[ESPN] Gammons blog mentions Rocket and Roy

kaleidosky · Feb 25, 2007

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2779217&name=gammons_peter

Clemens never feared greatness

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Roger Clemens always got it. He got it 23 years ago, down the road in Winter Haven, when as a 22-year-old nine months out of the University of Texas he sat outside the clubhouse and talked about the moments that decided pitchers' games: establishing the first inning, adjusting the second time in the order and, most importantly, every time one's teammates scored, going back out and shutting down the opposition.

"If you want to win a lot of games," he said, "you have to do those things."

When Clemens arrived on the back fields of the Astros' complex Thursday with son Koby to help at a minor league mini-camp, some expressed surprise that he walked in and immediately threw batting practice. Not Houston GM Tim Purpura, or anyone in the organization. They watched three weeks ago in Houston when he showed up to help Nolan Ryan at an organization minicamp and the first two days threw 46 and 65 minutes of BP to the minor leaguers, respectively.

"That's what I do," he said. "It's fun. I love working with these kids."

Clemens threw effortlessly. He was perfect over the rubber, going back, the ball coming out of his uniform at batters. "I was in different shape last spring because I really wanted to compete for my country in the WBC," he said. "But I'm still in good shape. I've done my conditioning program. My legs are strong."

He doesn't know if he's going to pitch, and, if he does, whether it will be in Houston, New York or Boston. He wants to pitch again in October, and he knows all too well that in 2005 he was worn out by October and won't let it happen again. Someone asked about the money, and he said, "I don't need any more money." He loves being around teammates like Brad Ausmus, Derek Jeter (with whom he talked twice this week) and Andy Pettitte.

He knows what his body has left. Asked if he'd thought about pitching long enough to make a run at Cy Young's 511 victories, he laughed. "If I even tried," he said, "I wouldn't be able to. ... I don't want to say that." OK, he couldn't reach around his back.

"I've always tried to understand my body," says Clemens. Dr. James Andrews was amazed that when Roger went in for shoulder surgery in August 1985, Clemens was already a month into his rehab to build up the muscles around the surgery. The next year he was 24-4 and the AL MVP, but says, "I knew then my legs wouldn't hold up if I didn't work on them."

So he began the incredible squats and different leg strengthening exercises that so developed his lower half. When he'd come into Boston while he was with the Blue Jays and then the Yankees, people used to stand at the Gold's Gym on Lansdowne Street and watch his routine with awe, a routine that enabled him to never say "my shoulder got tired," only "my legs tired," because he understands where power comes from.

As he refined his program and in 1997 went to his own trainer and program, he learned how to do the power leg lifting on certain days and other running and lifting programs on others so he wouldn't have the problem of recovery. "That [recovery] is the toughest thing about any program," Clemens says. "So I learned how to work around it."

Clemens got it 23 years ago and gets it now, because he wanted to be great.

"If you're going to be more than just good, you have to want to be great, no doubt," says Bobby Cox.

"I think that's something we have to look for in young players," says John Farrell, the Red Sox pitching coach and former Cleveland farm director. "The drive to be great and not be afraid of it is extremely important."

There are pitchers happy to be 11-11 and maybe miss a half-dozen starts. Sonny Siebert once shut it down after 17 wins, saying he didn't want to win 20 "because they'll expect you to do it again." Expectations are tough for some to deal with.

"I don't know if players really think about greatness," says Curt Schilling, who in 2004 admitted he wanted to "shut up" 55,000 people in Yankee Stadium. "'Great' is a label the media puts on us. We're just trying to compete, and win. But I think of greatness and I think that those players can't ever fulfill their own expectations. They're never satisfied. I had the 2001 season (22-6, 2.98) and what I thought of that winter was how I could cut down my walks. That's why Randy Johnson was always working on something after each of his Cy Young awards."

It's why Greg Maddux tries to invent something new every time he throws a side session between starts. Or why John Smoltz can't let anyone else drive, or why, with the NL Central race in doubt, he insisted on starting against Houston on the last day of the 2006 season. Or why Mariano Rivera, who has pitched seven months for an incredible 13 straight years, tries to figure out an offseason program to allow him to be strong enough come September and October to be great. Or why, after winning 13 games (with a 4.86 ERA), Tim Hudson says, "I was embarrassed at my last two seasons," and is in Olympic swimmer condition.

Pedro Martinez always wanted to be great, but Mike Mussina, who is a borderline Cooperstown candidate, never did. Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter care about greatness, but Ted Lilly? Probably not in his nature, although he is very good. Kerry Wood? Yes, but he's had physical problems. Mark Prior? Not so sure, physical problems or not. Johan Santana? No doubt.

Can we see it in young pitchers? "We'd like to think so," says Farrell. "I think we may have some here with the Red Sox."

He sees the fire that's driven Daisuke Matsuzaka since he was in high school. He sees it in Josh Beckett, embarrassed by a 5.01 ERA as he works on his changeup to move hitters' feet and his two-seamer to alter eye level. Farrell sees it in Jonathan Papelbon, and believes Jon Lester may have the greatest drive of them all.

What's fascinating about the Astros is that their best pitcher, Roy Oswalt, has never thrown a pitch he didn't think was going to beat the hitter. Purpura brings in Nolan Ryan and Clemens to work with young pitchers, two men intolerant of the drive for greatness.

"You have to think about wanting to beat the other guy," says Clemens. "To be better than the next guy. When I knew in Boston (after his first Cy Young/MVP season) that I had to pay a price with my legs, I wasn't thinking about my place in history, or greatness, but I had the drive to be different.

"Do I think about greatness? Not really. I want Debby and my kids to think about it. But the price, the pain, the exhaustion ... it'll all be worth it when the team I'm pitching for wins. There is no pain or workload too great to overcome the feeling of winning."

No pain too great to be great.
Click to expand...

Forums

[ESPN] Gammons blog mentions Rocket and Roy

kaleidosky Your Tweety Bird dance just cost us a run

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!