I wrote the following in this space on July 14, 2004 about the trade deadline media furor surrounding a certain aged but available starting pitcher:
"Y'know what? I don't want him. I don't want the Sox to win the World Series by buying it. I don't want to be a Yankee fan. I want my team - my really, really talented team - to strap it on, play up to their potential and smoke the American League over the next 76 games, then roll through the post-season like Sherman through Atlanta. The Yankees or Angels or Twins can have Randy Johnson and his mullet. It'll just make the victory beer taste sweeter."
Damn, but a lot of that was prescient. I can't work up the righteous anger about the financial aspects any more, because I'd be a hypocrite, but the feelings are otherwise exactly the same upon hearing the news today that Roger Clemens has signed with the Yankees. Good for them, good for him, and good for the Red Sox. It wouldn't be sporting for the Sox to take on the Yankees with their pitching staff in its current condition.
I really don't see how he could have come back to Boston. Even the fans who believe that Dan Duquette unjustly ran him out of town a decade ago would still be biting their tongues at this point. He'll probably wear the B-cap on his Hall plaque, but he's about as far from true Sock status right now as any man in the bigs. Stranger things have happened, but I didn't see a Boston reunion coming.
ReplyDeleteagreed - it would have been difficult for this sox fan to swallow my disdain for him and root for the laundry. it's quite possible that the thing i'm happiest about in clemens going to the yankees is the fact that i can continue to despise him with no mixed feelings.
ReplyDeleteThis signing signals the true death knell for the bloated media creation that is the so called Yankme Dynasty.
ReplyDeleteGood for the Sawx, as they will bury the Yanks anyhow and already blew a fair chunk of change that may not be getting them all the japanese they paid for. Plus Clemens will take the heat off the inevitable Big Papi steroid investigation! Joy! And good for the Mets, since Clemens on the Sox would make them that much harder to beat when the Mets face Boston in the 2007 world series. "Little roller for Chavez, it gets by Youkilis, it gets by Youkilis!"
Now it will be painful to listen to Joe Morgan masterbate the first few times Boston lines up against Roidger, but for snarky bloggers such as ourselves, Clemens' move can only breathe new life into tired routines. He's like Dan Quayle for Dave Letterman.
I got the ball rolling over at my modest blog. Lets go to town!!
I think Tito would bring in some defensive 1B from Pawtucket in the last inning just out of principle.
ReplyDeleteIf there's any justice in this world, and there's not, the Rocket will have an 11.40 ERA and a triceps injury by Bastille Day.
See, I'm already basking in the ability to root against him once again!
whit, you of all people should understand the kind of karmic jeopardy your fellow townsfolk are toying with in the post above.
ReplyDeletepapi on steroids, indeed. red beans and rice, perhaps.
When we start taking ourselves more seriously, then we'll worry about karmic retribution.
ReplyDeletethat's sort of implicit in the warning post above
ReplyDeleteMets fans eat karmic jeopardy for brunch.
ReplyDeleteI love the Red Sox as much as the next 30 something Metsfan, but cmon, where's the love for the undeniable facts of the Sox: that Papi is a juicer, Epstein is a lucky bastard, and Jeri Remy is retaaarded?
I love the femininization of Jeri Remy's name, but he is just about the best thing going on Extra Innings. He and Vin Scully -- plus our boy Keith -- almost make up for Michael Kay.
ReplyDelete