Today in the Journal News
-
-
- May
- 7
-
Roger Clemens is back in pinstripes.
Here is the plan for Clemens as he plots his comeback.
Hey, I can pitch, too, said Darrell Rasner as the Yankees belted the Mariners. It was a feisty day at the old ball park. The Yankees nearly brawled and before the game honored a tough granny.
Fans in Westchester were mostly thrilled that Clemens returned. Not so much the Mets fans, of course.
—————
One final reminder, check out the reader Q&A with Jason Giambi that ran on the blog yesterday.
An e-mailer said the Q&A was a good example of Web 2.0. I have no idea what that means. But Giambi is a fun dude.
This entry was posted
on Monday, May 7th, 2007 at 3:11 am by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
ight thanks Pete, have a good night bro.
I’m ambivalent towards Torre. I agree he makes poor decisions from time–to–time during games (perhaps quite often), but I think that he has some good qualities as well.
I did note how much Rocket *praised* Torre in his press conf. and during his in–game interview in the booth. i think there is tons that goes on behind the scenes to which we outside observers are not privy. that is the biggest reason i enjoy this blog so much–i get a peak at how things really are for team we all love.
I think we sometimes lose sight of the fact that despite all the numbers and performance metrics, baseball is still a human enterprise and as such has the human factor…in that regard Torre might be better than we all give him credit for being.
…but dammit, he does piss me off sometimes when proctor comes in for the third straight day and gives up a gopher ball…
oops, ignore the strike-through on my previous post…
Peter,
when do you sleep?
Sleep is for the weak
dr. acula – That’s funny I was just going to ask him the same thing.
Peter – I guess in terms of being a journalist and having a great story to write, yesterday didn’t suck.
I see we have a “Scrubs” fan on Pete’s blog.
Now that Roger’s back, can Bernie be far behind?
Hey Pete
Completely off topic, but I was wondering if there was any coverage of the ceremony celebrating Matsui’s Meikyukai. Thanks!
Another side question:
Is there any way we can get Salty from the Braves for Chase Wright and/or Britton and/or DeSalvo? Nieves is pretty horrible.
Redsox Nation are in denial mode that saying that HHe’s going to stink and that he’s in decline and that he can’t pitch in the AL East. He will be 5-6 inning pitcher with Yankees bullpen being mediocre.
Meanwhile Angels Fans are saying Angels can beat Yankees with or without Clemens . They will point out Angels beat Yankees in 2002 and won the World Series.
Yankees Rotation in 2002 had Clemens,Petitte, Wells, Hitchcock, lose to Angels in Five games in ALDS.
Yankees haters and Redsox Fans are thinking that Yankees will not make the playoffs this year with Clemens starting for them.
How’s Clemens’s NL performance gonna translate to the AL? Who cares at this point. Inserting Clemens into one of the slots occupied by Igawa/Rasner/Karstens/Wright/DeSalvo is an immediate upgrade (and it’s one that costs no talent, only money) and there’s no argument there. None. And even if he’s a 6 inning pitcher, he’s a six inning pitcher that gives you a chance to win games. Some people around the internets are really working hard to spin this as a bad thing for the Yankees.
Understatement of the year by Sunny 615 “Nieves is horrible”
Here are a few things which could replace Nieves and be more productive
1. A pitchback-I had one of these as a kid, it may not do quite the job behind the plate, but might give you better at bats.
2. Bags of sand-They could stop a ball from hitting the umpire too
3. Bales of hay-very efficent and cost effective
4. A bedsheet-could easily catch Igawa every fifth day. the other pitchers might tear a hole in a bedsheet but not ole jellyarm kei. although once phil is ready to go we might be in trouble.
5. A folding chair-I got the idea from playing wiffleball. Neat huh?
In any case all of these things might be as productive as Wil Nieves at catcher. In fact, who is our bullpen catcher? Give the man a shot at the plate. It now seems that I am on a crusade here, so until Cashman wakes up on this one, I will continue to rip Dr. Donut. Thats my new nickname for Wil, I think I like it.
I wish backup catcher was our biggest problem.
I have faith that Cashman can import a catcher here but you can forgot those Salty dreams because Cash isnt trading talent especially pitching talent for a backup catcher.
Prediction: Clemens comes back on June 4th or 5th — right after the Boston series. One away game in Chicago and then home against Pittsburgh.
Torre will not make Clemens first start in Boston — that is so not Torre.
