Roger Calls Mr. Steinbrenner

[Guest Anglesault]

HOUSTON - Hard to imagine a better homecoming for Roger Clemens.

 

 

Looking nothing like a guy who had called it quits, Clemens dominated Barry Bonds and the Giants, holding them to one hit over seven scoreless innings in his Houston debut and pitching the Astros past San Francisco 10-1 Wednesday night.

 

“It sure was nice coming home,” Clemens said. “It was just real enjoyable.”

 

Only Ray Durham’s clean single to center field in the third inning prevented a most special night at Minute Maid Park from becoming a truly historic one.

 

Boosted by an emotional talk with former boss George Steinbrenner, Clemens posted his 311th victory and tied former teammate and mentor Tom Seaver for 16th place on the career list.

 

“It’s nice to get the first one underway,” Clemens said. “It’s been a long time coming since I first decided to play.”

 

Not a bad comeback for a guy who retired — albeit for only 78 days — after last season. At that time, it appeared the standing ovation he drew from Florida Marlins players and fans in Game 4 of the World Series would be his farewell.

 

Instead, a sellout crowd of 42,863 that included former President Bush and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, plus family members and friends in Clemens’ suite, began cheering even before the first pitch of his NL debut.

 

“I was just hoping my energy level would stay at a high level and it did,” Clemens said.

 

Pitching just 20 minutes from his house, the setting was certainly different as the 41-year-old Rocket launched his 21st season after stops with Boston, Toronto and the New York Yankees.

 

But while it looked and sounded different — a star on his cap and “Deep in the Heart of Texas” playing during the seventh-inning stretch — it was vintage Clemens on the mound.

 

And this, too: He delivered a hit-and-run single in his first at-bat. He kept the ball as a souvenir.

 

Clemens pitched Houston to its first win of the season, a day after fellow former Yankees hurler Andy Pettitte was hit hard in his Astros debut.

 

“Roger picked us up and we got a tremendous performance from him,” said Jeff Bagwell, who hit his 420th career home run. “The fans seemed very excited. It’s nice that they got a chance to see what they were looking for.”

 

Clemens struck out nine, including Bonds looking twice at 94 mph fastballs. Bonds left town with 659 home runs, still one behind his godfather, Willie Mays, for third place on the career list.

 

It was the first time in major league history that a pitcher with 300 wins had faced a hitter with 600 home runs.

 

“Good for him. Instead of doing it here, let him go home and do it in front of people who have seen him grow up,” Clemens said.

 

Bonds drew an intentional walk the first time he came to the plate, flipping aside his elbow guard when the count went to 2-0. The next time up, Bonds dropped his bat after a 3-2 pitch and headed toward first, only to hear plate umpire Mike DiMuro call strike three.

 

“Me and Roger have a lot of respect for each other, there’s no doubt about that,” Bonds said. “He’ll come at me sometimes and he’ll have his way. Sometimes I’ll have my way. Tonight, it went his way.

 

“Roger and I just have a good time,” he said. “It’s not such a big deal to us. We’re both up in age. It’s not like we’re young kids. They should have called this an old-timers’ game.”

The day began with Clemens calling Yankees’ pitching guru Billy Connors to check on his health. During their conversation, Connors told Clemens: “Call the Boss.”

 

So Clemens phoned the Yankees owner, and a heart-to-heart talk followed. Clemens even got choked up when he described it after the game.

 

“The call got very emotional. It was just the things he had to say to me. He called me a warrior and I told him how much he had meant to me,” Clemens said.

 

“Obviously, it was a pretty long call, but I had to get off the phone. My voice was breaking up and his was, too,” he said.

 

Clemens blew away pitcher Jerome Williams (0-1) for career strikeout No. 4,100 to open the third, beginning a string in which he struck out nine of 14 batters.

 

The Houston hitters made it easy for Clemens.

 

Bagwell drove in three runs, Jeff Kent hit a three-run homer and Richard Hidalgo also connected.

 

Craig Biggio doubled twice and scored each time as the Astros took a 4-0 lead after three innings. He later added an RBI single.

 

The Giants finished with four hits.

 

Notes: The Giants were trying to complete a season-opening, three-game sweep on the road for the third straight year. ... The Astros avoided their first 0-3 start since 1993.

 

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

This shithead better not be trying what I think he's trying.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

no, wat is it?

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

You know what he wants.

 

He wants his plaque out next to Babe Ruth's in monument park.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

"Hes smilin, he smilin!"

 

the plaque: "Im a plaque, you idiot."

[Guest Anglesault]

I wouldn't be shocked at all if he wanted his number retired out there and a plaque on the wall

 

"Roger was a great Yankee Warrior until the day he fake-retired..."

