Per ESPN:

A little late, but with all his hair, Manny Ramirez finally has joined his new team. But he won’t be starting Tuesday.The controversial and colorful slugger arrived at Progressive Field on Tuesday for his first day with the Chicago White Sox, who claimed the 12-time All-Star on waivers this week to help their AL playoff push.

It didn’t take Ramirez long to raise eyebrows as he conducted an approximately 13-minute news conference in Spanish, despite the fact he’s done interviews in English for years. White Sox bench coach Joey Cora was his interpreter

“Feels more comfortable with his language,” Cora said. “Obviously he understands [the questions], but he wants to make sure.”

Ramirez said he was thankful for this opportunity and was happy to be with the White Sox. He also said he feels like a 25-year-old and still has the fire to compete. In fact, the prospect of playing more as a designated hitter with the White Sox instead of being used sparingly as a defensively challenged outfielder in Los Angeles influenced him to waive his no-trade clause.

“He said whatever you need, whatever you want from me, I’m willing to do it,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I tell everybody who comes here, ‘Don’t think you’re going to be the savior. You’re here to help us win.’”

Ramirez walked into the ballpark at 3:15 p.m. ET, entering from the Indians players’ parking lot, where he used to park during his eight seasons with the Indians.

His dreadlocked hair was at its usual length, but it could be shorter in the near future. The White Sox have an appearance policy, and they expect Ramirez to conform to it and get his dreadlocks trimmed. A barber was set up in a room adjacent to Cleveland’s clubhouse.

“He’s just worried about playing baseball,” Cora said when Ramirez was asked about cutting his hair. “He’s not worried about hair.”

The designated hitter was available for pinch-hitting duties on Tuesday, and he’s scheduled to start on Wednesday.

Ramirez, who played parts of the last three seasons in Los Angeles, thanked the Dodgers and praised their organization. But he didn’t want to talk about his last at-bat on Sunday, when he was ejected after just one pitch for arguing a strike call.

Chicago entered action Tuesday four games behind the Minnesota Twins.

“Hopefully, he can come in here and give us some help,” White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said Monday. “We need to make up some ground. There’s no doubt Manny can hit. He makes any team better.”

Per ESPN:

Washington Nationals rookie ace Stephen Strasburg will have Tommy John surgery on Friday to rebuild his injured right elbow, an operation that is expected to sideline him for 12 to 18 months.

The ligament replacement surgery will be in Los Angeles and performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, with Nationals team doctor Dr. Wiemi Douoguih assisting.

“He is dealing with it like a professional,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said before Tuesday night’s game against Florida. “He’s very determined to get it done and start the process.”

Strasburg will begin his recuperation the day after the surgery, recovering at the Scripps Clinic in his hometown of San Diego.

Strasburg hurt himself while pitching Aug. 21 in Philadelphia. The right-hander who created such a buzz all through baseball was 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA.

The 22-year-old Strasburg was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft and quickly climbed through the minor leagues this season.

With a fastball that reached 100 mph and wicked curves, he struck out 14 during his major league debut in June and had many fans saying he should be on the NL All-Star team in July.

Strasburg was scratched from a start in late July after he had trouble getting loose in the bullpen. He went on the disabled list two days later with inflammation in the back of his right shoulder.

The Nationals were worried when Strasburg grimaced, shook his wrist and walked off the mound during his last start against the Phillies. An extensive MRI exam last Thursday revealed the severity of the injury, a devastating setback for the last-place team.

Per ESPN:

Roger Clemens put his right hand on the lectern, leaned down toward the microphone and made what might be the most important pitch of his life: “Not guilty, your honor.”Those words, uttered Monday in a strong, confident voice by the seven-time Cy Young award winner sporting a black blazer and blond highlights in his hair, marked the official beginning of a court case that could taint baseball even further and land the “Rocket” in jail.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton presided over an arraignment hearing that lasted less than 14 minutes in the ceremonial courtroom at the federal courthouse, across the street from the Capitol.