Now that Clemens has returned, can Bernie be far behind?
Clemens will not pitch in Boston… correct. I’m circling June 8th at Yankee Stadium for his first start.
But what if the Boston series is important? Doesn’t Clemens have enough experience under his belt to deal with a Fenway start?
If Torre would push back Clemens so he avoids the Red Sox, then there was no reason to bring him back in the first place. He’s here to win games like this.
I’m one of those Red Sox fans who was surprised by the timing of the announcement. And I was definitely surprised by the amount of money involved (especially when you add in the 40% luxury tax).
On the field, it’s a good move ….. definitely an upgrade. But I heard earlier today that most of Clemens’ 2006 starts did not get through the sixth inning; that stat doesn’t figure to improve in the AL.
I must also admit that I would have been pleased to get Clemens back in Boston. But one part of me is much happier that we don’t have to acquiesce to this guy’s extortion demands. To quote H.L. Mencken, “When they say it’s not about the money, it’s about the money.”
I believe that Wang told the Yankees that they could keep the $30,000 “extra” they were going to offer, and forced them to execute the contractual minimum of $480,000 (w/o his signature). I wonder what he thinks of this deal.
I agree Bill, June 8th, although I have tickets for June 9th, so that would be good too.
For his first start though? Throwing him at the wolves in Fenway is basically like setting him up to fail, especially when he’s just starting the season off and is not in crisp baseball form.
They have
By the way, how many times did Roger change his clothes yesterday? He was in the broadcast booth in a sportsjacket and tie, in a t-shirt for the press conference and then in pinstripes for his throwing session. Did I miss any?
Lori,
I saw the same thing!
“Is there any way we can get Salty from the Braves for Chase Wright and/or Britton and/or DeSalvo? Nieves is pretty horrible.”
absolutely not.
I don’t think Salty is a backup catcher, I think he has the potential to be the catcher of the future. Posada is 36/37? Salty has the opportunity to become our full time backstop. In that instance, that is worth a couple of mediocre arms.
“For his first start though? Throwing him at the wolves in Fenway is basically like setting him up to fail, especially when he’s just starting the season off and is not in crisp baseball form.”
Absolutely. A rusty Clemens is far better than an Igawa or DeSalvo or Chase Wright in Fenway.
Give em Farnsworth back. That might be worth it.
I’m hoping for June 9th! Thats a game i’ll be at! I agree I don’t think they’d throw him to the wolves and pitch him in Fenway. It will be pretty nasty up there. I also don’t think they’d have him start on Friday night, but rather a Saturday afternoon.
I hope!!
Wow, this Clemens thing has even gotten Red Sox fans to post here with negativity. But hey we understand how you feel, when you got Matsuzaka we all hoped he would be mediocre and his stuff wouldn’t translate to the AL, you know something like a 5.45 ERA with 15 bb’s in 38 IP’s. One thing you can say about Roger is that he is a known commodity and his leadership, work ethic and positive message by the team are probably as valuable as his wins and losses.
Regarding Clemens not pitching in “an important game” at Fenway in June — a single June game at Fenway is only “important” to the fans — even if the Yankees are in a deep hole, no one game against any particular team makes the difference.
Even if he is getting nearly $1 million per start — Bring Clemens back in a game where there is less pressure and distraction. Get him back into the routine.
“I don’t think Salty is a backup catcher, I think he has the potential to be the catcher of the future. Posada is 36/37? Salty has the opportunity to become our full time backstop. In that instance, that is worth a couple of mediocre arms.”
i think you are misunderstanding my point.
the Braves would laugh at that trade proposal.
“I believe that Wang told the Yankees that they could keep the $30,000 “extraâ€? they were going to offer, and forced them to execute the contractual minimum of $480,000 (w/o his signature). I wonder what he thinks of this deal”
he can express his displeasure in 2011 when he becomes a Free Agent.
no offense, but what on earth does a player who is not even eligible for arbitration have to do with signing Roger Clemens?
it always amazes me how little baseball fans understand the CBA.
Funny how some people made their comments in those articles with the frame of mind being whether or not Clemens could “carry the team”. It’s a moot point IMO, because the Rocket doesn’t *need* to carry this team -just cimplement it and fill a void where he is needed. It’s not like Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina (and Hughes when rehabbed)are dogmeat, and our offense is on pace for 1000 runs again. Without diminishing the impact of his return, it’s obvious that Roger is a missing piece of the puzzle, not a saviour.