 

But I have a feeling ol' Shithead wants George's blessing to continue badgering the Hall for that Yankee cap on his HOF induction.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Everybody knows Clemens should go into the Hall as a Blue Jay. Every season he pitched for them he won a Cy Young award.

[Guest Anglesault]

I don't think he even acknowledges the TO years anymore.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I don't think he even acknowledges the TO years anymore.

Pity, because his stay north of the border seemed to give his career an extra boost...

[nl5xsk1 0]

Every time Clemens does something to piss off a Yankees fan, it makes me like him a little more. A few more of these and I'll have completely forgotten how much of an arrogant jerk he was when he was in pinstripes.

 

Clemens = NL Cy Young award winner, 2004

[Guest Anglesault]

I'd like to forget that he was a Yankee.

[yankovic fan 0]

eh, the better he does, the more value my Roger Clemens rookie will be worth, all one of them

 

Houston is the closest team to my hometown (with the exception of minor league teams) and the Zephyers are a feeder for Houston, so I guess Houston is my eight hours away home team?

 

Bah whatever.

[Guest Anglesault]

CBS 2 advertised an emotional Steinbrenner. It better be over something else.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

CBS 2 advertised an emotional Steinbrenner. It better be over something else.

Anger is an emotion. One can only hope.

[Guest Anglesault]

Nah, they meant blubering.

 

George scares me. I can see him retiring Clemens' number.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I really don't think Steinbrenner is has upset about Clemens leaving has some people are. The Yankees expected Clemens to leave, and replaced him with Kevin Brown. Also Clemens signing with an N.L team likely didn't upset Steinbrenner like Clemens signing with someone like the Red Sox.

[Guest Anglesault]

It turns out that he was crying because fans chanted his name.

 

And Vern, I'm not so sure George likes being lied to.

[Some Guy 0]

Well in fairness to Roger, he did retire and Houstan offered him a contract. Georgie could haev done the same thing. If he put the right dollar amount on it Roger would be in the bronx right now, not crying with a senile old man on the phone from halfway across the country.

[Guest Anglesault]

He didn't retire. Retiring implies that you, you know, aren't at the next year's spring training.

 

He SAID he would retire, and then revealed that he was lying. Not quite the same.

[nl5xsk1 0]

No, I really think that Clemens was planning on retiring when last season ended ... but then his little buddy Pettite got signed by the Astros, and then they followed that up with a good offer to play close to home, and he changed his mind.

 

It's not like he filed the paperwork and then withdrew it, but to say that he didn't consider last year's run his retirement would be an exaggeration, I think.

[Guest Anglesault]

Maybe I'm just naturally suspicious, but Rocket's post season stunt gave me all the proof I needed to decide he never intended to retire.

 

I also think that since Pettitte never really intended to stay here, they had at least discussed doing this during the season.

[Mole 0]

All I know is that he will NEVER EVER ever the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox.

[NYU 0]

All I know is that he will NEVER EVER ever the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox.

It's not his decision and it SHOULDN'T be his decision. He'll enter the Hall of Fame happy with whatever team has been decided, or he shouldn't enter at all.

 

No other player was able to pick the team they were inducted into the HoF as. Gary Carter wanted to be inducted as a Met....he wound up going in as an Expo. Why is Clemens any different?

 

Clemens made many of his achievements as a pitcher for the Red Sox. Thus, he should go in as a part of the Sox. It's that simple.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

No other player was able to pick the team they were inducted into the HoF as. Gary Carter wanted to be inducted as a Met....he wound up going in as an Expo. Why is Clemens any different?

Though I agree Clemens should go as a Bosock, I'm pretty sure they started taking away the choice from the players when Dave Winfield was paid to go in as a San Diego Padre.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I believe it was more the Devil Rays paying Boggs to go in has a D-Ray.

[Guest Anglesault]

All I know is that he will NEVER EVER ever the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox.

The Plaque could read...

 

"Roger Clemens, the great Asstro...well, not really but he successfully managed to alienate the fans of the three teams he actually achieved success on.."

Edited April 10, 2004 by Anglesault

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Personally, I think they should just not assign teams to HOF candidates. I can just imagine the fun when Roberto Alomar gets elected.

[Drury37 0]

In one sense I would be shocked if Clemens had his number retired but in another sense I would not be but just to add to the conversation I was at the game when Clemens got his 4,000th Strike Out and his 300th Win so he will always be held in a special place with me.

Thanks.

[Guest Anglesault]

Personally, I think they should just not assign teams to HOF candidates. I can just imagine the fun when Roberto Alomar gets elected.

Eh, there have been baseball town bikes that were inducted before.

 

What cap did Nolan Ryan wear?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Texas Rangers

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Catfish Hunter wears a generic cap.