Walton set April 5 as the start of jury selection — the Monday of the first full week of the 2011 baseball season, and also around the time a case involving Barry Bonds, the all-time home run king, could be wrapping up in San Francisco.

Pete Rose, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and Denny McLain are among former baseball stars to have spent time in jail. Clemens and Bonds, who chased history on the field throughout their careers, now could be chasing history off it.

They are both in jeopardy of becoming the first baseball star jailed because of a conviction related to the performance-enhancing-drug imbroglio that has sullied their sport for much of the past 15 years.

If convicted of six counts — three of making false statements, two of perjury and one of obstruction of Congress — Clemens could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, although 15 to 21 months is the more likely sentence under federal guidelines.

As he has throughout the process, Clemens again fought any suggestion that he cheated during a 23-season career that ended with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts. He won his first three Cy Young awards in 1986, ‘87 and ‘91, dipped ever so slightly, then won four more in 1997, ‘98, 2001 and 2004, at the age of 42.

On Monday, he was in Washington because of testimony he gave to Congress in 2008. He went before a House committee to clear his name after becoming a prominent figure in the Mitchell Report, which came out the year before with an unflinching account of baseball’s drug crisis.

Back then, Clemens testified: “Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.”

This time, his words were fewer but every bit as forceful. And his actions spoke of a man who refused to let a court appearance ruin his day.

He arrived at the courthouse four hours early to go through fingerprinting and paperwork that is often left for after the official work in court is complete.

Clemens apparently was trying to get to South Carolina in time to play in the first round of a weeklong amateur golf tournament. He arrived at The Pearl golf course in Calabash, N.C., shortly after 5 p.m. and shot a 12-over 84, matching wife Debbie’s first-day score.

Clemens declined to answer questions about his court appearance, but did thank tournament organizers for allowing him to compete in the event under the circumstances.

After going through processing early in the day, Clemens and his team of lawyers — led by Rusty Hardin of Houston — ate in the main cafeteria.

In the lunchroom, Clemens offered no comment, other than a friendly “Hey, how ya doing,” to an Associated Press reporter. Hardin also didn’t comment, saying he didn’t want to violate the gag order Walton has imposed on those involved in the trial.

Before the short hearing, Clemens could be seen striding between meeting rooms on the sixth floor as Hardin and prosecuting attorneys Daniel Butler and Steven Durham exchanged discovery documents.

Then, Clemens walked into the 300-seat chamber, adorned with statues depicting ancient arbiters of justice and portraits of former federal judges. He adjusted his cuffs and collar a few times, said a word or two to Hardin, sat down, then stood when Walton entered.

Hardin waived his client’s right to have the charges read, then Walton asked for Clemens’ plea.

“Not guilty, your honor,” he said, before going back to the defense table where he sat still while the lawyers and judge parsed over hearing dates and discovery issues.

Clemens was released with no bail and no real restrictions. His only discernible reaction came when Durham asked that the court hold his passport, and Clemens turned to one of his attorneys and shook his head.

“I think he’s well-known enough that if he were to depart the country, someone would know who he is,” Walton said.

The case has been portrayed, probably simplistically, as one of Clemens’ word against those who gave unfriendly testimony against him in Congress. The key figures there are his former trainer Brian McNamee, who said the pitcher did use steroids and HGH. Former teammate Andy Pettitte also told congressional investigators that Clemens told him he had used HGH — a conversation Clemens said Pettitte “misremembers.”

But in asking to push the start of the trial to next year — with the agreement of the prosecutors — Hardin said there is much scientific evidence to comb through, as well, including presumably the syringes McNamee says he used to inject Clemens with drugs.

On Monday, Hardin was given access to the grand jury testimony and FBI interviews that were used to indict Clemens, along with a 34-page master index and 12 computer discs of evidence. Durham called the evidence “voluminous.”

