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1903 Official Scoring Card |
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Team: New York Highlanders |
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Team: Boston Pilgrims |
at: Hilltop Park |
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Simply put, Harold is a science teacher who loves baseball. Actually, he is a self described "baseball fan who became a science teacher because he couldn't hit or throw." He has been involved with the New York City Education system in various capacities since 1962 and he received his doctorate in science education from NYU in 1968. He credits Casey Stengel with being responsible for his first baseball "degree," and in 1998, Joe Torre and Don Zimmer saw to it that he received the advanced version. For that he says, "I cannot thank them enough." Roger Clemens has started some of the most crucial games in baseball history and his team has lost most of them. Clemens is supposed to be the stopper. He has been called the greatest pitcher of his time but this season all he is stopping is the Yankees from asserting themselves. Clemens started the infamous sixth game of the 1986 World Series and the agonizing seventh game of the 2001 World Series, two of the most excruciating losses ever. A few days ago, Clemens started the middle game of a three game set against the supposedly new, tenacious, "this team won't choke" 21st century Red Sox, a game that was referred to as the most important regular season game since Joe Torre became Yankees manager in 1996. Clemens was blasted. In 1986 Clemens had a regular season record of 24-4, winning his first 14 decisions as well as both the American League Cy Young and MVP awards. It was only the eighth time that a pitcher won the MVP since the Cy Young Award had been created in 1956. Many felt that it was not right for a pitcher to win the MVP since pitchers now had their own award. After the
season, Henry Louis Aaron, the man who hit more home runs
than Babe Ruth, reiterated that a pitcher should not be
eligible for the MVP award. Roger responded by saying, "I
wish he were still playing. I'd probably crack his head open
to show him how valuable I was." Too bad Roger didn't
demonstrate a similar approach in the playoffs and World
Series that year.
Marty Barrett led off for the Sox with a base on balls, moved to second on a Bill Buckner ground out, reached third when Jim Rice was safe at first on Mets third baseman Ray Knight's error, and scored when Rice beat an attempted force play at second. The batter, Dwight Evans, was out at first on the relay from shortstop Kevin Elster to first baseman Keith Hernandez. The next play is one that has rarely been mentioned and one that had as great an impact on the 1986 World Series as the overrated Mookie Wilson ground ball to Bill Buckner. With Rice on second and two outs, Gene Gedman singled to center on an 0-2 pitch. Wilson threw Rice out at home. The Red Sox led by one run, not two. If only the Red Sox could have scored that insurance run. They didn't. Clemens retired the Mets in order in the seventh but John McNamara pinch hit for Clemens in the top of the eighth. Clemens, who might have been the best pitcher in baseball that year, was taken out of the game. Did he beg out as some have claimed? It was reported that Clemens asked to be taken out but only Clemens knows what really happened. In 1990, the Red Sox won the American League Eastern Division title but were swept by Oakland in the playoffs. Clemens started Game 4 and was ejected in the 2nd inning for cursing at the home plate umpire. The Red Sox lost the game. One must question Roger's priorities. Perhaps he could have exhibited a greater sense of self-control in order to remain in the game. Or perhaps he realized that no baseball team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs or World Series and so to him, the game didn't matter since the Red Sox were not and are not the most likely candidate to be the first team to overcome such a deficit. Before he was traded to the Yankees, Clemens' teams had appeared in one World Series and 4 playoff series. The only series his team won was against the Angels in 1986. Clemens started 9 games, won 2, lost 1, and had an ERA of 3.88. When he became a Yankees, he was more successful. With the
Yankees Clemens has pitched some fine games, including one
of the greatest of all time against Seattle in 2000. He
started Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against Arizona and
pitched well enough to win. He was taken out in the eighth
inning with the Yankees leading 2-1, much to his dismay.
Perhaps Clemens should have been allowed to try to finish
the eighth inning but hindsight is wonderful.
More recently, the Yankees hosted the Red Sox for their final regular season series. After Boston destroyed the Yankees in the opener, cutting the Yankees' division lead to a mere 2 1/2 games, the Yankees had to have the next game. Radio announcer John Sterling labeled the game as the most important of the season. Clemens started, lasted 3 1/3 innings, gave up (literally and figuratively) 7 runs, 5 of which were earned, and was treated to the chant of "Ro-ger, Ro-ger" from the fans at Yankee Stadium as he left the mound. The Red Sox won, 11-0, which was the worst shut out defeat the Yankees ever suffered at the hands of Boston, and afterwards, Clemens commented "Good crowds, both stadiums. Just a fun time to play." Being blasted and lasting only into the fourth inning of the most crucial game of the season is fun? Being blasted and lasting only into the fourth inning is a disgrace. This was another in a series of big games in which Clemens was lacking. The Red Sox won. They deserve credit because they did what they had to do. Maybe because Roger Clemens no longer is on their team. Interestingly, the final game of the three game set the next day now became the Yankees' most important regular season game. The Red Sox were poised for the kill against David Wells, the man the Yankees traded to Toronto in 1999 to get Clemens. Wells was signed by George Steinbrenner in the winter of 2002, led the Yankees pitchers in victories that season, and now was in a must win situation. As he usually does when he must, Wells won. He pitched seven and one-third innings, allowing only one unearned run. After the game, Wells, who had not won in his previous five starts and has been hampered by a bad back, said simply, "I had to. We got beat two in a row. I had to keep the team in the ballgame." How interesting it would have been if the Yankees had not traded Wells for Clemens. A lot of critical baseball remains. The Yankees will be in the playoffs and have an excellent chance to do what THEY must. Clemens has shown he can win important games. He still is one of baseball's top pitchers. Maybe this time he'll do what HE must. Despite all of what is written above, I would NOT bet against him. Sources:
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Web Links: Yankees Fan Network UltimateYankees Fast Facts: In Memory Of Bobby Bonds (1946-2003) Bonds played an All-Star season in right-field for the Yanks in 1975, hitting 32 homers and stealing 30 bases. "I would rather pitch a double-header against any other club than one game against the Yankees." St. Louis pitcher Milt Gaston just try to keep him out of jail." David Cone on teammate David Wells Trivia: What Yankee hit seven more homeruns at Yankee Stadium than Babe Ruth? Have a trivia question? Email it to us and maybe we'll use it in an upcoming issue. |
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