During Andy Pettitte’s first day of testimony in the Roger Clemens perjury trial he told the jury that he still considered Clemens a “good friend.”
Wednesday afternoon, he proved it.
Pettitte again made an appearance in Washington D.C. at the U.S. District Court to answer further questions from Clemens’ lawyer Rusty Hardin. It took just one question to likely give all the evidence the jury will need to exonerate Clemens.
Pettitte was asked if he might have misunderstood the discussion he had with Clemens 12 years ago when Pettitte claimed his friend had told him he took human growth hormone.
“I could have,” Pettitte responded.
Just like that, the whole case came crumbling down.
Pettitte went on to say there was a “50-50” chance he “misremembered” the conversation, as Clemens would say. But it hardly matters at this point. Even a jury that doesn’t know what a home run is would still be smart enough to understand “I could have.”
Steven Durham, the prosecutor in charge of the trial on behalf of the government, floundered and the judge reamed him in front of the court.
I’m not here to pick on Pettitte. He just answered the question. And frankly, how would someone remember with 100 percent clarity a conversation they had 12 years ago?
What’s mind-boggling is how our government could waste time and money on this stupidity. Durham already caused a mistrial in the early proceedings of the original trial. Now, his star witness says exactly what the defense is claiming.
Nothing has been cleared up. I still believe Clemens used steroids and quite likely HGH. That cloud will never go away. But I’m starting to wonder if it isn’t Clemens that is the stupid one, but instead us for going along with our government’s farce.
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.