“There’s a good deal of scientific evidence that needs to be tested,” Hardin told the judge. “We’re at the mercy of the experts.”

While the crux of the case is whether Clemens used steroids or HGH, any conviction would have to come on evidence that he lied to Congress about it. It’s a sort of backdoor way that authorities have used to ensnare some of America’s most high-profile athletes who have been accused of using PEDs.

Sprinter Marion Jones went to jail when, threatened with years in prison because of an illegal check-writing scheme, she finally admitted to lying about drugs, too.

The Bonds case is also a perjury case, set to start March 21. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied to a grand jury in December 2003 when he testified that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.

As Clemens hustled out of the courtroom, he was followed by at least 50 reporters, then met by 100 more cameramen. Two security guards trying to help him out of the building and into his waiting Escalade nearly tackled the pitcher as they tried to keep onlookers at bay.

One fan yelled “I love you!” but Clemens likely didn’t hear. He already had his iPod on.

Per ESPN:

Manny Ramirez will have to follow two nonnegotiable rules if he’s going to play for White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.No. 1: Stretch with your teammates.

No. 2: Be on the field for the national anthem.

That’s it. Well, he may have to trim the dreadlocks. But that’s about it.

“I want him to feel comfortable here,” Guillen said Monday. “I want him to like it here. I want him to have fun and I want him to be Manny.”

Back to frighten pitchers who haven’t seen him regularly in a few years, Ramirez will try to get Chicago back to the AL playoffs.

As expected, the White Sox claimed the unpredictable but productive 12-time All-Star slugger on waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers, counting on his powerful bat, full of so many October swings and homers, to help them make a postseason push.

“Hopefully, he can come in here and give us some help,” White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said. “We need to make up some ground. There’s no doubt Manny can hit. He makes any team better.”

Chicago began a key 10-game trip to Cleveland, Boston and Detroit on Monday night, although Ramirez is not expected to join the White Sox, his fourth major league team, until Tuesday. They began the day 4½ games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

The 38-year-old Ramirez returns to the AL after spending parts of three seasons in Los Angeles, a stay that ended on a somewhat sour note. He batted .311 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 66 games with the Dodgers this season, but was on the disabled list from July 20 to Aug. 20 with a right calf strain and missed 33 games.

Guillen said it’s possible Ramirez could play on Tuesday if he feels up to it. Guillen plans to use Ramirez primarily as a designated hitter and will bat him fifth.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Ramirez came to him Friday and said the rigors of playing the field were slowing him down.

“He felt he would be better suited to being in the American League and playing every day [as a designated hitter],” Torre said. “That was probably more of a determining factor in this than anything else.”

The White Sox are trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008. That year, they traded for Ken Griffey Jr. before the July 31 deadline, but he had little impact down the stretch or in the postseason.

Griffey and Ramirez certainly were different characters.

Guillen feels Ramirez is misunderstood. He doesn’t anticipate having any trouble with him, and he’s confident the enigmatic superstar will be easily accepted in Chicago’s clubhouse.

“People have the wrong idea about Manny,” he said. “I don’t think Manny is a bad guy or a pain in the butt. It’s funny how people say Manny is being Manny. Manny is being real. I never see anyone on his team get mad at him because he goes about his business.”

Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake thought Ramirez was a positive influence.

“I thought he was a great teammate,” Blake said. “I have always said that about him. I feel like he genuinely cares. From my own experience with him, he really cared about how I was feeling, both on and off the field. He always had something positive to say to you. He has been around a while, and he didn’t have to be like that toward me. But I think it was just because he was a genuinely good guy and he cared.”

White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said he consulted with his staff before pursuing Ramirez.

In the end, it was an easy call.

“If I felt that this was something that was going to be disruptive, then obviously we wouldn’t have done it,” Williams said. “But I think this is something we need in order to help us achieve our goals this year. It’s not just about adding another bat, it’s adding a bat that can do damage against the league’s very best pitchers, and there is a difference.”

