Tales from the Trail

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton probably feels like he is living and breathing baseball these days. He is presiding over the case about whether former pitching ace Roger Clemens lied to Congress about not using steroids and human growth hormones, and he comes from the same hometown as baseball superstars Ken Griffey Sr. and Stan Musial.

During a brief court hearing on Wednesday, Walton alerted the lawyers involved in the case that he had run into Griffey Sr. a couple of months ago in their tiny hometown of Donora, Pennsylvania, and that the former outfielder remarked that  Clemens was “a good guy.”

Walton said that he told Griffey Sr. that he could not discuss the case with him and that “I don’t believe he was seeking to influence me.” The judge said he wanted to alert both sides about the incident so they had the opportunity to raise any objections they might have.

Clemens’ lead defense lawyer, Rusty Hardin, quipped: “Are we allowed to say amen?”

The prosecutor was a little more circumspect, raising no objection about the incident.

Timing is everything in diplomacy and baseball.

After months of prickly talks aimed at coaxing Israelis and Palestinians into direct peace talks, U.S. envoy George Mitchell finally had news to share.

But when the U.S. mediator par excellence took the stage for questions Friday at the State Department, reporters tossed him one out of left field.

“As tempted as I am to ask you about Roger Clemens…,” his first questioner began, to chortles from reporters and State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.

Mitchell, of course, between peacemaking stints in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, took a stab back in 2007 at resolving the conflict between Congress and Major League Baseball over the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

WASHINGTON – In between packing up to move back to Texas and trying to save the U.S. automotive industry, President George W. Bush squeezed in 40 minutes to talk extensively about one of his greatest loves — sports.

In an interview with a Washington Post sports writer, the former baseball team owner said the financial meltdown would likely cascade down to major league sports, noting that they tend to thrive on regular attendees.

“If you’re unable to get the American family to come to your park more than once a year, you’re going to have a difficult time when it comes to your attendance. Of course this will exacerbate the problem,” Bush said according to the Post.