But as he's done so many times through the years, Roger Clemens made
himself the story, corralling career victory No. 299 with six innings of
efficient pitching in a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox. The Rocket has now
won 107 games since leaving Dan Duquette's twilight zone and will go for
No. 300 in Yankee Stadium Monday afternoon against (who else?) the Red
Sox. On Memorial Day, no less.
''I look forward to that,'' Clemens said after the win, his right hand
wrapped in ice thanks to a line drive off the bat of Bill Mueller. ''It's
nice I was able to get it here and now another opportunity to get it
against one of my old teams.''
In many ways, the evening was something of a letdown. There was no
magic moment when fans registered their true feelings for the Rocket,
though Clemens heard some boos when Carl Beane announced the starting
lineups.
It got better after that. In another stroke of genius by Sox
choreographer Dr. Charles Steinberg, composer John Williams was in the
house to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Williams, of course,
composed all the ''Star Wars'' music. This gave the Sox a chance to play
themes from the Evil Empire when Clemens strolled in from the bullpen.
Pretty good.
Fans taunted him with chants of ''Ro-gerrrr'' after Nomar Garciaparra
ripped a two-run homer in the first. And when the trainer came out to see
him after he was hit by Mueller's heat-seeker in the sixth, there was more
booing of the big lug.
''It is what it is,'' Clemens said of the mixed reaction he gets in
Boston. ''It's all been said 100 times over and there's no sense rehashing
it ... The fans here are great to me. Write what you want, but come and
follow me around and see the reaction I get.''
It'll be quite a different reception in the Stadium Monday. Baseball
isn't going to see many more guys go for 300, and to have Clemens going
for it on Memorial Day on national television in New York against his
former team can only escalate the hype. Clemens said he's planning to
invite many of his former teammates (Al Nipper and Rich Gedman are on his
wish list) and all family members. He said he'd start making calls when he
got home last night.
His hand is scheduled to be X-rayed today, and manager Joe Torre raised
some doubt about Clemens being OK for Monday, but the Rocket said,
''Unless there's a broken bone, I'll pitch. I've pitched with a lot worse
than this.''
Win No. 299 was not the stuff of ESPN Instant Classic. You could make a
case that he was outpitched by Tim Wakefield. Grabbing a title best used
by teammate David Wells, Clemens could have entitled this one, ''perfect,
I'm not.'' In six innings he gave up nine hits and a pair of earned runs.
He walked one, struck out seven, and threw 100 pitches. He hit 93 and 94
miles per hour on a regular basis and twice fanned Manny Ramirez. His
toughest jam came in the sixth when he was struck by Mueller's liner. He
stayed in the game and with runners on first and third and two out, fanned
Doug Mirabelli on his final pitch of the night.
It was still 2-2 when Clemens came out after six, but his teammates
rallied with two out in the seventh against Wakefield. When Raul Mondesi
scored Jorge Posada with a sharp single to center, Clemens was in position
to win. Mariano Rivera came on and picked off Damian Jackson to finish the
eighth, then got a big assist when Hideki Matsui made a tough diving catch
in the ninth. (I'd take my hat off to Matsui, but it would never fit him -
Godzilla wears a Fay Vincent-esque size 8).
The last pitcher to win his 299th game in Fenway was Tom Seaver (then
with the White Sox), who beat Oil Can Boyd on July 30, 1985. Seaver went
on to Yankee Stadium to win No. 300. Seaver mentored Clemens in 1986 when
he finished his career with the Red Sox.
The Rocket's first pitch was a 92-m.p.h. fastball that Johnny Damon
took for a strike. Damon lined out, Todd Walker singled to left-center,
then Nomar Garciaparra turned on a 92-m.p.h. heater and hit a ball that
almost drilled a hole through the back wall of the new Monster Seats. This
is when the first ''Ro-gerrrrrrrr'' chant wafted down from the
grandstands. Clemens would not allow any more runs.
''That was a gutter ball to Nomar,'' said Clemens. ''It got my
attention. I didn't even turn around to watch it. It didn't move at all
and he doesn't miss those.''
He labored through the first, throwing 24 pitches, fanning Ramirez and
Damon to give him 3,971 career Ks (3,973 if you add the four Ks at home).
There was a punctuation mark at the end of the fourth when Clemens fanned
Mirabelli on a 94-m.p.h fastball.
It was relatively quiet at the park. Sox owner John W. Henry said he
felt there was a quiet sense of anticipation in the stands. With one on
and two out in the sixth, Mueller hit the shot that zinged Clemens on his
right hand, topside, just over the knuckle. He took a few warmup tosses,
and elected to stay in the game. Clemens struck out Mirabelli on an
89-m.p.h. splitter, his final pitch. He claimed there was quite a bit of
arguing with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre after the inning. He wanted to
stay in the game.
No need. His teammates got him the lead in the seventh and the maligned
Yankee bullpen saved it for the Rocket.
He goes for 300 Monday. Against the Red Sox. In the hallowed house that
Ruth built.
''I want to be able to get it and get it over with so we can continue
our season,'' he said. ''My teammates are excited about it and I think
that's because they see the work that goes into it.''
The Yankees left in first place. When he takes the mound Monday,
Clemens, who turns 41 in August, will be 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
He's still the ace, and he's soon to be a 300-game winner.
By Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe Staff.
This story ran on page C1 of the Boston Globe on
5/22/2003.
Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.