His first appearance for Chicago will come against the lowly Indians, the team that drafted him and enjoyed his production for eight seasons. He’ll then head to Fenway Park, where he was adored by Boston fans before he was traded to the Dodgers in 2008.

That summer, he hit .396 with 17 homers, propelling LA to a postseason berth.

The White Sox can’t expect that, but that’s why they got him.

“That’s the reason we made the move,” Guillen said. “He’s not going to be a savior. He will help us, but he can’t save us. We need to get all our guys as a group to play better.”

Although Guillen doesn’t have many rules, the White Sox will require Ramirez to abide by their appearance clause, which maintains players keep their hair neat. Ramirez will have to cut his dreadlocks, which currently flow to the middle of his back.

Williams expects Ramirez to comply with the club policy established by owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

“From my understanding it is not going to be an issue and he is going to make an adjustment and conform to how we like to have our players represented out there,” Williams said.

Guillen made it clear that he won’t tell Ramirez anything other than where he’s hitting.

“If Jerry has any problem with his hair or the way he wears his uniform, they got to go directly to him,” Guillen said, pretending to wash his hands. “That’s not my department. Guys can go out there buck naked, and if they win games for me, I’m happy.”

Ramirez had early success with the Dodgers, but the last two years haven’t gone as well. He was slapped with a 50-game suspension after a failed drug test last year. This season, he has been slowed by leg injuries, which led to the Dodgers deciding to part ways with him for nothing in return.

Ramirez’s salary is $20 million in the final season of a two-year contract, but only $5 million is due this year, with the rest to be paid over the next three years.

The White Sox will be responsible for the remaining $3.825 million of Ramirez’s contract this season.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said Los Angeles offered to swallow some of Ramirez’s contract in exchange for a prospect.

“We had been talking probably since Friday or Saturday,” Colletti said. “We offered to take back [responsibility for] $1.5 million for not their best prospect but certainly somebody we thought was a good prospect, and they didn’t want to do that. We lowered our [amount] to $1 million for a slightly lower prospect, and they didn’t want to go in that direction. So finally, we offered $500,000 for one of their lower-level guys, and they didn’t want to do that. We tried to give them a chance to recoup some of the salary they’re going to owe him.”

Chicago was awarded a waiver claim on Ramirez last week, giving them until 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday to complete a trade with the Dodgers.

In Guillen’s lineup, Ramirez and his 554 career homers will fit nicely into a batting order that already has Konerko, Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin.

“He’s a Hall of Fame hitter,” Konerko said. “But just because we have him, we can’t ignore the other aspects of the game. We’ve got to play defense, we’ve got to pitch. He’s a great piece to have but we can’t let down anywhere else.”

White Sox infielder Omar Vizquel was thrilled to be reunited with Ramirez. They were teammates on two Cleveland teams that made the World Series.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun to be around Manny again,” Vizquel said. “He’s still a great hitter and can help us. He can swing the bat and no doubt he keeps everybody loose with his jokes. It’s nice to have a guy who can change the outcome with one swing.”

A fan favorite when he arrived in Los Angeles, Ramirez left with little fanfare. His last start was Wednesday at Milwaukee. And in his final game with the Dodgers, he was ejected as a pinch-hitter after arguing a called strike on the only pitch he saw.

Ramirez’s reputation for being unpredictable made him an instant celebrity in the land of celebrities. He had a section of seats named in his honor at Dodger Stadium, where wigs imitating his hairstyle became fashionable.

“Mannywood” was the place to be, and the star attraction put on a show.

He’s taken it to Chicago.

For the White Sox, who finished third in their division last year, Ramirez is a low-risk gamble with a potentially high reward. If Manny is no longer Manny, they can simply let him go as a free agent at the end of the season.

