Monday, May 7, 2007

Clemens return to New York not in typical Yankee fashion...



Click below to hear the hurrendous sound of Suzyn Waldman describing the scene at Yankee Stadium when Roger Clemens announced he will be returning to the Bronx.
http://www.wcbs880.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=695991

The Yankees just signed a 44 year old pitcher to almost $1 million per start, fine if you have the money, which they do but between the display at the stadium, Suzyn Waldman's embarrassing call as a representative of the Yankee's on the airwaves and that Clemens will have his own set of rules is rediculous. He is also going to be the teams 4th starter, but regardless of where he falls in the rotation he is only going to be playing once every 5 games!!! Not everyday! The Yankee dynasty of the 90's in case you have all forgotten was based on class, team and tradition, this does not represent any of those things. People are saying "welcome home." Welcome home? Come on! Home would be Boston where he pitched 13 seasons not with the Yankees where he pitched 5 and then left for Houston.

His numbers in Houston ERA wise were very impressive but he worked into the 7th inning only 5 times out of 19 starts last season. I understand Houston did not help him at all with run production, on the other hand the National League lineups are far weaker than the American orders. Think about it, as a National league pitcher you face a weak 8 hitter (lets say that is true 75% of the time) and then the pitcher. That is almost 25% of the order, a big factor in any pitchers success in the National League, especially a pitcher climbing in age.

Am I saying the Yankees are crazy for brining back Clemens? No way. But in the way it was handled, the dollars that he is getting paid and the attitude that the "savior" is here to me is ludacris. I never thought anything tradition wise would be sacrificed with in the Bronx with the Yankees, just like I never thought so in Boston with the Celtics, but they left the Garden and most recently got dancers, f*ck#n dancers!!! What is next for the Yankees? Maybe Bernie will come back (that would be worthy of a welcome home) and make his pinch hitting debut by para-shooting onto the field from a plane and having Mattingly waiting in the on deck circle for him holding his bat and some Kleenex (I always thought Bernie was a softy with his whining, most overrated defensive outfielder of our era but a big time clutch hitter)
Maybe David Wells will arrive on a party bus with strippers and a keg fully sponsored by Coors Light and Rick's Caberet for the stretch run, that would be sick!!!

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