. He has given a deposition and an affidavit and generated numerous pages of interview notes in addition.
The more you put him under oath and on the record the more likely he is to say something the Government will regret later. (Why keep him talking until he gets it wrong?) At some point he may be interviewed over the phone, or they might send a couple of agents to ask him some specific questions to fine tune what he’s already said, but unless they develop a whole new line of inquiry, Pettitte’s done for now unless and until a trial, civil or criminal. Note that in a Federal investigation the case agent does most of the testifying in the Grand Jury so Pettitte wouldn’t even be needed there in all likelihood.
This is another lesson in Public Relations. Pettitte can take the high road now that he’s come clean and say he told the truth even though until he was backed into a corner, he was lying about his use and career. But since he has come out and ‘told the truth’, people are now inclined to believe him and line up behind him, even tho it rings a little hollow when I read it.
The difference between Andy and Clemens is Andy didn’t have the career and legacy to protect that Clemens had. If Clemens had apologised and admitted using, it wouldn’t clear him and would cloud his legacy forever. He’d be having lunch with Pete Rose. That may happen anyway if this thing goes all the way for Roger.
“the Justice Dept replaces its staff when a president is newly elected. Depending on that administration’s priorities for the Justice Dept, we’ll see how far the Clemens issue goes.”
Yes and no. Only the Attorney General and top staff are likely to go in a new administration. The rest of DOJ and US Attorney Office staff are usually regarded non-political, career employees. (That’s whats made the recent firings of those US Attorneys all the more newsworthy). It’s also very politically dangerous for a new administration kill an investigation already underway…too obviously a political rather than a legal decision. Could happen, but it usually doesn’t.
Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about Pettitte even being visited by the DOJ investigators any time soon. They probably will be visiting that gym Pettitte’s father (and reportedly, Koby Clemens) used to work out at, visiting Canseco and his ex-wife, getting a copy of the video the Toronto broadcasters talked about and interviewing other ballplayers at that Canseco party — there’s a LOT of investigating to do.