“If he hits we’ll be better,” Williams said. “If he doesn’t we won’t be better.”

The Dodgers recalled right-handed pitcher Ramon Troncoso from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Ramirez’s spot on the active roster.

This will be Troncoso’s third stint with Los Angeles this season and he is 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 41 games.

Hey guys. I just moved into a new house and am waiting for the internet people to bring me back online. Supposedly by Monday I will be posting again. Sorry…

Per ESPN MLB:

Roger Clemens was vehement: “Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH,” he told a House committee in 2008. Now, instead of the Hall of Fame, baseball’s seven-time Cy Young winner could go to prison after being indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for allegedly lying to Congress.The case writes a new chapter in one of baseball’s worst scandals, the rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in the 1990s and early 2000s, and leaves Clemens’ legacy in jeopardy.

Clemens indictment

The six-count indictment of Roger Clemens in connection with his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The indictment (PDF)

The six-count indictment alleges that Clemens obstructed a congressional inquiry with 15 different statements made under oath, including denials that he had ever used steroids or human growth hormone. The New York Times first reported the indictment.

Former Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, the top Republican on the House panel at the time of Clemens’ testimony, called it “a self-inflicted wound.”

Clemens had been prominently mentioned in the Mitchell Report, Major League Baseball’s own accounting of its steroid problem, and he went to Capitol Hill on his own to clear his name.

“Clemens was not under subpoena. He came voluntarily,” Davis said. “And I sat there in the office with [committee chairman] Henry Waxman and said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t lie.’ ”

“When a witness, such as Roger Clemens, lies, as I think he did, he should be held accountable,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the House committee’s chairman at the time of the baseball star’s testimony. Waxman said the indictment will “help end the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs in professional sports.”

Roger Clemens was indicted by the grand jury on six counts (one for obstruction of justice, three for making false statements and two for perjury). These charges relate to statements he made in a deposition to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Feb. 5, 2008 and to statements he made during the hearings on Feb. 13, 2008. ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada outlines some of the areas where he is accused of lying:

Count 1: Obstruction of Justice:
• Four separate denials that he’d never used HGH or steroids
• Never spoken to Brian McNamee about HGH or steroids
• Denial about his knowledge of HGH
• Two separate denials he’d been injected by McNamee with vitamin B-12
• Two denials he’d been injected by McNamee with lidocaine
• Said needles were lined up in the clubhouse after games, ready for B-12 injections
• Said Yankee teammate Andy Petitte misheard or misremembered Clemens telling teammate in or around 1999 of HGH use
• Said Clemens didn’t know McNamee was injecting Clemens’ wife
• Said Clemens had “no idea” former Sen. George Mitchell wanted to talk to him for his 2007 report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball
• Said he was not in [Jose Canseco's] house on or about June 9, 1998

Count 2: False statements, HGH
• Based on denial he used HGH

Count 3: False statements, steroids
• Based on denial he used steroids

Count 4: False statements, B12
• Said McNamee injected him with B12

Count 5: Perjury, HGH
• Based on denial he received HGH from McNamee

Count 6: Perjury, steroids
• Based on denial he received steroids from McNamee

Despite that, Clemens was sticking to his story Thursday. He insisted he was telling the truth, again denying any wrongdoing on or off the field.

“I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress,” Clemens said on Twitter. “I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it would have no comment beyond the indictment itself.

Clemens faces a combined maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, though under U.S. sentencing guidelines the recommended range of time is 15-21 months.

“Roger is looking forward to his day in court,” Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin told a news conference. “He is happy this has finally happened. We have known for some time this was going to happen. We’ll let everything get taken care of in court.”

Hardin said federal prosecutors made Clemens a plea offer but he rejected it. Hardin declined to comment on details of the proposed plea deal — which ordinarily involves admitting to a crime while avoiding the scenario of a multiple-count indictment as happened in the Clemens case.

