For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past month, Roger Clemens decided that for a pro-rated $28 million contract, he would do his best to salvage the Yankees' pitching staff and ultimately the Bombers' season.
What's worse was the way he announced it. Rather than leaking the story to the press like any other free agent, Roger felt the need to go on the PA system at Yankee Stadium, while standing in the owner's box, and announce to the crowd that he'd just inked a deal with the Yanks. Granted, if he had done this at Fenway, I would find this incredibly cool. But he didn't, so I hate him.
I'll admit it: my first reaction was one of anger, violence and incredulity. When I took some time to think about it, though, I came to some pretty interesting conclusions about Roger, the Red Sox and even myself.
First of all, the way this went down says a great deal about the Rocket's personality. Unlike many Sox fans out there, I don't believe that money was the most important factor behind his decision, even if he's being paid a staggering amount for pitching two-thirds of a season. Roger will be paid roughly one million dollars per start. If you assume that he throws roughly 100 pitches per start (though that might be a little high for a 45-year-old's pitch count), that's 10,000 per pitch. Does anyone else think professional sports has become more than a little ridiculous? (In other news, Alex Rodriguez can breathe a little easier; there's now a debate over who is the highest paid player in baseball.)
No, I think Roger's decision was made because he has an insatiable need to be a savior. While Yankees fans certainly view him as the man who can resurrect their season, Red Sox fans recognize that we don't need a savior. We already have arguably the best pitching staff in the game. A Clemens return to Boston would have been a fascinating novelty, and one that would improve our team. But do we need him to be a successful team? Absolutely not (and yes, I'm knocking on wood repeatedly as I make this statement). Say what you want about money, his friendship with Andy Pettite, and his respect for Joe Torre, but this is about one thing: Roger's need for the spotlight.
Here's the thing about Roger returning to the Yankees: It's actually the best thing that could've happened to Boston as a whole. Sox fans, have you noticed something different the past few years? Because I have. Before 2004, I bathed in bitterness. I ate my inferiority complex for breakfast. I dined with mediocrity; I basked in the glow of perpetual, heartbreaking failure. Then the Sox won the World Series, and everything changed. Suddenly we were just another successful franchise with a passionate fan base.
Don't get me wrong, the Sox winning the Fall Classic was perhaps the greatest event of my short lifetime. But you can't argue that things are different now. Now, the greatest pitcher in Red Sox history has chosen our arch-rival over the team with whom he made his name. He snubbed us in the worst way possible. He's dead to us.
But by doing so, the Rocket has given us a great gift. He's given us back our hatred. This is pretty much an ideal situation, because the Yankees are once again the big, bad bullies. Except for the fact that they suck, and are barely treading water at .500 right now.
Still, when their pitching gets healthy, the Yanks should be right back in it, and I expect some pretty great games in August and September. Sox fans, rejoice. We now have a legitimate villain to hate once again. Doesn't it feel great?
Will Herberich is a freshman. He can be reached at William.Herberich@tufts.edu.
