Sunday, May 6, 2007

Money talks ...

My son the baseball fan came storming out of the house seconds after I'd heard the announcement while doing yardwork with the radio on, listening to another Pirates defeat.

"I hate Clemens again!" he proclaimed.

I shrugged my shoulders. That Roger Clemens has announced he's returning to Yankee pinstripes comes as no surprise. So far this season, New York has had one of the most ineffective pitching staffs in the majors this season. Only one possible savior was on the horizon, and the Yankees backed up the Brinks trucks and dumped the cash in Clemens' lap.

His prorated salary is the highest in baseball history, even more than his oft-beleaguered now-teammate, Alex Rodriguez, is paid.

That's sort of cool for a guy who's four months older than I am. But it would have been cooler if, say, he had re-signed with Houston. But the Astros stink, especially their offense, and Clemens must be sick and tired of the lack of run support he's received the past few years.

So it's off to the Bronx and, if all goes well for the Yankee faithful, another trip to the playoffs and beyond.

By then, Clemens will be 45 years old. Age catches up with all the great ones, sooner or later. Even Nolan Ryan eventually could pitch no more. Even Phil Niekro, Hoyt Wilhelm and John Picus Quinn.

Please, American League hitters, find a way to solve this overpaid senior citizen and keep the Yankees' pitching woes going. Let their overinflated payroll come back to bite them, for once. It was fun to see them below Tampa Bay. It really was ...


I'm watching the major-league debut of the latest pitching phenom, San Francisco's Tim Lincecum. He's blown hitters away in high school, college, the low minors and AAA. Now, he's in a good pitcher's park. Let's see how he adapts to the big boys.

He didn't do so hot with the first couple of hitters, giving up a home run to Philadelphia's Shane Victorino, not what you'd call a big power guy. But then Lincecum struck out the side, including last year's MVP, Ryan Howard.

Whatever the case, Lincecum has to be glad the Cubs didn't draft him, given their luck with great-looking young pitchers.


Trivia question 28: What Giants pitcher tossed a one-hitter in his major-league debut?

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