Clemens is just the latest superstar to be ensnared in baseball’s steroid scandal. All-time home run king Barry Bonds is scheduled to go on trial in March on charges of lying to a federal grand jury when he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. Slugger Mark McGwire admitted earlier this year to using steroids.

What once seemed to be a he-said vs. he-said dispute between Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, once the New York Yankees’ strength and conditioning coach, escalated into a federal case. The grand jury heard testimony from McNamee, who gave federal authorities syringes he said were used to inject Clemens with drugs.

Hardin said that although many have argued that Clemens should simply admit he took steroids, “the problem is nobody ever talks about what he should have done if he didn’t do it.”

“And he didn’t do it and he’s adamant about that and always has been. Today is just another continuing part of that saga,” Hardin said.

Clemens, who turned 48 this month, ranks ninth on the career list with 354 victories. He once was considered a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer, but getting in at all is now in question.

“In my opinion, he’s a Hall of Famer. Period,” said New York Yankees slugger Lance Berkman, who played with Clemens in Houston. “Whatever you want to say about the guy, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. In my opinion, legacy-wise, I guess that’s up to — I mean, 200 years from now, who cares?

“But in the short term, I guess, he may have some things to address,” Berkman said. “He’s a big boy. He’ll face up to whatever it is. But it doesn’t change my opinion of him at all.”

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who played with Clemens on two World Series championship teams, said he would back his former teammate.

“I’m going to support him and I’m going to be behind him and that’s all I can say,” Posada said.

MLB did not comment on the indictment. But many in the game saw it as further validation of the Mitchell Report, released in December 2007.

Clemens was singled out by name 82 times in the 409-page report, compiled by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. Much of the information on Clemens came from McNamee.

Former MVP Jose Canseco, who has admitted his own steroid use and accused others, was the most-mentioned player in the Mitchell Report with 105 references.

“I am saddened to hear of the indictment of my friend and former teammate, Roger Clemens,” Canseco said in a statement through his attorney. “I am not aware of any use of steroids by Roger.”

Four days after the report was released, Clemens issued a categorical denial in a statement through his agent.

“I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand that Senator Mitchell’s report has raised many serious questions. I plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. I only ask that in the meantime people not rush to judgment,” Clemens said.

Clemens and McNamee testified under oath at the 2008 hearing before a House committee and contradicted each other about whether the pitcher had used PEDs.

McNamee has said he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and HGH from 1998 to 2001. Clemens says McNamee was lying.Some of McNamee’s evidence is believed to include bloody gauze, vials and needles that he claims contained steroids and Clemens’ DNA. McNamee kept the decade-old evidence in a FedEx box at his New York home and handed it over to investigators after the probe began.

Clemens sued McNamee for defamation, but a federal judge in Texas dismissed most of Clemens’ claims against McNamee last year. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court affirmed the decision.

McNamee has filed a defamation suit against Clemens in federal court in New York.

“I hate to see anyone get in trouble, but you get what you deserve if you don’t tell the truth in front of Congress,” said Kirk Radomski, who admitted providing performance-enhancing drugs to McNamee. “I’m glad for Brian [McNamee], because Brian can start moving on with his life now. People understand that he told the truth. The only one who lied in this whole matter was Roger.”

“As far as we’re concerned, it’s vindication,” Earl Ward, one of McNamee’s attorneys, said of the indictment.

“This all came about, ultimately, because of Roger’s arrogance. He was the one who demanded the Congressional hearing. He’s in this position now because of his arrogance,” Ward told ESPN.

Clemens’ case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, who presided over the perjury and obstruction trial of Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. No date was set for Clemens’ initial court appearance.

In his defiant testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Clemens said, “I’ve been accused of something I’m not guilty of.”

Longtime Clemens friend and teammate Andy Pettitte told congressional investigators that Clemens confided to him that he had used HGH.

“I believe Andy has misheard” the conversation, Clemens responded. He said he had simply mentioned to Pettitte a TV show about three older men who used HGH to get back their quality of life.

