Two former Yankee players (one also a star with the Red Sox in his early days) are in the news, and both can be viewed as tragic figures. The two are Roger Clemens and Bobby Murcer.

Aristotle laid the foundation for how philosophers and writers have approached tragedy ever since. A tragic figure, the great Greek philosopher wrote, is a person better than the common run of people who falls from greatness, often through a personal mistake. That fits Roger Clemens perfectly. Once the best pitcher of his time and a certain selection to the Hall of Fame, Clemens has fallen on hard times that are of his own making.

Former Sen. George Mitchell’s report listed Clemens among those players suspected of using outlawed performance-enhancing drugs. The report cites Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, who claimed that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone several times between 1998 and 2001. Then Clemens testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that he never used such substances, a claim that meant either he or McNamee was lying to Congress. Next came an investigation by the FBI, still ongoing, into whether Clemens committed perjury. McNamee has two former New York City policemen digging up information against Clemens in order to derail a lawsuit Clemens has filed against him.

More recently, stories of Clemens’ alleged extramarital affairs have appeared in New York newspapers, including the accusation that he began a relationship with country singer Mindy McCready when she was just 15. Clemens has denied that claim, which would subject him to additional and very serious legal liability if true. Other names have surfaced, linked romantically to the long-married Clemens: a former Manhattan bartender named Angela Moyer, and golfer John Daly’s former wife, Paulette Dean Daly.

Clemens subsequently apologized for “mistakes in my personal life” but did not elaborate on the precise nature of those mistakes. Facing serious legal problems, widespread loss of credibility, and the Hall of Fame slipping away, Clemens has fallen far, seemingly because of his own bad judgments. Were Aristotle still around, he could well use Clemens as a model for his definition of tragedy.

Then there is Bobby Murcer. Aristotle did not include serious illness in his definition of tragedy, but it surely feels tragic to families so afflicted. Murcer in many ways is the antithesis of Clemens. When Murcer first came up to the Yankees in 1965, the outfielder was billed as the next Mickey Mantle. He never lived up to that billing, falling well short of superstar status. Yet over 17 years, including two stints with the Yankees totaling a dozen years, he fashioned a successful career. Even while playing for the Giants and Cubs, he never stopped loving the pinstripes and moved happily into the broadcast booth for New York after his playing days ended.

Murcer remains a Yankee today, but his recent life has not been easy. In December 2006, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an especially virulent form of brain tumor. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy followed, as well as an experimental vaccine that may slow the growth of cancer cells. He has recently returned to broadcasting Yankee games over the team’s YES network while continuing treatment.

Murcer knows that the future is uncertain, which led him to speed up his plans to write a book about his life. “Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes” is soon to hit the bookstores, and it tells not only about Murcer’s professional career but also about what matters even more to him, his family. Since being diagnosed with the tumor, Bobby and his wife, Kay, have welcomed their son and daughter-in-law’s newly born twins. He speaks of his wife, whom he has known since childhood, as his angel sent to him by God.

Bobby Murcer’s book is a lot about love, love for his job, his profession, his team, and especially his family. If there is tragedy here, Bobby Murcer does not see it that way. He did nothing to bring that tumor on himself, but there is no whining. He says that his illness has changed his life for the better, and that he has been blessed in many ways. There is no deception, no denial, no arrogance, no cheating, but a lot of faithfulness and courage to go along with love. If people want someone to look up to, they should try Bobby Murcer rather than Roger Clemens. The really good guys can find something to celebrate honestly even in what most people would see as tragic.

Edward J. Rielly is a Westbrook resident, English professor at St. Joseph’s College, and widely published author with three books on baseball and American culture.

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