Sammy Sosa told by Congress let you go but not Roger Clemens

[ChasHawk]

Not saying he didn't do it, chief.

But you can't prosecute based on; "Uh, yeah, some dudes who say they're lawyers, say they saw the list, and um, Sosa's name was on there. They wouldn't say who they were though, and stuff.".

 

[maxpower]

Sammy Sosa was on the same failed-test list as Alex Rodriguez. Why is that hard for some people to believe. Like 200lb said, the only reason they aren't pursuing Sosa for perjury is the statute of limitations has passed (5 years). Roger Clemens perjured himself in 2008. People really need to educate themselves on the situation before commenting.

Ummm, no. The only reason that the feds have given up on pursuing Sosa is that the statute of limitations has passed. They were almost certainly pursuing charges against him, but they couldn't put together strong enough evidence ... it's not like the statute of limitations just slipped by.

The difference between Sosa and Clemens isn't the statute of limitations - it's that the feds have eyewitness evidence with regard to Clemens (from McNamee).

 

[sportscardtheory]

Sammy Sosa was on the same failed-test list as Alex Rodriguez. Why is that hard for some people to believe. Like 200lb said, the only reason they aren't pursuing Sosa for perjury is the statute of limitations has passed (5 years). Roger Clemens perjured himself in 2008. People really need to educate themselves on the situation before commenting.

Ummm, no. The only reason that the feds have given up on pursuing Sosa is that the statute of limitations has passed. They were almost certainly pursuing charges against him, but they couldn't put together strong enough evidence ... it's not like the statute of limitations just slipped by.

The difference between Sosa and Clemens isn't the statute of limitations - it's that the feds have eyewitness evidence with regard to Clemens (from McNamee).

I meant no longer pursuing.

 

[mudflap02]

When did Sosa have a positive test?

Btw: Sosa is hispanic.

Just to clarify and add nothing to the discussion, in my opinion, Sosa's race would be considered "Black" and his ethnicity would be "Hispanic." There is a difference between race and ethnicity, but ultimately it is up to the individual to self-identify.

For example -

White, of Hispanic Origin:

Black, of Hispanic Origin:

This does muddy the water a bit though:

 

[predatorkj]

The question that I have always had about the events of March 17, 2005 has always been how the players that were questioned were selected. I am not trying to imply that any of these players I am suggesting are/were guilty of anything, but:

1 - Why Sammy Sosa, and not say Juan Gonzalez?
2 - Why Curt Schilling, and not say Mike Mussina?
3 - Why Mark McGwire, and not say Eddie Murray?

What would have been the legal ramifications for the players selected had they not testified, and just what legal jurisdiction did the Senate have over the entire matter?

Sosa and Big Mac were questioned because if anyone was to be questioned, well these guys were the cream of the crop. They broke the single season homer record. When there was wind of it being done illegally, well these were the guys everyone wanted to talk to. Schilling got called upon because he lets his mouth over load his arse.

 

[predatorkj]

Don't know how you guy missed it. So to not link unreliable news links I gave U NY Times one of the most respectable news source in America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/sport ... .html?_r=1

A couple problems with this source.

First, Sosa is 'reported' to be on the list. There has been no confirmation. But I give you that he probably is on the list and did take steroids.

That leaves open the question of perjury. Sosa may very well have skirted the line between truth and fiction when he said that he hadn't taken "illegal performance enhancing substances" because they likely weren't illegal where they were taken.

I'm willing to bet that that the government lawyers took a very close look at this and would definitely have made a run at Sosa if they thought they could win. This would be exactly the type of high profile, low political cost prosecution that an AUSA would love to bring.

I am not exactly sure but what needs to be checked into is when exactly HGH and some of these other little cocktails they were taking became illegal. Certain steroids already were considered illegal under the controlled substances act that was passed around the time Sammy came up into baseball professionally. I would think there were some that were added later. I can't recall what was and what was not considered illegal at the time. If they were illegal during any time while Sosa was playing, and he did take them, then he is indeed perjuring himself.



As far as Clemens, dude left too much out there. When your ex-trainer has actual physical evidence...you are kinda screwed. They had an article in the local paper yesterday saying that the justice department had been calling witnesses left and right to testify on Clemens. Its a matter of time before they yank him back in there.