Pettitte was taking part in a charity event after New York’s 11-5 win over Detroit at Yankee Stadium on Thursday and wasn’t immediately commenting, the team said.

Clemens was an 11-time All-Star. During a 23-year career that ended in 2007, he played for the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees and the Houston Astros and struck out 4,672 with a lifetime 3.12 ERA.

The Clemens matter was the second referral the congressional committee made to the Justice Department. The other involved Miguel Tejada, who pleaded guilty to making misleading statements to committee investigators in 2005 regarding his knowledge of performance-enhancing drugs.

“The indictment of Roger Clemens comes as no surprise to me,” said Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, the center of a drug scandal that enveloped Bonds and other star athletes.

“In my opinion, the case against Clemens is far stronger than the case against Barry Bonds. Brian McNamee is an eyewitness who will testify against Clemens and there appears to be strong physical evidence against him as well,” he said. “I believe Roger Clemens is in a lot of trouble.”

Conte pleaded guilty to steroid distribution in July 2005 and served four months in jail.

Per ESPN MLB:

Bryce Harper. Stephen Strasburg. Negotiating with super-agent Scott Boras right up until the last possible second to get a deal done.The Washington Nationals are getting the hang of this whole sign-the-top-pick routine, something they hope not to do again.

No. 1 overall draft choice Harper and the Nationals agreed to a $9.9 million, five-year contract in the seconds before the deadline of midnight ET Monday — a year after coming to terms with 2009 top selection Strasburg on a record deal with a little more than a minute to go.

Harper and Strasburg are both represented by Boras.

“Suffice it to say, both sides gave up ground at the last second to get the deal done,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said.

Rizzo, in an e-mail to ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney, said, “I believe it was 26 seconds before the deadline,” when asked when the deal with Harper was done.

The Nationals owned the No. 1 picks in 2009 and 2010 because they finished the 2008 and 2009 seasons with the worst records in the majors.

Strasburg’s $15.1 million, four-year contract was the highest for any player out of the draft, and the right-handed pitcher made his big league debut June 8, the day after Harper was picked.

Harper’s deal is a record total for a non-pitcher signed out of the draft who had not become a free agent. Current New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira set the previous record for a major league deal for a position player, getting a $9.5 million, four-year deal from the Texas Rangers in 2001.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Harper is a 17-year-old power-hitting junior college catcher the Nationals plan to convert to an outfielder. He’s the first juco player taken with the first overall selection.

“It gives us another impact player in the system,” Rizzo said. “He’s a guy who could possibly be a cornerstone in our lineup in the very near future.”

Harper hit .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBIs in his first season at the College of Southern Nevada, which plays in a league that uses wooden bats. He skipped his final two years of high school and got his GED, making him eligible for the 2010 amateur draft.

He already was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16, touted as “baseball’s chosen one” and “the most exciting prodigy since [Miami Heat forward] LeBron [James].” He was the first non-senior to earn Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year award. And he was only the second junior college player, joining Alex Fernandez in 1990, to win the Golden Spikes Award, given to the country’s top amateur baseball player.

“Essentially, it was discussion of a lot of variables because of the power of the player, the age of the player, what position players have been historically paid in the draft,” Boras said in a telephone interview.

“With a player of this level of skill and talent,” Boras said, “there’s not really any comparables.”

Rizzo said he hoped to have Harper come to Washington during the Nationals’ next homestand, which begins next Monday, and that he wants the player to report to the franchise’s rookie-level Gulf Coast League team in Florida “as soon as possible.”

Harper’s contract calls for a signing bonus of $6.25 million in five equal payments of $1.25 million: 30 days after approval and each July 1 from 2011 through 2014. He receives salaries of $500,000 each in 2011 and 2012, $750,000 in 2013, $900,000 in 2014 and $1 million in 2015.

