I Hope He's Done

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Computer problems. According to Roger Clemens last nights 2-1 loss to Mexico may be the last time anyone has the pleasure of watching him pitch in a meaning full game. I hope he's telling the truth that he's going to retire. But I doubt it.

Clemens, 341-172 with an ERA of 3.12 and a strike out to walk ratio of 4502:1502, is the best pitcher any of us will probably see in our lifetimes. He can still pitch going 13-8 with an amazing ERA of 1.89 last season. But he should hang it up. Clemens is a mercenary and he always has been. But it seems that Clemens has finally found a home in Houston. He's originally from Texas and the fans there love him. Fans from his former teams Boston, Toronto and New York view him as traitor for betraying their teams. So if Clemens wants people to show up at his Hall of Fame induction he should hang it up now.

But unfornuately yesterday's news that Andy Pettitte is thinking about either retiring or heading back to the Yankees means that not only we will be hearing rumors of Clemens heading back to the majors this year but probably next year. After setting up a similar scenario in Houston three years ago Pettitte, 33, is likely setting up a similar one here and I'm sick of it. Pettitte isn't going to retire. There's no chance of that. And whatever team gives him the money he wants will have an inside shot at landing Clemens.

The big reason Clemens should retire is Bud Selig's impending investigation of Barry Bonds. Why you ask? Because if you investigate Bonds you have to investigate everyone. If Selig only investigates Bonds he'll be hit with the racism card. More so it would just be wrong to single out Bonds when many sources have the steroid using population in baseball at 80% before the testing started. If Selig does open an investigation more then a few retired players and Hall of Famers will have there names dragged through the mud. Records will be found to have broken under false pretense. Selig doesn't seem to realize this. The more he makes this problem news worthy the more it will impact his place in the game and his place in history. When the commissioner position was established in 1920 it was to keep corruption out of baseball. Selig would be the commissioner who let corruption run repent throughout the game. What does this have to do with Clemens? He's always been a conditioning freak but has any player other player performed at such a high level for so long? Yes. One. Barry Bonds. Is that the only reason to suspect Clemens? In 1996 ,Clemens last season in Boston, he went 10-13 with an ERA of 3.64. That year was the one season he spent as a teammate of Jose Canseco. Canseco said in his book that Clemens discussed what steroids Canseco was doing and asked how he took them. When Boston didn't offer him enough money in the offseason he angrily fled to Toronto. With a burning hatred for Boston GM Dan Duquette Clemens rededicated himself to excerise and improved his record to 21-7 with an ERA of 2.05 with a strike out to walk ratio of 292:68. That's pretty extreme. I have no clue if Clemens has ever taken steroids. But the question does exist. If Selig does begin his investigation it's a question both he and Clemens will have to answer every day.