Hey! Did you know that Roger Clemens has signed a contract with the New York Yankees for a ridiculous amount of money? Were you aware that with his new contract he will have earned more money after throwing ten pitches than you likely will all year? You might have missed this shocking development, as ESPN made no mention of it at all. One would think it would have been a bigger story, but alas, it was not to be. Upon hearing this news, you are probably asking yourself, “How will this impact the American League East? Is The Rocket still worth it? Is he the guy who ate the last slice of pizza in my fridge?” It is time to answer all those questions and more.
To borrow from a much louder and better-known sports personality, quite frankly I do not see this move being the one that shifts the balance of power back to New York. There is no doubt that Clemens presents an upgrade on the Yankees’ rotation. Even as he approaches 45 years old, Clemens is still more capable than half of the no-names manager Joe Torre has had to place on the pitchers mound this year in the Bronx.
During his last three (more like two and a half actually…) seasons in Houston, The Rocket never had an ERA of over 3.00 and compiled 38 wins to only 18 losses, winning the 2004 Cy Young Award in the process. Had the Astros provided him with any run support, he likely could have won an additional ten games or more. However, Clemens’ body started to break down towards the end of the 2005 season and he barely made an appearance during the Astros’ appearance in the World Series that year. Despite not starting his season until June last year, Clemens barely averaged six innings per start during the 2006 campaign. Clemens’ training routine since his mid-career resurgence has been famously intense, but even the ageless Nolan Ryan found his body starting to quit on him once he hit his mid-forties.
When he takes the mound for the first time this season, it will have been nearly four years since Clemens regularly faced American League batters. It could be argued that one of the reasons that Clemens was able to maintain the level of dominance he did over the past three years was by feasting off of an inferior league. Consider the fact that during his last stint with the Yankees from 1999 through 2003, Clemens ERA ranged anywhere from 3.51 up to 4.60. The precipitous drop of his ERA was helped greatly by not having to face the hitter friendly line-ups of the American League during each start. There will almost certainly be a period of readjustment for Clemens as he returns to the league in which he made his name and won six Cy Young Awards. The length of time it will take for him to find his pitching groove upon his return is going to be a major part of how successful this move is for the Yankees. Combine this with an aging body and it is far from certain that The Rocket will be the one who saves New York.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
"His contract will not require him to travel with the team when he is not scheduled to pitch. One has to wonder what impact this will have on the Yankees’ already-fragile team chemistry"
This could actually be good for chemistry. Fewer players will be hit in the head with 95-mph fastballs. And I'm talking about in the clubhouse.
2 - alessandro Nicolo
The Yankees used to win with pitching. Now they have gone the other way with hitting being their bag. Now, to prove life is sometimes circular, they are realizing their pitching stinks and that it's time to solidfy it. Enter Clemens. Was this a desperate move? Where's Pascual Perez when you need him?