Roger Clemens - Classic Or Dud?

I thought his first obv selfish moment was getting tossed from an LCS game ('90, right?) vs A's, telling the home plate ump "I'm not shaking my fucking head at you."

The ball argument doesn't make sense to me because aren't they still using that ball? But power numbers are way down since testing was ramped up, or am I wrong?

they're not way down at all! they're down a little bit but still way up compared to the 80s and early 90s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MLB_HR_and_SB_rates.png

the little spike in 1987 is attributed to a juiced ball iirc, but other than that year we're still way above the rest of pre-steroid-era history

I guess I'm just looking at the HR leaderboards and wondering where the 50 homer guys are.

Also isn't this the year of the pitcher? ;-)

That graph doesn't include 2010:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/bat.shtml

This year is the lowest HR/G since 1993. Also lowest TB since '93.

Probably a bit fluky though.

CLEMENS RULES SNITCHES

http://natnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/opposition/roger_clemens_wife.jpg

-- acted like a dick to management and fans on the way out of Boston
-- acted like a dick to management and fans on the way out of Toronto
-- "retired" more times than Brett Favre, made a big drama out of it every time
-- used his "retirements" an excuse to switch teams, and to come back on his terms, on his schedule

He better hope his case is more persuasive than the rug on his lawyer's head

Stay strong, Clemens.

http://twitter.com/KFUCKINGP/status/21607687499

last-ditch effort to push the hof clock back five years, eh?

No idea where this is going, but 3.1 excellent innings in a 1-0 win.

http://atlantic.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=78728

Bill Lee yesterday, Clemens today; I'd like to put in a request for either Luis Tiant or Ray Culp tomorrow.

“Yes, that is sad news. I had heard over time that she was trying to get peace and direction in her life,” the 50-year-old Rocket’s statement read.
“The few times that I had met her and her manager/agent they were extremely nice.”

Clemens had an extramarital affair with McCready for 10 years, from when she was age 15 to 25.

laws in Texas are kinda liberal, eh

he will be appearing on a college baseball panel at the Houston SABR convention. The "gahhhhh cheaters!" septuagenarians will not be pleased.

I used to really like Clemens as I just love watching that style of power pitching but boy he seems like a dirt bag.

You are better off not knowing I suppose...

Pinning down the Boyhood game:

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/which-astros-game-did-the--boyhood--characters-attend-164003306.html

I may be way off here, but I think the movie may rehabilitate Clemens somewhat in the public eye. Clemens, at this point, has been reduced to a symbol and a caricature. I know as I watched the scene myself, he was just Clemens again--it was the person, and it felt immediate.

i saw clemens pitch against the chisox at a spring training game in 1986. he signed my baseball. other people who signed that baseball that day: jim rice & johnny pesky. it's in a cardboard box, slowly dwindling in value.

I would think in terms of Boston baseball lore, that would be a pretty desirable baseball. (I don't know--is Clemens still a villain there, or has enough time passed?)

enough time has passed. no i think you're probably right. and it's That Team, too - Rich Gedman's on there. Steve Lyons. Marty fucking Barrett.

reading this thread for the first time and, damn, y'all are harsh.

I have no beef with the Rocket though to be fair I was not a baseball fan in the 80s-90s so maybe it was different then. He made a good chicken in the Simpsons.

A comment by Bill James today--"I think (Teddy Higuera) probably had as many really great games as anybody in our lifetime did in a five-year period, not including the 1960s where you have Gibson and Koufax and Drysdale and others"--prompted me to look him up. I remember him as good, but I don't get this at all:

In '86, Clemens' breakthrough season, Clemens threw more innings than Higuera, gave up fewer runs, fewer earned runs, 50 fewer hits, fewer walks, fewer HR, and struck out 30 more batters. Higuera led in bWAR, though, 9.4 to Clemens' 8.8. I find this baffling. I mean, Clemens had one more HBP, three more balks, and eight more wild pitches, but how much does that count for? And Clemens pitched in Fenway.

Sent this in (big surprise) as an "Ask Bill," which in turn ended up as a Tom Tango tweet.

So, @baseball_ref does an OUTSTANDING job in laying out WHY their WAR numbers are what they are. You may disagree as to the individual components, but they are extremely transparent about it.

cc: @billjamesonline

So, let's take it, step by step...https://t.co/ipZtAEsuaB pic.twitter.com/QA6Eqbh5l8

— Tangotiger (@tangotiger) November 21, 2022

"Tom Tango tweet"--will one day rival "toy boat" as a tongue twister.

Clemons will always have the headwind of being a total asshole.

*Clemens. Fuck.

Read “Clemons” in the voice of Cajun man