Monday, May 7, 2007

GAMES TWENTY EIGHT- THIRTY: Return Of The Soldier Of Fortune



There's no real point in talking about weekend baseball, even if the Minnesota series featured three excellent starts. (Julian Tavarez has faced nothing but #1 starters and kept the Red Sox competitive all the same; if the lineup had been able to finish the deal on Johan Santana [a mere 5.0 IP] during one of his many times in trouble, this might have been a sweep.) All anyone wants to talk about is Roger Clemens. So let's talk about Roger Clemens.

I became a Red Sox fan in the summer of 1993, when Boston became Mo-Town, the Sox made an unlikely run at the AL East pennant, and Roger Clemens had another mediocre season, especially by his standards. I was too late to the game to watch the Rocket dominate. I thought Roger Clemens' MVP Baseball sucked. Roger Clemens means less to me than he does to most Sox fans.

I think Roger had a great opportunity to patch things up with Boston before going into the Hall of Fame wearing a B. (Do you really expect a Yankees cap on his plaque because he coat-tailed his way into a couple rings?) I also think he had a chance at another World Series ring, although I respect his pride. And capitalism.

I think he wanted to matter, and I respect that. The Sox greeted not getting Roger with indifference, and rightfully so. We've got our fifth starter waiting, and he's a future ace instead of a twilight ace.

I think when Brian Cashman gives a 45-year-old starter $28 million (prorated), the "younger, cheaper" Yankee strategy is out the window. I like the little implied "fuck you" to making him higher paid than A-Rod and thus the highest paid player in the league by a mil.



I think Roger Clemens is a mercenary. I think Bill Simmons had it right, back when he used to matter, and try. Some of his don't give a fuck attitude is a positive. Not so much to Boston.

I think my Sox fan friends ready to slit their wrists and my Yankee fan friends declaring their team back in the game both need to chill.

I don't think I'll miss it so much when Roger Clemens is out of the league.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

you're missing the point a little. this isn't about swinging the balance of the AL east or anything... i've read the PECOTA projections, i've read a dozen statistical analyses, etc etc, but this is about -- from this red sox fan's perspective, anyway -- the HUMAN side of the issue. all these stats assholes forget that ACTUAL FANDOM is totally irrational and zany... i LIKE roger clemens. i LIKE the red sox. i HATE the yankees. it's not about whether i think roger's projected VORP is going to translate into a title, IT'S 99.9% ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I JUST WANT TO SEE THE DUDE PITCHING FOR MY HOMETOWN TEAM AND BEING AWESOME. and i do! it has almost NOTHING to do with rational analysis! FANDOM (pretty much) NEVER DOES!

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