Article Two, Section 2 of the United States Constitution is the part that says the American president is the commander-in-chief of the army and the navy.
I happen to know that because I studied the Constitution when I was in school. I thought I had learned my lessons well, but recently I have found myself wondering if I missed something.
I cannot cite the section that empowers the president to be the enshriner-in-chief of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Donald Trump recently played 18 holes with Clemens and his son, Kacy, and since then has issued two ultimatums on social media -- both demanding that the Rocket be enshrined.
"NOW."
Maybe he doesn't need support from the Constitution. Maybe he thinks the Hall of Fame voters should organize a special vote and ram Clemens through. Maybe he thinks the Hall of Fame or the commissioner of baseball should ignore the process and simply strike a plaque with Clemens' image on it. Maybe he doesn't understand the process.
There is no doubt that Clemens was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. There is no doubt that if career numbers were the only factor in Hall of Fame voting, he would be a shoo-in. But there is more to this story than just numbers.
Clemens' name was mentioned 82 times in a report written by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who was commissioned by Major League Baseball to study the use of steroids among the players. Clemens denied that he ever used banned substances, and no one could produce irrefutable evidence to the contrary, but the Hall of Fame voters didn't dismiss the Mitchell report as fiction.
Enough of them -- and I was one -- withheld their votes. Clemens was on the Hall of Fame ballot every year between 2013 and 2022, and every time failed to garner the 75 percent figure needed for election. According to the rules, his name will never again be placed on a Hall of Fame ballot.
That doesn't mean he can't be enshrined. His name now goes to the 16-person veterans committee, which could place him in the Hall of Fame if 12 of its members (75 percent) agree.
That could happen as early as December, when the veterans committee will gather. The committee will consist of some Hall of Fame players, some veteran baseball writers and some veteran front-office people, but its complete make-up is still to be determined.
The committee is sure to weigh the candidacy of Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Lou Whitaker, among others, but there is no certainty that it will even consider Clemens. If it does consider Clemens, it will surely consider Barry Bonds as well.
Bonds' case is very similar to Clemens. The only difference is he isn't being touted by the President.
The guy who is being touted by Trump is Pete Rose, whose case will almost certainly be discussed by the veterans. Rose was banned from all baseball activities in 1989 after he was found to have be wagered on baseball games. The commissioner, A. Bart Giamatti, ruled that Rose was ineligible for the Hall of Fame and every subsequent commissioner has sustained that ban.
Until now.
Rose died last September, and four months later, the Enshriner-in-Chief returned to the Oval Office. It didn't take him long to demand that Rose be admitted to the Hall, and a short time after that the current commissioner, Rob Manfred, lifted the ban. Thus, the veterans committee will be free to consider Rose.
Trump even referenced Rose while touting Clemens. Right after the demand that Clemens be enshrined "NOW" he added.
"NOT LIKE YOU DID WITH PETE ROSE WHEN YOU WAITED UNTIL HE WAS DEAD."
It isn't clear whether or not Trump understands that Rose is still not in the Hall of Fame. It isn't clear that he understands the process of choosing who gets into the Hall of Fame. It isn't clear who he thinks Clemens should sue, but, yes, he suggested the Rocket ought to sue somebody.
Trump accused Manfred of reneging on a deal pertaining to Rose. Trump said the deal "was made many months before he died."
That's curious. Rose died, four months before Trump was inaugurated. If there was a deal, it isn't likely it was made months before Rose's death.
That doesn't mean there hasn't been a deal. Trump says there was one and Manfred hasn't denied it.
What could it possibly be? Most deals between two parties are struck when each has something to offer the other? But what could cause the President of the United States and Commissioner of Baseball to agree to a deal?
Maybe the word "deal" is only a euphemism. I find myself wondering if what really occurred -- if anything did -- was an implied threat.
Baseball is supposed to be fun and games, but sometimes it bumps against the real world. In today's real world, foreigners no longer receive a warm welcome in the United States. Not all of them, at least.
Baseball is a world game, but the major leagues are confined to the United States and Canada. On Opening Day there were 265 foreign-born players in major league rosters, including 63 from Venezuela -- a country whose relationship with America seems to be growing hostile. If immigration authorities chose to deport some of those players, Manfred would be powerless to stop it.
There is a good chance the Chicago Cubs will be hosting games during this year's postseason. There also a good chance that by that time, there will U.S. Army troops on the streets of Chicago.
There is even a better chance the Los Angeles Dodgers will be hosting games during the postseason, and there are already federal troops on the streets of Los Angeles.
It is all but certain that the Toronto Blue Jays will be hosting games during the postseason. That means the Jays and their opponents will be crossing and re-crossing an international border.
What if troops were ordered to block off an area near one of the ballparks hours before a big game was scheduled?
What if immigration authorities chose to screen all patrons as they approached a stadium?
What if some foreign-born players were blocked from crossing the border from Canada to the United States?
I think Manfred is deeply concerned, if not actually fearful about all of this. I think he's prepared to do whatever he can to keep Trump happy. I think that's why he behaved the way he did when Trump demanded Rose be put in the Hall. He lifted the sanctions, even though he looked and sounded very foolish when he did it.
Now, Trump wants more.
He wants Clemens in the Hall of Fame and he wants him there "NOW."
There isn't anything the commissioner can do about that. There's no deal to be made.
That might not be a good enough answer for Trump.
A FEW STATISTICS (Wednesday's games not included): Trea Turner of the Phillies is leading the NL in batting even though his average is only .305. The lowest figure to ever win an NL batting crown was .313 by Tony Gwynn of the Padres in 1988 ... Opponents have stolen only 43 bases against the Royals. That's 23 fewer than have been swiped against any other club ... The Astros are 29-16 against NL teams. Within their own league their record is 49-51 ... The Tigers are hitting .270 with two outs and runners in scoring position. They're batting .247 the rest of the time ... The Angels have turned 148 double plays -- the most in the majors ... Aaron Judge of the Yankees has 38 first-inning hits and 17 of them are homers. His first-inning OPS is 1.322 ... Nick Lodolo of the Reds and Framber Valdez of the Astros are the only two pitchers with two complete games to their credit ... Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks leads the majors in triples with 16. No one else has more than 12 ... Cubs rookie Cade Horton has allowed only five earned runs in his last 10 starts.