Below is where my column picks up in discussion of The Mitchell Report and Roger Clemens… just thought I’d share it with you.

Let’s not forget the trash and ridiculous things that were said about you as well - not in regards to steroids, but in regards to a bloody sock.

Let’s also not forget that I commented on that piece, Curt, and I gave you my full support - both as a sports writer and member of the media, as well as from a fan point of view and someone that truly loves everything about sports… and especially the game of baseball…

Looking at an issue off the field of play, yet remaining in sports and revolving around respect and support, I’d like to briefly say a word or two about the ongoing and controversial Mitchell Report – which named Roger Clemens as a user of performance-enhancing drugs.

In my opinion, and despite the flack the All-Star pitcher has received from both the sports media as well as the fans, Clemens is innocent.

After watching the former Houston Astros ace and Texas Longhorn legend during an interview on 60 Minutes, I believe Roger is telling the truth – there’s no way Mitchell’s Report can accurately prove that Clemens used steroids.

I simply don’t believe it and refuse to believe it – and Clemens was right on the money when he made comments about how in America, people are guilty until proven innocent.

And just because his best friend, Andy Pettitte, admitted to doing it, don’t just assume that a) Roger knew and b) he was being injected too.

I’m sure that Pettitte’s admission to steroid use came as just as much of a shock to Clemens as it did to the rest of the baseball world – leaving fans of all ages to wonder what has happened to America’s Pastime.

Here’s the point: despite the lack of evidence against Roger, despite the fact that this is basically one person’s word against another person’s word, and despite a country that will let former President Bill Clinton off with a slap on the wrist for perjury while holding America’s professional athletes to a higher standard, Clemens still isn’t getting much support.

Nor is he getting much respect – and it’s simply sad and pathetic that people would rather believe a convicted felon, forced to tell officers anything and everything they wanted to hear in order to avoid a prison sentence, over a dedicated and hard working athlete like Roger Clemens.

Roger is innocent.

And, I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman’s analysis of the Mitchell Report.

“In my opinion, I think that really, the Mitchell Report in general is silly,” Berkman recently told MLB.com reporter Alyson Footer. “Instead of trying to figure out what happened in the past, if they really wanted to address the substance abuse problem in baseball, they should spend that money to implement blood testing. That’s the only way you’re going to catch guys using HGH.

“Who cares what a guy did seven or eight years ago? Let’s work on getting that out of the game now. The only way to do that is to blood test. I’m a huge advocate of that. I think they should do that. I’d be willing to submit to that at any time, and I think that other players should, too.”

Leave it to Lance to say what’s on his mind.

And I love him for it.

Whether you agree or disagree, my view on the Mitchell Report is simply this: it is not completely accurate and definitely lacks the facts in properly identifying players as having used performance-enhancing drugs in the past.

In addition, I completely agree with Berkman’s rants and raves about steroids in baseball.

“Far more good would be done for the game of baseball if we just say, ‘Let’s try to do something about what we can control, which is the future,’” Berkman said. “There’s no doubt that for the sake of the fans, and really for the health of the game, they need to do something. And I think that blood testing is the next step.”

Amen, Lance.

Now let’s play some baseball…

First - for those that cry about tainted records, if you truly believe that MLB players from eras past did not use ulterior forms of PED’s you are absurdly ignorant. Nothing was ever tested 50 years ago - but steroids were definitely popular among top level athletes - even in the olympics. So trying to burn people at the stake with a less than plausible argument is plain ridiculous. “Oh he doesn’t deserve that record” well maybe the guy that set the record 35 years ago didn’t deserve it either. Get over it, set proper testing procedures from here on out and follow them.

I’ve always thought you were a prime example of the lengths people go when you had that ligament moved.

I’m not trying to be a jerk here, this is a serious question — why is it cheating to take a drug but not cheating to surgically move parts of your body around?

Great blog and keep on pitching!! (Here in Detroit, we’d have loved to have you.)