Redsox will trade for Harden? In Response Clemens signing with Yankees.
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....in/?page=2
I think we all knew it was coming,” said one AL executive. “One thing you learn pretty quickly is never rule out the Yankees. I’m guessing Boston is going to come up with something at a later date to trump this. Short of obtaining Rich Harden, not sure what that would be.”
hmmm, you’re probably right, but it’s still worth asking and see what they want in return.
“hmmm, you’re probably right, but it’s still worth asking and see what they want in return.”
agreed, absolutely. i would LOVE to acquire him. but he’s going to cost real talent, not just our spare parts.
Why not bring up Ron Villone, 1.80 era at Scranton in 14 appearances. Much better then Colter Bean, don’t you think?
Peter — need some help!
I have tickets for the Richmond Braves hosting the SWB Yankees on May 22. It would be great to see Roger start in Richmond.
I figure a May 22 and May 28 start gets him set up for for the nationally televised June 2 game in Fenway!
Any definitive word on his schedule yet?
here’s my guess on the Clemens timetable:
figure Clemen’s path will send him to Tampa for simulated innings this week, maybe a single Tampa start at A level, then to map it from there….
the games Trenton will be home in May:
18 vs. Harrisburg 7:05 PM
19 vs. Harrisburg 7:05 PM
20 vs. Harrisburg 1:05 PM
21 vs. Portland 7:05 PM
22 vs. Portland 7:05 PM
23 vs. Portland 7:05 PM
24 vs. Portland 11:05 AM
count on Clemens making 1-2 starts there…
and then in Scranton:
24 vs. Indianapolis 11:00 AM
25 vs. Indianapolis 7:00 PM
26 vs. Indianapolis 1:30 PM
27 vs. Indianapolis 1:30 PM
28 vs. Toledo 5:00 PM
29 vs. Toledo 7:00 PM
30 vs. Toledo 7:00 PM
31 vs. Toledo 7:00 PM
June (all times local unless noted)
1 vs. Rochester 7:00 PM
2 vs. Rochester 7:00 PM
he’ll make his last start(s) there , which would land him back in Pinstripes prob in the June 4-9th range, just after the June 1-2-3 series in Fenway against the Saux.
I think Villone has earned a call up.
They need his versatility.
June 9th? In all reality, why wouldn’t it be June 8th then, which is the first game of the homestead?
No room for Villone right now. Today they are looking to open up a bullpen spot as it is because they like what Rasner has given them and aren’t sure if they want to trust DeSalvo to more starts. Same reason that person won’t be Igawa. I suggest Will Nieves, making Phelps the backup catcher.
The 9th would be when DeSalvo/Rasner’s next start is due up, so to keep Pettitte and Mussina on their normal rest Sat the 9th would be perfect. Of course I’m going to that game so I’m biased. Actually I would rather he was ready by 5/29, that would mean only 3 starts DeSalvo/Rasner or just DeSalvo if Rasner replaces Igawa.
Red Sox fans complaining about the money being paid to Clemens really have to stop listening to WEEI.
They paid over $100 million dollars for a guy who had never thrown a pitch in a ML game.
They paid another $70 for a career underachiever to play RF.
They paid over $20 million dollars for an average (at best) SS.
That’s almost $200 million dollars in long term contracts for 3 players who, despite the hype fall FAR short of elite on the ballplayer scale.
Its a tad hypocritical to me to hear Red Sox fans, and their ownership, complain about how much money the Yankees spend.
Just follow your team and don’t worry about the Yankees. You strain logic when you play the, “little engine that could” car when talking about the Red Sox.
The Yankees have a one year committment to Clemens. That’s it. If Dice-K, Lugo and Drew don’t measure up, Red Sox fans are stuck with them for years.
Both teams spent money. Now, we see who spent it wisely.
Phelps is not going to be the backup catcher. He can’t play the position anymore. He is just an emergency guy at that spot.
If he could play the position consistently at the ML level, they wouldn’t have abandoned the experiment in ST.
Not a lot of 6-6 catchers out there. Especially, those who haven’t caught fulltime in the majors in years.
Josh Phelps will not be the backup catcher on this team. He has outgrown the position.
If Rasner stays with the team, somebody has to be sent down (or DL’ed). The only likely candidates for a demotion to AAA are DeSalvo or Igawa.
