It's a cynical age, and the constant over-analysis and 24/7 news coverage of baseball can sometimes take away the wonder, awe and enjoyment of the game that we all fell in love with as youngsters.
Like many baseball freaks, I am often awash with the sobering anesthesia of objective statistical examination of the players---leaving little room for the subjectivity of unabashed fan hood.
But during the 7th inning, the Yankees somehow pulled off an emotional show- stopper that would have made P.T. Barnum proud.
In many ways, the mid-game Stadium announcement catapulted me back to my childhood, to the 1978 announcement during Old Timer's Game that Billy Martin would return to manage the Yankees.
The news that Roger Clemens was coming back to the Yankees came out of the clear blue Bronx sky. Roger took the microphone and addressed the assembled multitudes as the scoreboard in Center field spelled out the astonishing bulletin:
"Roger Clemens is now a Yankee!"
Rocket told the crowd:
"Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it's a privilege to be back."
"I'll be talking to y'all soon."
The look on the player's faces was worth the price of admission. They were smiling and laughing like little kids who saw the ice cream truck roll up. (Granted, these kids these days can afford the ice cream, but you get the picture.)
If pomp and circumstance count, the Yanks have already picked up 5 games in the standings.
Rocket later told reporters: "It's another challenge…I expect to do things at the age of 44, 45 like I did at 25." And then in his Rambo voice: "It's time to go to work," Clemens said. "I've got a lot of work to do to get back up here."
True to form, later, when the game was over and the stadium emptied, Roger was throwing in the pen.
Props to Brain Cashman for pulling this off. Not a single baseball writer had a clue that the deal was going down. Ken Rosenthal even claimed to know from "inside sources" that Rocket was heading to Boston. By the time he said this on TV Saturday, Cash and Boss George had the deal safely in hand.
And props to Derek Jeter, who kept nagging Rocket via text messages to sign with the Yanks.
Get ready to hear a lot of backtracking from disgruntled, jealous Red Sox fans. One of my favorite passages comes from the Think Factory board:
"He's not very good. He's never been that good."
I wonder if that's Dan Duquette speaking? …the man who thought Clemens was washed up 11 years and 4 CY Young awards ago.
Comments like that convince me that Red Sox fans are scared. They should be. No doubt the flags at ESPN (NESN2 to Yankee fans in New England), will be flying at half-mast. It's extra sweeter knowing that Rocket turned the Sox down:
The Beaneaters issued the following statement:
"We met with Randy Hendricks earlier this week and, at Randy's request, made an offer to Roger Clemens. We offered a substantial salary and suggested, for health purposes, that Clemens return on approximately the same timetable as last year. Today we learned from Randy that Clemens has signed elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?" Signed "Elsewhere." Ya, we can all agree that the Clemens signing ratchets the rivalry up yet another notch. Even Schilling in his blog said: "We didn't need him."
The truth is that the Red Sox offered to shift to a 6-man rotation for Rocket. They would have loved to take Clemens away from the Yanks, but they never saw this coming.
Buy another bottle of ketchup, Curt, this season ain't over.
Almost lost in the frenzy this afternoon was Rocket's mention that one aspect of his conversation with Boss George would not become apparent until after the season. The speculation will last all summer. Is he going to legally adopt Phil Hughes and drive him to his Pediatrician appointments? One can only hope.
Oh Yes. During this day of days Darrel Rasner found his spots and mixed in a gorgeous curveball to keep Seattle at bay. Uncle Joe, in true form, pulled Rasner too early. Rasner should be the #5 man for now. He deserves to stay.
So who is this Clemens guy?
· 2nd all-time with 4,604 career strikeouts.
· 2nd all-time with 172 career strikeouts in the postseason.
· Leads all active Major League pitchers in wins, strikeouts, games started (690), innings pitched (4817.2), complete games (118) and shutouts (46).
· Lifetime 348-178 3.10 ERA, 144 ERA+
· 727 RSAA
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