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Monday, August 20, 2012

Neyer: Stop printing those Hall of Fame ballots!

Jeez, the Skeeters are all over the news lately!

Roger Clemens is slated to pitch for the Houston-area Sugar Land Skeeters next weekend.

Clemens’ rotation-mates will include ex-MLBers Scott Kazmir, Tim Redding and pitcher-outfielder Jason Lane. Rumors around Houston suggest that whichever of those four looks the best over the next two weeks will get a shot with the fightin’ Astros in September. And if it’s Clemens, his Hall of Fame eligibility will be delayed until (at least!) 2018.*

The District Attorney Posted: August 20, 2012 at 01:45 PM | 52 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: astros, blue jays, hall of fame, red sox, roger clemens, yankees

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1. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 20, 2012 at 02:11 PM (#4212652)

Sugar Land Skeeters? Is this a real team? Is this from the Onion? Or Scribbly Tate?

2. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) Posted: August 20, 2012 at 02:17 PM (#4212657)

Hardball Talk says Clemens is throwing 87. Given he's older than Moyer, that's pretty good.

3. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises Posted: August 20, 2012 at 02:48 PM (#4212711)

Oh god please let this happen.

4. flournoy Posted: August 20, 2012 at 02:54 PM (#4212724)

Rumors around Houston suggest that whichever of those four looks the best over the next two weeks will get a shot with the fightin’ Astros in September.

I don't understand this at all. To believe this, I'd have to accept that someone with the Astros said, "We've narrowed down our Big September Acquisition plans to Roger Clemens, Jason Lane, Tim Redding, or Scott Kazmir. We can one and only one of these guys." I get that all four of those guys have ties to Houston, but I don't see why the Astros would be interested.

5. dr. scott Posted: August 20, 2012 at 02:58 PM (#4212734)

If they can pitch, I dont see why they would not call them all up... I mean... its the Astros. They dont need to be that good to make the team.

6. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:05 PM (#4212749)

7. AROM Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:08 PM (#4212758)

I get that all four of those guys have ties to Houston, but I don't see why the Astros would be interested.

Would you pay money to watch this Astros team?

Would you pay money, just on curiosity factor alone, to watch Roger Clemens pitch another game?

My answers are 1. no and 2. yes. I suspect I'm not the only one who feels that way. So I'm rooting for good old fashioned money grubbing capitalism to come through here. If the Astros are thinking with their ticket sales in mind, then Clemens is the obvious choice here. It will not matter if Tim Redding's stuff grades out slightly better than 50 year old Clemens, nobody is going to buy a ticket specifically to watch Tim Redding's comeback.

8. TVerik Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:12 PM (#4212765)

Might pushing his HOF eligibility be best for Clemens? The atmosphere around "proven" PED users is toxic right now; perhaps it'll be different in five more years. Maybe the "PED backlog" won't be as big.

9. Mayor Blomberg Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:12 PM (#4212769)

Bringing Clemens to the Juice box could double attendance (to about 4,000). Kazmir's been in Sugar Land for a couple months now; kind of sad to think how young he still is.

All in all, the Skeeters is starting to look like a beer league for has-beens and never-wases, but it's a smart business move by the league.

10. Joey B. has ignited his October #Natitude Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:15 PM (#4212776)

11. MikeTorrez Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:18 PM (#4212777)

I really hope the team isn't named after what I think it's named after...

12. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:19 PM (#4212781)

When did Jason Lane start pitching?

13. SoSH U at work Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:21 PM (#4212785)

Might pushing his HOF eligibility be best for Clemens? The atmosphere around "proven" PED users is toxic right now; perhaps it'll be different in five more years. Maybe the "PED backlog" won't be as big.

It probably couldn't hurt, and most likely would aid his vote total. It wouldn't be the difference between first-ballot and non-induction, but it could help gain BBWAA induction in later years on the ballot.

14. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:22 PM (#4212787)

I really hope the team isn't named after what I think it's named after...

Mosquitos?

15. TomH Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:25 PM (#4212793)

I hope he pitches one game and then gets busted for 50 :)

16. Bruce Markusen Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:34 PM (#4212808)

Any team with the nickname of "Skeeters" is all right by me. Reminds me of the not-so-classic horror film, "Skeeter," starring Charles Napier.

17. Good cripple hitter Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:38 PM (#4212811)

When did Jason Lane start pitching?

He got a handful of innings in the Jays minor league system (4 in 2010, 13 last year), and this year he was released after 22 innings for Arizona's AAA team.

18. God Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:40 PM (#4212817)

Six of the 12 baseball-related hot topics on the sidebar right now are about Houston or the Astros. Crazy.