Personally, I hope its Igawa because he can’t pitch up here. I don’t buy into all the Japanese pitcher nonsense.
Their best pitcher (Dice-K) has faced last place teams (at the time he pitched against them) in all but one of his starts this year. The league is hitting .327 against him and his ERA is 5.45. Not exactly a $100 million dollar pitcher.
Its significant because, he has the advantage over hitters right now. The weather has been cold, which negates power, and hitters do not know him yet. Despite those advantages, and the insane hype, he hasn’t pitched up to his contract.
What’s going to happen to him when the weather gets warmer (which saved him from giving up 2 3 run HR’s to Seattle in his last start) and hitters have a book on him?
And, to the dolts who have compared him to Pedro Martinez, you have to stop. You show what you don’t know about the game if you think this guy is even remotely in the class of what Pedro was in his prime. He isn’t in the same time zone as Pedro was at this age.
Igawa won strikeout championships in Japan and he looks lost out there.
Folks get too sucked into all the hype regarding Japanese players. The facts are, aside from one or two good years by Hideo Nomo, and a couple of good years by Sasaki when he was saving games in Seattle, their pitchers haven’t been successful in Major League Baseball.
Whether they signed Clemens or not, Igawa needs to be in AAA to see if they can salvage anything out of this signing.
Having him up here now is a waste. Especially, when they need to win games these next 3 weeks and not give up anymore ground to the Red Sox. It serves no purpose to be 8-12 games out by the time Clemens and Hughes are ready to pitch. These games in the next 3 weeks are too important to risk putting Igawa out there every fifth day.
I can’t imagine the players on the team having much more confidence in Igawa.
They have Pettitte, Moose and Wang going Tuesday-Thursday. Rasner can pitch Friday.
If DeSalvo does a good job, keep him as the #5 starter for another start. If not, try Tyler Clippard.
My point is, they can easily replace Igawa in the rotation right now. It should be done ASAP.
“I believe that Wang told the Yankees that they could keep the $30,000 “extraâ€? they were going to offer, and forced them to execute the contractual minimum of $480,000 (w/o his signature). I wonder what he thinks of this deal.”
it’s my understanding way back when the reserve clause was thrown out the union had the chioce of every mlb player being a free agent. marvin miller felt that having that many players available every year would result in wages being lower so they made the 6 year rule that kept a large percentage of players off the market . the veteran players basically covered themselves ,but not the young players.
the problem is there is a new baseball marketplace where good young pitchers are incredibly valuable. if catastrophic career ending injury was not a possibility and every player got to play out their potential, the present system wouldn’t be that much of a problem. they’d get theirs later eventually but if wang or hughes blows out something that can’t be fixed while giving his all for the yankees, their earning power stops with this years contract. their future baseball earnings are zero.
if wang were a free agent his value this year would be about $20 million. he’s getting about $500 thousand. this discrepancy is so large it creates an imbalance that will result in marketplace activity at some point. that activity will be an agent like wangs having that player sit out until they are paid a more reasonable amount, say 2 million a year. wang is not obligated to play for the yankees this year. he didn’t sign a contract saying he would. he can legally sit out at any time. then it becomes a negotiation between wang and the yankees who’s going to blink first. i think it’d be the yankees. not signing a contract may be a small shot across the bow , but the mlb team knows it is vulnerable.
this threat of sitting out hasn’t been done yet, but with the large descrepancy of what is paid and what a young pitcher is worth it is inevitable that it will happen.the reason clemens is linked to wang is that clemens sets the high water market value for one year. wang’s agent sees that and says what the hell?
Hey, Pete
Any chance, Clemens adds the title of Strength and conditioning coach? We all know about his workouts. Its perfect
“They paid over $20 million dollars for an average (at best) SS.”
$36M for 4 years.
“If Rasner stays with the team, somebody has to be sent down (or DL’ed). The only likely candidates for a demotion to AAA are DeSalvo or Igawa.”
it seems like this might happen. i think the Yanks ARE going to send Igawa down for a few starts.
You guys seen the game, unbelievable, mariners is my best team in the MLB. I wish I could go to watch all their games but ticket prices this season are getting very pricy. Brokers made the game hard to attend. Well talking about Brokers. I found a new web site where you can compare seattle mariners ticket brokers, the site is seattle mariners tickets
http://www.ticketwood.com/mlb/...../index.php . Well I hope this will be helpful for you guys. Go Go mariners. Keep me updated Great blog!!!