There are roster bonuses that could raise the total value of the deal to $10.9 million. Harper can earn up to an extra $500,000 in each of the last two years of the contract, getting $125,000 each year if he spends 30, 60, 90 and 120 days on the active major league roster.

The Nationals also agreed to pay for eight semesters of college.

“The truth is, with a full minute to go, Mike and I both thought we were not going to have a deal,” Nationals president Stan Kasten said.

Asked what changed in that final minute, Rizzo replied: “It was both sides compromising and knowing that we were so close it would be fruitless not to get a deal done.”

Harper was among 14 first-round selections who signed on the final day. Three first-round picks failed to sign, and the teams that chose them will get extra selections as compensation in the first round of next year’s draft.

The Pirates signed the No. 2 overall pick, Houston high school right-hander Jameson Taillon, to a minor league contract Monday night. Taillon will receive a $6.5 million bonus.

“This is highest we’ve invested in three years — it will come in at around $12 million and $31 million the last three years,” general manager Neal Huntington said.

Boras and Baltimore worked out a deal late for shortstop Manny Machado, selected third. An accord was reached 3 minutes before midnight, according to scouting director Joe Jordan.

“We reached out during the day to try and get some dialogue going and periodically went through it. But again, the meat of this thing happened in the last hour,” Jordan said.

Machado received a $5.25 million bonus from Baltimore, falling short of the club record of $6 million bestowed on catcher Matt Wieters, the fifth overall pick in 2007.

Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, the No. 5 pick, agreed with Cleveland at $2.65 million.

The New York Mets reached a deal with another Boras client, pitcher Matt Harvey, picked seventh. Harvey received a $2,525,000 signing bonus.

Two first-round picks — catcher Yasmani Grandal with Cincinnati (No. 12) and third baseman Zack Cox with St. Louis (No. 25) — received $3.2 million, four-year contracts, while other first-round picks got minor league deals.

Kaleb Cowart signed for a $2.3 million bonus with the Los Angeles Angels. The infielder from Cook County High School in Adel, Ga., was taken with the 18th overall pick.

Gary Brown agreed with San Francisco on a $1.45 million bonus. The outfielder, selected with the 24th pick, had been one of four unsigned first-round choices represented by Boras.

Zach Lee, already enrolled at LSU on a football and baseball scholarship, spurned the Tigers to sign with the Dodgers. Colorado agreed with right fielder Kyle Parker, taken 26th, on a contract that allows him to quarterback Clemson this fall before reporting to spring training.

Three right-handed pitchers selected in the first round failed to sign: No. 6 Barret Loux with Arizona, No. 9 Karsten Whitson with San Diego and No. 14 Dylan Covey with Milwaukee.

The Arizona Republic says Loux, a right-hander from Texas A&M, agreed to a contract with Arizona but failed his physical exam last month over concerns about his shoulder and elbow. The team did not disclose its reason for not signing Loux.

The Diamondbacks will receive a compensation pick immediately after the No. 6 pick in next year’s draft.

Also, the Brewers failed to reach an agreement with the 14th overall selection, right-hander Dylan Covey. Covey has been diagnosed with diabetes, and Brewers general manager Doug Melvin says that played a role in his decision not to sign.

“We were willing to sign, but he felt with the management needed and discipline involved with diabetes it was necessary to stay close to home,” Melvin said. “This was all a sudden, unexpected, tough-luck happening.”

Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid said Covey will attend the University of San Diego instead.

Seid said Covey and his family found out about his diagnosis only recently and were understandably overwhelmed.

“It was pretty devastating,” Seid said. “No matter how much time you have, in this case, there’s a lot of time needed to determine what’s the best situation.”

Covey’s family did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press.

Earlier Monday evening, the Nationals announced they came to terms with second-round choice Sammy Solis, a left-handed pitcher from the University of San Diego, and fourth-round pick A.J. Cole, a right-handed high school pitcher.