Clemens indicted for drug denials

Lou Gorman, the Sox general manager during the ’86 World Series run, said, “I’m saddened this has happened to him. I loved Roger in so many ways. We had our battles, but I always respected his talent and his greatness.’’

Dan Duquette, who succeeded Gorman as general manager in 1994, set off a long feud with Clemens when he opted against re-signing him in 1996, saying he was in “the twilight of his career.’’ Less than two years later, Clemens allegedly began using steroids.

Duquette, asked last month on The Pulse Network about Clemens’s 13-year career with the Sox, said, “Let’s let it play out a little bit more. I think there is more information and evidence that Roger used performance enhancing drugs in a significant way.’’

Duquette, reached by the Globe yesterday, was asked if the indictment reflected the culmination of his assertion last month or whether there may be more to come.

“Great question,’’ he said laughing, declining to be more specific.

Clemens now must weigh his legal options, which include fighting the charges before a jury and reaching a plea agreement, as Tejada did last year with the same prosecutor. Tejada pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in 2005 when investigators were examining former Baltimore slugger Rafael Palmeiro’s alleged steroid use. Tejada was sentenced to one year of probation.

Clemens would likely face a stiffer sentence if he were convicted, considering the greater number of charges against him. Prosecutors rarely seek lenience for defendants who decline plea offers and go to trial.

But first they must gain a conviction.

“My assessment is that the evidence is strong in this particular case, but perjury cases can be difficult,’’ said Katherine B. Darmer, a law professor at Chapman University in California and former federal prosecutor in New York who specialized in public corruption cases.

Cases involving high-profile sports figures can be complicated to try, she said, citing O.J. Simpson’s acquittal on double homicide charges in 1995. Some potential jurors also may disagree with the government’s pursuit of such cases, particularly in difficult economic times.

“For all those reasons, despite the relative strength of the case, it’s by no means a slam dunk,’’ Darmer said.

Peter Abraham and Nick Cafardo of the Globe staff contributed, and material from the Associated Press was also used.