The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 11

mm Mike Egenes, sports editor, 309-829-9000, ext. 246, e-mail: megenespantagraph.com FRIDAY, August 20, 2010 Clemeis accused of lyin Former pitcher indicted by federal grand jury Randy Kindred By Pete Yost sf ill human growth hormone. 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. SEE CLEMENS PAGE B2 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.

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 ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON, D.C. 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 cJl AIR. CLEMENS 1 For BHS teen, love of game trumps pain When Brad Snow says his son, Grant, is "one of those kids you can root for," it is not the biased ramblings of a proud father.

You don't have to be flesh and blood to pull for 15-year-old Grant Snow, whose football gifts could fit in a shoebox, but passion for the game knows no boundaries. The gridiron gods have tried to dissuade him, starting with a 5 -foot-6, 160-pound frame. There also was a concussion two years ago in youth football, a concussion and broken hand last year as a Bloom AP ile photoPABLO MARTINEZ M0NSIVAIS Roger Clemens testifies before a panel on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2008. Clemens has been indicted on charges of making false statements to Congress. WHITE SOX 11, TWINS 0 1 4 ington High School freshman, and, on the opening day of practice this season, an asthmaheat attack that sent him to the emergency room.

Ha vH Associated PressJIM M0NE The Chicago White Sox' Alexi Ramirez, right, is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Glen Perkins in the eighth inning of Thursday's game in Minneapolis. The Sox shut out the Twins 11-0. Konerko, Buehrle provide lift in shutout of Twins READ MORE Talk about piling Grant on- Snow Yet, there was Snow on Thursday, heading to practice in shorts, a "Roll Tide" University of Alabama T- shirt and his purple BHS helmet in hand. He also was wearing a smile, one of those ear-to-ear jobs you envy, admire. "Football is more than a sport.

It's kind of a way of life," Snow said. "You can't really take time off." Maybe you can for a day or, in Snow's case, two days. That is how long his tenure as a team manager lasted. Shaken by the opening day scare and the history of concussions, Brad Snow and his ex-wife, Beth, persuaded their son to take a year off from football. Reluctantly, he told BHS head coach Rigo Schmelzer he would like to be a manager, just to stay involved.

"I went to two (practices) and didn't really do anything. I was like, 'I can't do this. I can't sit here and watch everybody else Snow said. So early this week, with an episode of ESPN's "Alabama All-Access" fresh in his mind, he pleaded with his father. "He said, 'Dad, I really have to try to play Brad Snow said.

"I said, 'Grant, it's OK with me if that's what you want to do. But football is not he easiest thing when you are your size and at your position (lineman)." Beth Snow sent an e-mail to Schmelzer, granting parental consent to resume playing. The younger Snow practiced Wednesday and Thursday without pads, but expects to strap them on today. He will compete for playing time on the sophomore team, realizing there may not be much, and that a concussion, even another mild one, will end his career. So be it.

It's football. "It doesn't matter if I'm a star or anything," Snow said. "I just want to go out there and play and contribute to the team as much as I possibly can." A lot of players could learn from that. Some make millions of dollars. They take for granted a game Snow respects and loves unconditionally.

Two summers ago, he attended a football camp at Alabama, where his sister, Alex Wade, will be a senior. One of his prize possessions is a photo of himself with Nick Saban, the Alabama head coach. Snow eagerly showed it to Schmelzer last year in world history class. "Grant just lives and breathes football," Schmelzer said. "He's been through a lot, but he keeps coming back.

"He never missed a day of (offseason) conditioning. He's in the weight room all the time. He works hard, but the weight just does not come on in muscle mass. So he's fighting it." That he is, with everything he has. The opening day setback was "like a stake in the heart," Snow said.

Lucky for him he has a big one. You root for guys like that. Randy Kindred is at rkindndpantagraph.com. The Kindred Biog: www.pantagraph.comblogs I Padres finish 4-game series swppnnf Hnhs 1 "A PageB3 I Carl Pavano (15-8) set a career high and tied a club record with 15 hits allowed. He gave up seven runs in six innings.

The Twins lost at sold -out Target Field for the first time in 10 games and missed a chance to take a six-game lead in the division. "We expect it to be all the way down to the end," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of the race. "We'll attack it as is." Mark Teahen and Alexei Ramirez each had three hits and two RBIs for the White Sox. Ramirez's two-run homer in the eighth off Glen Perkins made it 11-0. SEE SOX PAGE B3 By Jon Krawczynski ASSOCIATED PRESS MINNEAPOLIS Just when the Minnesota Twins really looked to be grabbing hold of the AL Central division, Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle and the Chicago White Sox delivered an emphatic message: This race is far from over.

Konerko had five hits and four RBIs and Buehrle pitched seven shutout innings to help the White Sox slow with an 11-0 romp on Thursday night. Buehrle (12-9) allowed five hits and struck out four. Kon- erko hit his 31st home run and had a double and three singles among Chicago's 21 hits to help the Sox avoid a sweep and shave the Twins' lead to four games in the AL Central. "We will fight to the end," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "How's the fight going to go? I don't know how the fight is going to go, but we're going to fight like a champ.

We're not down." Paul Konerko watches his fifth hit of the game Thursday. Konerko finished with four RBIs. Cards to face contender after string of defeats to also-rans solid innings in a 3-2 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday that dropped the right-hander to 11-1 at Busch Stadium this season. "I think baseball is such a unique and funny game," Wainwright said. "Some years you play great against good teams and bad against the bad teams.

"They call this the year of the pitcher and next year might be the year of the hitters. You can't really pinpoint why anything happens." SEE CARDS PAGE B2 By R.B. Fallstrom ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. LOUIS The St. Louis Cardinals are scuffling, so it's a perfect time to face another contending team in the National League.

The Cardinals dropped four straight games against also-rans Chicago and Milwaukee for their first four-game losing streak at home since June 2009, leaving them three games behind NL Central-leading Cincinnati. And they swept the Reds a READ MORE I Cardinals acquire third baseman Feliz from Astros Page B2 little over a week ago. St. Louis is 10-5 against Cincinnati, and 15-18 against the Brewers, Cubs and Astros, mediocre teams in the top-heavy Central. Even 17-game Adam Wainwright was dragged down during the home slide, pitching seven Associated PressJEFF R0BERS0N Albert Pujols looks toward the scoreboard during the Cardinals' game against Milwaukee on Tuesday in St.

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