19. Good cripple hitter Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:40 PM (#4212818)

20. bobm Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:50 PM (#4212833)

I'm fine with this as long as Suzyn Waldman doesn't start shrieking about it.

21. BourbonSamurai, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire Posted: August 20, 2012 at 03:55 PM (#4212840)

I am hugely in favor of this. Hugely.

Also, Jim Palmer should try again. Why not.

22. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 20, 2012 at 04:02 PM (#4212848)

If Clemens does this, how long do you think it'll be before someone suggests that the fact that he's only throwing 87 is a function of the new PED testing?

23. God Posted: August 20, 2012 at 04:03 PM (#4212853)

How come managers never announce comebacks? I'd love to see Earl WeaVer or Tommy Lasorda try to work their way back to the bigs by managing some third-rate indy team.

24. PepTech Posted: August 20, 2012 at 04:04 PM (#4212857)

Given he's older than Moyer

I'm sorry, but this isn't possible.

25. Darren

Posted: August 20, 2012 at 04:23 PM (#4212899)

Only a team that's a complete mess would pick up Clemens. I'm not just talking about a bad team. I mean a team that severely underperforming, one that has an obviously messed up management team, one that has been ravaged by injuries. Players you thought you could count on to be good would have stunk. Injured players go on he DL and never return. Yes, the team that picks up Roger Clemens should be a total clown show....

26. Jim (jimmuscomp) Posted: August 20, 2012 at 04:33 PM (#4212926)

Don't the Red Sox have a need for a starter? He'd probably go over great in Beantown.

27. bookbook Posted: August 20, 2012 at 04:51 PM (#4212964)

The Skeeters have a better rotation than the Twins!

28. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: August 20, 2012 at 05:08 PM (#4212988)

Theo should sign him Afterall his master strategy over the next few years is to sign lottery tickets and hope he hits the jackpot on the trade market, right?

29. kthejoker Posted: August 20, 2012 at 05:23 PM (#4213012)

I realize the man is worth millions of dollars, but sports is still one of the only places where when somebody retires from the top, they don't just go do something like this just for the hell of it.

My grandpa the architect retired a wealthy man and went and built fishing docks in Louisiana at cost, just because he knew how to draw up plans, get them approved, and manage a team. He put his chief life skills to work. Roger's chief life skill is entertaining people by throwing a baseball. Why not?

30. LargeBill Posted: August 20, 2012 at 06:04 PM (#4213078)

Jack Morris talked Roger into this comeback.

31. mex4173 Posted: August 20, 2012 at 06:29 PM (#4213109)

Toronto's pitching has been a mess...

32. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: August 20, 2012 at 06:35 PM (#4213115)

If he can make it through three months in the Toronto rotation without suffering a cataclysmic injury we'll know he's using powerful and secret PEDs.

33. Dale Sams Posted: August 20, 2012 at 06:40 PM (#4213117)

Afterall his master strategy over the next few years is to sign lottery tickets and hope he hits the jackpot on the trade market, right?

And when he does...(Beltre) He lets them walk. Yeah, that made sense Theo.

34. Darren

Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:06 PM (#4213135)

Boston--come on, it would bring happiness to two Darrens and maybe others (but who cares). Come on. Please?

35. SoSH U at work Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:14 PM (#4213150)

Boston--come on, it would bring happiness to two Darrens

There's two of you? What the hell is this, Bewitched?

36. The George Sherrill Selection Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:24 PM (#4213159)

The Rocket and The King on the same pitching staff. Z, make it happen.

37. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:38 PM (#4213168)

Roger Clemens bumping his Hall of Fame eligibility five years, and the reaction thereto by the BBWAA, would be genius comedy. One pitch, just one, and it doesn't even have to be a strike. Make this magic happen.

And five years from now all of the writers will have completely forgotten all about the controversy surrounding Clemens. Because the whole subject of P.E.D.s in baseball has "jumped the shark" and nobody ever even talks about it anymore.

People still gripe about the designated hitter once in a blue moon, and the DH rule might be six years old or more.

The reason it would be genius comedy is not because it would deviously ensure that Roger the Cheater would magically sneak into the Hall on the first ballot, but because it would deprive the BBWAA of the chance to publish all those big, brassy columns they've already got written inside their heads or their computer folders. Making Mike Lupica cry is what our boys died for at Iwo Jima.

38. with Glavinesque control and Madduxian poise Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:46 PM (#4213181)

I think Clemens coming back would be hilarious, but I am strongly opposed because I don't want him to pass Maddux in win totals.

