http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/sports/baseball/08HOUS.html?th By JACK CURRY Published: April 8, 2004 HOUSTON, April 7 — Roger Clemens was sifting through letters at his desk on Wednesday when he discovered one that George Steinbrenner had written. Then he found another that he had sent to Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees. Clemens flipped on a television and stumbled upon Lou Gehrig's famous speech. It was all Yankees, all the time. "I knew that was a sign telling me to call the Boss," Clemens said. So, several hours before Clemens made his much-anticipated debut with the Houston Astros against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, he reached back into his recent past. Even as he was beginning a new phase of his baseball life, Clemens felt an urgency to speak with the man who took him to New York. Clemens, the former Yankee and future Hall of Famer, abandoned retirement after 78 days because he wanted to pitch with Andy Pettitte in their hometown. The 41-year-old Clemens treated Minute Maid Park like his own spacious backyard for seven scoreless innings while striking out nine and surrendering one single in a 10-1 victory. Most of the fans in the crowd of 42,863 sported perpetual smiles after watching Clemens, their state icon, dominate the Giants with his best John Wayne-in-pinstripes impersonation. The Astros pinstripes he was wearing are not as famous as the Yankees pinstripes, but they fit and felt fine to Clemens. He received five standing ovations. But none of the ovations made Clemens weep. Steinbrenner almost did as they discussed their shared history. Imagine that scene. Clemens, the intimidating Texan who rambles, and Steinbrenner, the demanding owner with the blustery side, tossing compliments back and forth between sniffles. "I just got emotional over the things he was saying to me," Clemens said. "He was calling me his warrior. I just wanted to tell him how much I appreciated the opportunity to come in there and play. I had to get off the phone because my voice was breaking up and his was, too." In addition to the conversation with Steinbrenner, Clemens said he was also touched by e-mail messages from his former teammates Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada before his first National League game. Bonds had the opportunity to spoil Clemens's evening by putting him on the wrong side of history. All Bonds needed was one homer to tie Willie Mays for third on the career list with 660 and make Clemens watch him hug Mays, his godfather, and celebrate in Clemens's yard. It did not happen as Bonds walked once, struck out twice and made contact with one pitch — a foul ball. Clemens walked Bonds intentionally with an open base in the first inning, eliciting boos that were quickly drowned by cheers. With a four-run lead in the fourth, Clemens went after Bonds for the first time in six career plate appearances and struck him out on a borderline 3-2 fastball. The pitch looked low and Bonds acted surprised that he was not awarded first base. By the time Bonds batted in the seventh, the duel was the only drama remaining. Clemens, not Bonds, was the more menacing player. He fooled Bonds with a slider and a splitter, uncorked a ball and then caught Bonds staring at a 94-mile-an-hour fastball. "Roger knows what happened out there," Bonds said, implying that both strikeouts were gift-wrapped. "That's all that matters." It was the first time that a pitcher with 300 or more victories opposed a batter with 600 or more homers, the Elias Sports Bureau said. Clemens won his 311th game, tying him with Tom Seaver for 15th on the career list. Clemens had faced Bonds only one other time, with the Yankees two years ago, and walked him three times and hit him once in four times at bat. That performance in the Yankees' 4-2 victory caused Dusty Baker, who was the manager of the Giants then, to label Clemens "Roger the dodger." There was no controversy involving Clemens and Bonds on Wednesday, only domination from Clemens. He powered the Astros to their first victory in three games this season on a day when Steinbrenner and the Yankees were still a small part of his routine. "The things I've had with my teammates, you can't re-create those moments," Clemens said. "Starting today, we got to create some new memories."
While I think the 2 K's against Bonds were probably reputation calls, Clemens was nothing short of dominating. He has such an amazing presence on the mound. This is going to be a fun season.
Gee I wonder why. He only blames his failures on others and cheats to win with roids. Sounds like a looser ******* to me.
I have been trying to pay close attention to his quotes lately. And he does seem more borderline on the steroids quotes as well as quotes about Mays and the record. As if maybe he's hedging now that he knows his sample is going to get tested in public. It's just a general impression that I'm getting. But I really hope he tests clean for the sake of the game.
It means that sometimes Bonds will get the calls and sometimes Roger will get the calls. It can't just be called in one players favor or the other. Roger had made numerous pitches in the game, on the corners, that were called balls.
that's true. I just figured that since they were both superstars that they would call the CORRECT call. Since they called him out on the exact same spot twice I thought that was the strike zone that night. Unfourtunately, I had something that had been planned for a year and had to be done so I missed the game. good point rm95, I forgot about the fact that bonds isn't exactly a liked superstar
Bottom line is any little league coach can tell their hitters when the ball is close with two strikes you swing or leave yourself at the mercy of the umpire. Those pitches were too close to stand and watch as Barry did.
the last few days, all I can wonder is how does Mays feel about his godson 'roiding his way past his home run record. surely Mays can't be just cool with that. can he? is there anyone who doesn't think Bonds has been juiced the last few years? Willie?
I was at the game, easily the most exciting that I have attended at Minute Maid. As Clemens approached the mound to start the game, our section, along with the rest of the park began to recognize the significance of the moment. Pockets of fans rose to their feet to give Roger the hero's welcome. Pockets turned to entire sections and in seconds, the park was alive with electricity and emotion. It seemed very personal, like everyone at the park wanted Roger to know how much each person appreciated his decision to take the ball for the Astros. That was one of the greatest sports moments I have witnessed.
Exactly right. Bonds, no matter what calls he feels he should get, shouldn't have left it to an ump that was making some qustionable calls all night.
A lot of those calls we get because of Ausmus. ESPN made a note about how he is like best friends with the umpire by the end of the game. Having convos with them throughout etc.. and he is good at adjusting his glove so it looks like its more in the strike zone... I think Brad helps us a lot, and I'm optimistic he can have a decent batting year.. anything would be better than last years average.. did he change his stance.. it's more upright now than it used to be isn't it?
That's ironic, because last season, he was thrown out of a few games for arguing balls and strakes. He was quite vocal.
codell.. that was the first time I had heard the thing about him being friendly with the umps.. maybe espn just doesn't know the situation and assume he is a smart guy so he makes good conversation?
