Due to be released on May 12, the latest book on Roger Clemens and the baseball steroids era entitled, ‘American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America’s Pastime,’ details the life and tragedy of former baseball superstar pitcher Roger Clemens in 464 pages. Written by New York Daily News investigative journalists Teri Thompson, Michael Okeeffe, Nathanial Vinton, and Christian Red, this all-out expose is the result of more than several years of reporting on Clemens.

With Clemens’ life and reputation already in shambles, this book can only wreak further damage, or at the very least shed light to Clemens’ adventurous personal life as a baseball superstar. Included in the book are allegations that Clemens kept 12 apartments in different cities for his various girlfriends, so that he could meet with them when he was on the road. Reportedly well-sourced, this book was said to be based on hundreds of interviews, medical files, thousands of pages of court documents, congressional depositions, emails, and even secretly taped phone conversations, so it promises a very juicy read. According to the New York Daily News, Clemens turned down multiple requests for telling his side of the story, refusing to participate with the writers.

As of this writing, Clemens is already facing possible charges for perjury because of a false testimony before a Congressional committee on February 13, 2008. It is possible that had Clemens admitted to using steroids after being included in the Mitchell Report, his personal life would not be in so much scrutiny and as rudely publicized as it has been and is being publicized.

Should the grand jury indict Clemens and deeply probe into his alleged steroid use, it would be of interest to fans and the media to know when his steroid use actually began and when it ceased. In connection to this, it is interesting to note that in 1995 and 1996, which was his last two seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Clemens was 20-18. Contrast that with 1997 and 1998, his combined two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Clemens was 41-13. Undeniably this is a significantly huge jump in wins but it doesn’t directly prove that he was on steroids during those years, not unless it was documented.

Selected excerpts of the book are available online, showing information on his alleged use of steroids and human growth hormone, his romantic life, his relationship with his former personal trainer Brain McNamee, and his testimony before Congress. One excerpted paragraph says, “Despite their differences in accent and income, Clemens, the swaggering jock from Texas, and McNamee, the sardonic ex-cop from New York, shared a passion for baseball. Clemens was determined to prove he wasn’t fading, and McNamee, having just arrived at The Show, was committed to staying there. So there would be other injections, but with the first one the two men crossed a stark line into territory they would never escape: Clemens became a cheater, and McNamee became his enabler.”

This and more juicy details on Clemens will be uncovered in two weeks when the book is released.

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