Clemens Is Back, Again
It has been months of speculation, gossip, rumors, minor league starts and annoying columns like this giving their opinions, Roger Clemens has returned to Major League Baseball to once again show those “youngins” how its done.
After two World Series Championships, seven Cy Young Trophies, 348 wins and 4,611 strikeouts over 23 years “The Rocket” has returned to well, enjoy the outdoors?
It is an interesting question. Why did he comeback and why to the Yankees? He already has millions, and millions, of dollars, the awards and rings. One would think he would have chosen a team in better position for a playoff run. Or maybe he just wanted to play ball.
Either way, Clemens made his return Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates where he, despite a near lead-off homerun by Jose Bautista, picked up a relatively comfortable win scattering five hits over six innings while giving up three runs and striking out seven. Not bad for man who turns 45 in less than two months.
But just as important as the quality pitching Clemens brings, he brings energy and swagger to a rather mundane New York club. They have absolutely no pitching and their big money bats have failed to produce runs to make up the gap. They were on the verge of complete disaster. General Manager Brian Cashman and skipper Joe Torre were on the hot seat as George Steinbrenner seemed ready to terminate everyone form front office personal to players to the hot dog vendor.
But then came the news that Clemens would be coming to the Bronx and “hang on,” all of the sudden the Bombers had won six on the trot and eight of their last ten. Alex Rodriquez, Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano are starting to look like major league ball players again and small rays of hope are emerging.
But can Clemens really lead a Yankees charge to reach the playoffs or even catch the Boston Red Sox? The answer is probably to the first and maybe to the second. Stranger things have happened between those two rivals.
Clemens has a projected 21 starts left before the end of regular season and if he can pick up 10 or 11 wins then the Yankees have a great chance to win the wild card. It will still take a great effort however to catch the Red Sox. They have a solid pitching staff and offense oozing out of their ears. New York will have to have Boston lose the division more than they can win it. A lot like last year.
And if they do pull it off, they will have to give a lot of credit to Clemens even he only wins eight or nine more games from here out. He brings just what those New Yorkers are in need of rediscovering: an attitude.
After two World Series Championships, seven Cy Young Trophies, 348 wins and 4,611 strikeouts over 23 years “The Rocket” has returned to well, enjoy the outdoors?
It is an interesting question. Why did he comeback and why to the Yankees? He already has millions, and millions, of dollars, the awards and rings. One would think he would have chosen a team in better position for a playoff run. Or maybe he just wanted to play ball.
Either way, Clemens made his return Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates where he, despite a near lead-off homerun by Jose Bautista, picked up a relatively comfortable win scattering five hits over six innings while giving up three runs and striking out seven. Not bad for man who turns 45 in less than two months.
But just as important as the quality pitching Clemens brings, he brings energy and swagger to a rather mundane New York club. They have absolutely no pitching and their big money bats have failed to produce runs to make up the gap. They were on the verge of complete disaster. General Manager Brian Cashman and skipper Joe Torre were on the hot seat as George Steinbrenner seemed ready to terminate everyone form front office personal to players to the hot dog vendor.
But then came the news that Clemens would be coming to the Bronx and “hang on,” all of the sudden the Bombers had won six on the trot and eight of their last ten. Alex Rodriquez, Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano are starting to look like major league ball players again and small rays of hope are emerging.
But can Clemens really lead a Yankees charge to reach the playoffs or even catch the Boston Red Sox? The answer is probably to the first and maybe to the second. Stranger things have happened between those two rivals.
Clemens has a projected 21 starts left before the end of regular season and if he can pick up 10 or 11 wins then the Yankees have a great chance to win the wild card. It will still take a great effort however to catch the Red Sox. They have a solid pitching staff and offense oozing out of their ears. New York will have to have Boston lose the division more than they can win it. A lot like last year.
And if they do pull it off, they will have to give a lot of credit to Clemens even he only wins eight or nine more games from here out. He brings just what those New Yorkers are in need of rediscovering: an attitude.
posted by William Allison @ 10:18 AM
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