You wanna laugh? All these starts would be on YES and My9 (mostly YES), NO YANKEE-HATING ESPN OR FOX LOL. No nationally televised games either.

Oh yeah, only 6 day starts out of 22. 13 of 22 at home.
3 way off the East Coast, but he could fly from Texas to all of them (Texas to Chicago, Colorado, and Detroit). His starts vs. Detroit are in 4-game series, so we’re guaranteed to have at least 2 among Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina start
and all4 might pitch either series.

What Steinbrenner said to Clemens that day was: “I need you, pal. I want you back with me,” before giving the pitcher a warm hug. At the time, however, Steinbrenner didn’t know how much he was going to need Clemens. From the NY Daily News 5/7/07.

PREPARATION FOR THE SEASON:
5/18: Start in Tampa
5/23: Start in Trenton
5/28: Start in Scranton

WITH THE YANKEES:
6/4 @ Chicago (Clemens flies there from Texas 6/2)
6/9 Pittsburgh
6/14 Arizona (Clemens could go back to Texas)
6/20 @ Colorado (Clemens could fly there from Texas)
6/26 @ Baltimore (Clemens could fly back to Texas from CO
then fly to Baltimore)
7/1 Oakland
7/6 Angels
7/12 @ Tampa Bay (He flies there from Texas and pitches only 5 IP on artificial turf cuz everyone is well rested to give the Yanks 4 IP)
7/17 Toronto
7/22 T.B.
7/27 @ Baltimore (first time he flies from NY, brief flight)
8/3 Kansas City
8/8 @ Toronto (5 IP on artificial turf, back to NY 8/9, not Cleveland)
8/14 Baltimore
8/19 Detroit (Clemens doesn’t make the trip to L.A., he could go to Texas 8/20, stay there 8/20-22 then fly to Detroit)
8/23)
8/25 @ Detroit (go to Texas 8/26, stay there 8/26-28)
8/31 T.B. (fly from Texas 8/29, skip Boston)
9/5 Seattle
9/12 @ Toronto (5 IP on artificial turf -the Yanks should have a postseason berth if not the division wrapped up with 16 games left to play after this game, he goes NY 9/13)
9/17 Baltimore (skip Boston at Fenway)
9/23 Toronto (he’s in NY 9/13-26 assuming he flies to Baltimore 9/26 for a 9/28 start)
9/28 @ Baltimore (he avoids T.B.’s artificial turf)

The only challenges he has out of these 22 starts (13 at home) are the two vs. Detroit and one vs. the Angels, but two are at home and one is at a pitcher’s park (Detroit).

They play at PNC Field.

123
129
128
119
124
129
95
120
142
158
131
139
124
127
123
124
161

Clemens was what he always was, a horse.

really? the 242 IP in his last year show durability was a concern?

i wish the Yankees had more pitchers with those durability concerns.

It makes much more sense for Clemens to start his season 6/4 at Chicago and face Pittsburgh in N.Y. 6/9 because that’s an easier two games then Boston then Chicago away. What, Wang, Pettitte, and Mussina can’t handle Boston? I mean Torre is lining it up so at least two of those guys pitch in Boston right? Also, say you start Clemens 6/1 and 6, he misses facing Pittsburgh, he faces Arizona with an extra days rest probably (off-day 6/11) then the Mets 6/17. Why deal with another media circus? What if 6/16 is rained out? Now Clemens has the pressure of giving the Yanks length in the doubleheader 6/17.

The plan should be:
6/4 @ Chicago
6/9 vs. Pittsburgh
6/14 vs. Arizona
6/20 @ Colorado
6/26 @ Baltimore
7/1 vs. Oakland
7/6 vs. The Angels
Extra day’s rest with the All Star Break if he starts
7/12 vs. T.B.

NO RED SOX. NO METS, NO TRIP TO SAN FRAN, NO BONDS, NO ABOVE .500 TEAMS SAVE THE ANGELS, NO POSSIBILITY OF FACING RANDY JOHNSON, TOM GLAVINE, BARRY ZITO, OR JOHANN SANTANA.

I want those first 7 starts to be against teams which the Yanks could most definitely go 5-2 or better against. I mean Oakland can’t hit and the Angels would be Clemens’ first real challenge -and only one until 8/19 if he faces T.B. 7/12, Toronto 7/17, T.B. again 7/22, Baltimore 7/27, K.C.
8/3, Toronto 8/8, Baltimore 8/14 then his next biggest challenge Detroit at home 8/19. After that he faces Detroit there (pitchers’ park) 8/25 then skip the Yanks-Boston circus again and have him go for the much surer win vs. T.B. 8/31. By then the Yanks should be on their way to playing decent ball in September to win another divsion title. He’d then face Seattle 9/5, Toronto 9/12, skip Fenway and face Baltimore at home 9/17, Toronto at home 9/23, then one final tuneup start for the postseason vs. Baltimore 9/28.

Do a Matsuzaka in spring training: Have Clemens avoid Boston to make Boston imagine facing him like A.L. teams had to imagine facing Matsuzaka all of spring training.

If he starts 6/1 in Boston, he draws Chicago 6/6, Arizona 6/12, the Mets 6/17, San Francisco there 6/23, Oakland 6/29, and Minnesota 7/4. Considerably tougher teams and no need for that with Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, and hopefully Hughes at some point in June.

why would a $4M paycut indicate that Boston really wanted Clemens?

they knew he wasn’t going to take a paycut. EVERYONE knew that.