The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality

Ok, I will admit that right off the cuff I love to read biography tabloid books. The title on this one and watching all of the steroid scandal and media coverage on Roger Clemens (as he perjured himself) has kept me glued to the topic. Regardless, the man lied and he should just be forthright and come clean. The book really tells the true character of Roger Clemens -- his arrogance. I am not saying he was not a good person and did not go charitable giving ... but I think he did it for his own purposes. The fact that he cannot tell the truth about his steroid use just shows what kind of person you are dealing with. The book really brings about some of the color in his character. I have always been intrigued by the Clemens intimidation factor on the mound. His intimidation and precision on the mound was fueled by steroids. The book goes into the story of a chubby boy born in Ohio to a broken home who remakes himself into a "Texan" with more stability. Most people think of Clemens as a Texan ... not so. Just another facade that "The Rocket" puts on. Roger dreamt of going to the majors and was able to fulfill that dream (that is admirable). However, at what cost? This book delves into the life of a baseball star "The Rocket" who indeed is very human. How much more admirable would he be if he came forward and told the truth. I don't think he has the truth in him or believes the truth. Read the book, it's a fast read and entertaining. A great baseball tabloid book up there with Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. Incidentally, Conseco held Roger's hand through the beginning of the juicing process. 5 stars for entertainment value.

An easy read with an attempt to show Roger's goodside(what little he had)along with his egotistical personality which ultimately destroyed him. Finally an over due apolgy to Dan Duquette who rightfully got rid of an over the hill pitcher.

This is the life story of Roger Clemens who among other things is an all-time great baseball player... a cheater... an abuser of illegal drugs... a Father... a husband... an adulterer... a perjurer... a liar... and not real smart. In fact... if Charles Dickens hadn't made the following phrase famous back in 1859 it would be the perfect opening sentence in this book: "IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES!" The author Jeff Pearlman does an absolutely fantastic job in presenting all sides of this egomaniacal fabricator of deceptions that range from telling people that "he was offered dual football-baseball scholarships by North Texas State, Northeastern Louisiana and the University of Georgia. THIS IS NOT TRUE. He also tells the story of a scout with the Minnesota Twins coming to his house after the team selected him with their 22nd round pick. NOT ONLY WAS HE NOT DRAFTED by Minnesota in the 22nd round - he wasn't drafted at all." (That year) "Clemens told people he had played basketball at Texas and that the Seattle Supersonics and Boston Celtics had both been interested in his services. NOT TRUE." "Sean McAdam, who covered the Red Sox for "The Providence Journal" said: "ROGER WAS AS FULL OF "CRAP" AS ANY ATHLETE I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER. HE SAID WHATEVER WORKED FOR HIM, WHETHER IT WAS TRUTHFUL OR NOT. REALITY DIDN'T MATTER FOR ROGER CLEMENS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM." Clemens who always rambled aimlessly in non-tangential flows about his great wife... was also an adulterer... thus exposing himself as a classic hypocrite... along with all his other character flaws. When Clemens first started his sexual affair with future country singer Mindy McCready she was seventeen-years-old and Roger was thirty. "Based on Florida Statute 794.05 which states that a person twenty-four-years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person sixteen or seventeen years of age commits a felony of the second degree, their assignation constituted statutory rape. Clemens could have faced up to thirty years in a state penitentiary." While this affair continued... along with other extra marital liaisons... Clemens had the hubris to plan a second honeymoon with his wife and renew their wedding vows. And then of course there was the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs. And on top of that... and probably worse to most red blooded American fans... is the outright lying under oath... and in news conferences... and the nonsensical-non-grammatical-non-intellectual statement regarding his best friend in the world Andy Pettitte who came clean about their drug use and discussions... when Clemens said: "HE MUST HAVE MISREMEMBERED." As I mentioned earlier the author shows all sides of Clemens, and one thing that absolutely everyone agrees on, is the fact that no one ever worked harder than Clemens physically. The reader is taken from Rogers early years in Ohio (not Texas) when he was an unpopular pudgy kid who idolized his older brother Randy wh

Jeff Pearlman is expert at delving into the inner recesses of Roger Clemens to paint the picture of a man who, growing up in a working class Ohio neighborhood and losing two fathers, seizes on his baseball ambition as his ticket out. Fueling his intense drive and making him fiercely competitive are several factors: Living in the shadow of a flashy, athletic, albeit unstable older brother, seeing his mom work several jobs to support her family, and his own doughy mediocre athletic build that made him, until his high school senior year, an awkward nobody with an inferiority complex. In page-turning scenes from Clemens' childhood up through his sensational baseball career, Pearlman renders a man who lets his ambition get the best of him. He has little joy in his life. He is consumed by hostility, pent-up rage, and paranoia over his perceived enemies. Part of the book's joy is watching Pearlman expertly show Clemens' dramatic transformation from clumsy mediocre pitcher to larger-than-life pitching superstar. This is an unflattering portrait of a sports hero who, making a deal with the Devil (ruthlessness, dishonesty, and the use of performance enhancing drugs), falls precipitously from his hero status. Highly recommended. Readers who enjoy Pearlman's assured style may want to check out Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze.

This is one of the most engrossing sports books I've read in a long time. I like Pearlman as a writer, in that he takes unique angles and seems to see athletes in very humanistic lights. He refuses to needlessly praise or slam, and rarely resorts to the cliche thoughts. I thought I knew alot about Roger clemens, but his life has been very fascinating and sadly tragic. This is a really great book.