[Wizard of Os]

Cheers all...

Much of the World Baseball Classic headlines have been occupied by Roger Clemens. All snarky comments about the level of South African competition he faced aside, Clemens is stealing all limelight from Junior, Jeter, Varitek and the entire Cuban team, really, with all the speculation about his future.

And then i read yesterday that he went to visit Texas Rangers training camp in Arizona...huh? What is this, a psychological head game? So Rocket's going to retire after every post-season to come back with a different team? Why the suspense?

Of course, with the high level of exposure, there is the concomitant high level of hyperbole. Bruce Hurst, he of the 1970s Red Sox, called Rocket "one of the two or three best of all-time." Now, seriously. Who are you going to remove for Rocket to take his place? Sandy Koufax, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan or Satchel Paige? No, wait, maybe Cy Young himself, whom i'm sure the young Hurst saw pitching. And wasn't/isn't the American popular media ready to christen The Big Unit one of the two or three greatest of all-time as well? It's getting crowded at the top.

But what do you think? Where will Rocket be come, say, May? And where will he stand in the history of baseball? (And will he have the Yankees cap emblazoned on his Hall of Fame plaque?)

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Wizard of Os

Cheers all...

Much of the World Baseball Classic headlines have been occupied by Roger Clemens. All snarky comments about the level of South African competition he faced aside, Clemens is stealing all limelight from Junior, Jeter, Varitek and the entire Cuban team, really, with all the speculation about his future.

And then i read yesterday that he went to visit Texas Rangers training camp in Arizona...huh? What is this, a psychological head game? So Rocket's going to retire after every post-season to come back with a different team? Why the suspense?

Of course, with the high level of exposure, there is the concomitant high level of hyperbole. Bruce Hurst, he of the 1970s Red Sox, called Rocket "one of the two or three best of all-time." Now, seriously. Who are you going to remove for Rocket to take his place? Sandy Koufax, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan or Satchel Paige? No, wait, maybe Cy Young himself, whom i'm sure the young Hurst saw pitching. And wasn't/isn't the American popular media ready to christen The Big Unit one of the two or three greatest of all-time as well? It's getting crowded at the top.

But what do you think? Where will Rocket be come, say, May? And where will he stand in the history of baseball? (And will he have the Yankees cap emblazoned on his Hall of Fame plaque?)

That you manage to work in an obscure Bruce Hurst quote into the post is cool...Wiz maybe we could knock Roger off the list and add your name...hey just a thought...

Hurst wasn't such a bad pitcher...145 Wins and a 3.92 lifetime ERA (18-6 in 1988 to boot) Red Sox 1st round pick in 1976... give him some props, he might have had a good take on the Rocket...

[legend]

I think Clemens is in the top ten pitchers of all time. His average year is 17-8 over the course of his career. Same as Randy Johnson. Compare that to-
Tom Seaver 16-10
Nolan Ryan 13-12
Bob Gibson 16-11
Warren Spahn 17-11
Sandy Koufax 15-8
Jim Palmer 16-9
Smokey Joe Wood 20-10
Steve Carlton 15-11
Pete Alexander 19-10
Cy Young 20-12
Ron Guidry 16-8
Lefty Grove 19-8
Dizzy Dean 18-10
Bob Feller 17-10
Juan Marichal17-10
Pedro Martinez 17-7
Walter Johnson 19-12
Factor in his longevity, strike out records, and pitching in the age of the DH.
Obviously all the pitchers I listed, at the top of their games, were incredible. I have always favored Walter Johnson as the best ever because of all those above, he pitched for, by far, the worst team.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by legend

I think Clemens is in the top ten pitchers of all time. His average year is 17-8 over the course of his career. Same as Randy Johnson. Compare that to-
Tom Seaver 16-10
Nolan Ryan 13-12
Bob Gibson 16-11
Warren Spahn 17-11
Sandy Koufax 15-8
Jim Palmer 16-9
Smokey Joe Wood 20-10
Steve Carlton 15-11
Pete Alexander 19-10
Cy Young 20-12
Ron Guidry 16-8
Lefty Grove 19-8
Dizzy Dean 18-10
Bob Feller 17-10
Juan Marichal17-10
Pedro Martinez 17-7
Walter Johnson 19-12
Factor in his longevity, strike out records, and pitching in the age of the DH.
Obviously all the pitchers I listed, at the top of their games, were incredible. I have always favored Walter Johnson as the best ever because of all those above, he pitched for, by far, the worst team.

Seaver and Ryan were also not favored with good qualities teams all that often...and what was the saying that went with Spahn?..."Spahn and Sain, and pray for rain?" as in the rest of the rotation minus Spahn and Sain won't worth a hill of beans...

[ThePundit]

He'll be with Houston. He's just increasing his negotiating leverage by visiting Texas.

[Wizard of Os]

And now it's in Roger's hands again.

The Rocket vs. Mexico on Thursday.

Team USA fans send out a prayer to the baseball gods: o, let Rocket be his intimidating bad-bull self against an opponent far more worthy than South Africa...