Sizing Up the Rocket

I promise I will try and cover topics other than baseball, but let's face it - Roger Clemens provides so much material to write about. Unlike most, I was excited when he left Boston in 1996, mainly because wasn't pitching well, but also because I just never liked the guy. Starting with Game 6 in the 1986 World Series, a game that he started and didn't finish as we all know, the Red Sox began a 13 game postseason losing streak that did not end until Roger left and Pedro Martinez won his first postseason start in 1998. He won 1 postseason decision for the Red Sox in five postseason series. Pretty unimpressive. We also shouldn't forget that he was thrown out of one postseason game as a Red Sock for verbally abusing an umpire, and then ten years later he should have been thrown out of the World Series for throwing a jagged bat at Mike Piazza(although he did say he thought it was the ball he threw at Piazza). This image is on the cover of the new book American Icon and sums up Roger perfectly from what I've heard.

Let's look at some of the other things he missed out on. He never won a postseason MVP award despite pitching in more postseason games than any starting pitcher in baseball history(6 World Series too!!). He did win 2 World Series rings as a tag-along with the Yankees in '99 and 2000(after his steroid use). He won 7 Cy Youngs. Pretty impressive. Although he won four of them after he took a liking to long needles.

He has now opened his mouth again, never a good thing for him, to reiterate that he never took performance enhancing drugs. I think my favorite part of his stance is that he vehemently denies using steroids and HGH, but tells everbody that his wife and best friend(Andy Pettite) used them. They're must be a lot of love in that marriage!

When you really look at it, the move that changed the Red Sox fortune for the better and put 2 championship banners on Yawkey Way was blasting the Rocket out of town. He is the classic example of how the reputation doesn't match reality. The best way to size up the Rocket - One word - LOSER.

Comments

  1. Being the brother of the creator of the blog, you know I am gonna have my 2 cents. Yes the rocket has made many mistakes, we all are aware of them.
    But, lets just try to understand that their is a boatload of other winners in baseball that are on that list including A-Rod and Manny, that probably wont win Boyscout of the year awards anytime soon in their lifetimes. And infidelity and idiocy goes hand in hand with all pro athletes. They are perhaps the most unfaithful members of couples, aside to those people who claim that their marriage is not affected by their porn careeers. They make for good humor though dont they?
    There is absolutely no doubt the Sox have been better off without him lately but he was a pretty nasty player for us in the years he was here. Im sure most people in NYC wouldnt be mad at Jeter if he took roids during the years of their titles. Its in the past, and should stay there. Records are individual acheivements, and sometimes overshadow what really matters to a fan and city-championships. No one likes the rocket here, but no one should care anymore, because he didnt win any championships here. If Schilling took juice during our reign, I srill wouldnt care, bec he won something we all coveted here in boston. The only negative thing with the steroids incidents lie among how we raise our kids, and whether or not they know better to not use these drugs. As for trhe rockets honesty, we all are aware now that he is about as truthful as an unhappy fiancee on their bachelor trip to to the bunny ranch.

    Evan

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