From The State Of Washington......

And the subject is Roger Clemens and the possibility that he will be the upcoming 2007 savior for the New York Yankees. The link is included when you click on this post's title, but it's almost ALL here. And I'll be back for a word right after you read this. It's from the Daily News of Longview, Washington. Mt. St. Helens land. The Yanks are in Seattle right now, and that's the reason why I found this nice piece so easily....and you know me. I wanted to share.
*********************************************************************
"We've all known for decades that New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner spends so much money on players, one would think he prints it somewhere in the belly of Yankee Stadium.
Farm system? Don't make George laugh! If you want a farm system, move to Iowa. Even Western New York.
Why spend a million bucks on some guy who just got out of school, cross your fingers and hope he works out? That's not the way King George does it. Uh-uh. It makes more sense in The Bronx Zoo to sign your name on the bottom line of a multimillion-dollar contract and get a player who has proven himself.
It's a proven formula for winning. The Yankees are the most successful franchise in the history of sports. You can't argue with 39 American League pennants and 26 World Series championships.
If George wants you in pinstripes, he'll make you an offer you can't refuse.
And if the Yankees are desperate ---- which is exactly where they have been so far this season, under .500 and trying to figure out how to catch the Red Sox in the AL East ---- then Steinbrenner ups the ante.
So, just when no one thought he could outdo himself, he outdoes himself. Enter Roger Clemens, a 44-year-old pitching phenom who has a $28 million, one-year contract that will be pro-rated and pay Clemens in the neighborhood of $18.5 million. That's roughly $750,000 per start and $7,500 per pitch (gasp!) because he isn't expected to play until June 1. Not only that, but word is, Clemens will pitch for the Yankees but he won't be an intimate part of the team. He reportedly can take time off between starts to go home, hang out with his family and accompany the team on the road trips he chooses. The rest of the pitching staff must love that.
Meanwhile, even though the Yankees, most of their fans and every mid-40s pitcher on earth are so giddy they're beside themselves, the rest of us have one huge question: What in the name of Joe DiMaggio is George Steinbrenner smoking?
Even at 44, Clemens still has a 90-mph-plus fastball that's almost as hard to see as it is hard to hit. He has won 348 games. He's a great competitor, tough as nails with the game on the line.
BUT ... and it really is a humongous but: One arm, golden or otherwise, is not going to turn the Yankees around. Unless Clemens is bionic and can pitch on two days' rest or no days' rest and win 75 percent of his starts, which, of course, he can't.
Even if he joins the team June 1, starts every fifth game and wins three of every four, two other things have to happen if the Yankees are going to turn this mess around. One, the other starters have to get better. And two, the Yankees' bats have to wake up.
It's not how many hits a player gets, what matters is when he gets them. I would prefer a .250 hitter who gets his 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position than a .350 hitter who hits .125 with runners on scoring position. No matter. The big news is that The Rocket is coming to town to save the season. Judging from all the hoopla, can we assume he'll show up wearing blue tights and a red cape? Dream on. (Peter here...it's a bird, it's a plane, it's....oops, back to the article.)
Oh yeah, he'll definitely help ---- that is, if he still has the good stuff. But Clemens is not the cure-all for what ails the Yankees at this point in the season. My guess is, the Yankees' bats will wake up, probably sooner than later.
But if they wake up in July and are 10 games behind the Red Sox, you don't want to be in the same room with King George."
*********************************************************************
Peter here, and I'd LOVE to be in that room with the now gentle man who some call the Boss (Bruce Springsteen IS the Boss!) should the Red Sox keep up their winning ways. And once we've set up Jon Lester in the number 5 slot of the rotation, I really don't see any "open sore" type of weak spots. So we'll see. I hope you enjoyed the article and I'd love to see your comments as we wait for afternoon Fenway baseball Schilling style. And I would be shocked (surprised, blown away, so much more.....) if WMP, the gloveless one, is in the line-up. Go Schill, go Sox, go RSN. Go you, my readers!
And for Moms out there, tomorrow is YOUR day, and I will have a super Mother's Day post bright and early for ALL of you wonderful Moms and Moms-to-be out there. Where would we be without our Moms?
Red Sox baseball coming up!