It was a year ago that Roger Clemens announced his retirement, and then un-retired himself six weeks later to join ranks with the Houston Astros and his buddy and former Yankee teammate, Andy Pettitte. It was salt in the wound for many devout Yankee fans, who felt betrayed more by George Steinbrenner for letting Pettitte walk in the first place.
Clemens would additionally come into play in many a fan's mind when the Yankees limped out of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox; their pitching staff decimated. And on November 9, 2004, the angst and disappointment resurfaced again for Yankee fans, as Roger Clemens did what many never expected him to do this year: winning the National League Cy Young award.
By playing in Houston, he worked out a deal with the Astros that allowed him to stay in Houston, where he permanently resides, and to only go on the road for those games in which he was required to make a pitching start. This arrangement had been unprecedented in Major League Baseball, but Houston was willing to accommodate him. Roger was hired for pitching insurance and as a crowd pleaser, to bring in extra revenue for the Astros, to help finance their payroll, which was escalating, especially with the signing of Pettitte.
But as the season progressed, Andy Pettitte injured his elbow, and after being on the DL for a couple of months, after one return, opted to get surgery in early August. Given the healing and rehab process, his decision would allow Pettitte to be ready for the beginning of the 2005 season.
What happened next was also perhaps unprecedented for this Astros club. And perhaps because of Pettitte's absence, it was Roger Clemens who turned out to be the central figure on the pitching staff, as well as an important team leader, helping the Astros resurrect their flawed season.
What is not unprecedented, and not spoken about nearly enough is Roger Clemens' ability to step up and put the focus on himself to allow his team do what they need to do to win. It was no clearer than with the Astros this season, which had a losing record until they started to turn it around in mid-August several weeks after the hiring of manager Phil Garner.
Clemens is the proverbial conductor of the symphony, yet as the conductor, still an important part of the complete process. It is his intangible ability to focus and remain in the moment that has been a part of his championship team seasons and a factor in winning all of his seven Cy Young awards.
As the oldest player now to have ever earned the Cy Young award at the age of 42, he may never be touched again statistically by any player. Randy Johnson, who is his closest rival in statistics and awards and still active, remains with five Cy Young awards, and may surpass him in strikeouts, but will not win as many games, although Clemens never had a no-hitter or a perfect game as Johnson did in this 2004 season.
But Johnson and Clemens are products from another era, when pitchers were used differently than they are being used today, where pitch counts and reliever specialists have forever changed the way in which statistics will be tallied.
Yet, this week and through the winter, the talk will be about statistics concerning Clemens for his award and for all of the free agents and tradable players for the coming 2005 season. But just for a moment, we can go back to Clemens the player and that person who is liked as much as he is disliked, who has played for the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees, and his first National League club, the Houston Astros.
Clemens' resume is as controversial as his high-heat pitches, but Clemens is all about what you see on the mound. And what you see is an extremely competitive and skilled athlete who has kept himself in shape for 21 Major League Baseball seasons, has never gotten into trouble off of the field, is a dedicated family man, as well as one who has devoted countless hours to charitable causes.
Love him or hate him, Roger Clemens causes fans to react, and not so much because he played for different teams, or because he is said to be a teammate who is hard to warm-up to, or because he is an aggressive power pitcher, but because he has remained for so long as an important figure in the game, and has never backed down or let his teammates down.
He was a tough sell in NY, especially having come from the Boston Red Sox, but eventually, the NY fans came to adore him. And when he left for Houston, many fans wished him well, but others were beside themselves because the fans know he is a winner and that as long as Roger Clemens steps on the mound, he will not embarrass himself or his team and will give his all. It is that day when he feels that he can no longer put in the work to remain competitive and healthy that he will no longer compete.
Roger Clemens has continued playing for the love of the game of baseball, as he has nothing left to prove, and he will continue to consider returning in 2005, only as long as the hunger and desire is there. We cannot ask anything more from such a devoted player, and yet we should also applaud all of the many years he has treated us to so many memorable baseball moments. We may never see the likes of him again.
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