39. Cblau Posted: August 20, 2012 at 07:56 PM (#4213196)

Minor league and independent league play no longer affects Hall of Fame eligibility. See Rickey Henderson, or http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/bbwaa

40. Rafael Bellylard: Built like a Fielder Posted: August 20, 2012 at 08:02 PM (#4213208)

I think Clemens coming back would be hilarious, but I am strongly opposed because I don't want him to pass Maddux in win totals.

If he plays for the Astros, this won't be an issue.

41. Darren

Posted: August 20, 2012 at 08:29 PM (#4213229)

No, passing Maddux is WHY it would hilarious AND AWESOME!

There's two of you? What the hell is this, Bewitched?

There was another one before me, but I replaced him. Nobody seemed to notice.

42. SteveM. Posted: August 20, 2012 at 08:44 PM (#4213243)

This pitching staff is like a blast from the past. How many former major leaguers can you spot?

21 Farnsworth, Jeff P 10/6/75 6'2 205 R R [More]
22 Frias, Jusef - DL P 12/31/84 6'3 220 R R [More]
26 Giron, Roberto P 3/24/76 6'2 203 R R [More]
20 Kazmir, Scott P 1/24/84 6'0 185 L L [More]
25 Lane, Jason P 12/22/76 6'2 225 R L [More]
35 Liriano, Pedro P 10/23/80 6'2 180 R R [More]
38 Majewski, Gary P 2/26/80 6'2 225 R R [More]
5 Morgan, Sean - DL P 1/15/86 6'3 215 R R [More]
27 Nix, Michael P 5/21/83 6'4 245 R R [More]
24 Parcell, Garrett P 7/12/84 6'4 225 R R [More]
40 Phillips, Heath - DL P 3/24/82 6'3 255 L L [More]
29 Redding, Tim P 2/12/78 6'0 215 R R [More]
39 Richardson, Dustin P 1/9/84 6'6 230 L L [More]
17 Rivera, Saul P 12/7/77 5-11 190 R R [More]
18 Startup, Will P 8/4/84 6'0 195 L L [More]
28 Villa, Kelvin P 12/14/85 5'10 184 L L [More]

43. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: August 20, 2012 at 09:18 PM (#4213266)

Bringing Clemens to the Juice box

I believe Clemens has already been to the "juice box"

As a money grubbing lover of sideshow alley stuff, I totally approve of this.

44. The District Attorney Posted: August 20, 2012 at 09:29 PM (#4213276)

I asked Rob on Twitter if he was being sarcastic about the Astros planning to call up a Skeeter. His response:

That's not the word I would use. But yes, I had a gleam in my eye when I wrote that.

45. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: August 20, 2012 at 09:51 PM (#4213286)

I asked Rob on Twitter if he was being sarcastic about the Astros planning to call up a Skeeter.

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

46. Walt Davis Posted: August 20, 2012 at 10:53 PM (#4213336)

He should join the Yankees 2003 all-star squad -- 3.8 WAR in 2003.

47. base ball chick Posted: August 20, 2012 at 11:43 PM (#4213357)

when roger pitches for the skeeters it will more than pack the place

it would be beyond AWESOME if roger pitched for the astros again - certainly would draw more fans than whatever "christian" band they get for "family" night. of course, 50 year old roger would be the best pitcher on the team - except for lucas harrell who is prolly a #4 guy on a decent team. the rest aren't worth a bucket of warm spit

48. Dan Evensen Posted: August 20, 2012 at 11:55 PM (#4213364)

There are only, what, 3 threads on this topic today? I'm happy that I made it to Skeeter Primer this morning. :-D

49. Jay Z Posted: August 21, 2012 at 12:22 AM (#4213382)

They used to do this stuff with coaches back in the 1st half of the 20th century. Late in the season, let the old guy play a game or two.

It went away, and was killed when they tried to bring Minoso back in 1990 just to set a record. But I'm for it, so long as it isn't a record gimmick.

50. DanG Posted: August 21, 2012 at 01:57 AM (#4213409)

Roger Clemens bumping his Hall of Fame eligibility five years, and the reaction thereto by the BBWAA, would be genius comedy. One pitch, just one, and it doesn't even have to be a strike. Make this magic happen.

Actually, he doesn't even need to throw a pitch. Just write his name on the starting lineup card and it counts as a game played. See J.T. Snow 2008 or Larry Yount 1971.

51. John M. Perkins Posted: August 21, 2012 at 10:29 AM (#4213599)

A supposed Astros signing and playing of Clemens isn't necessarily about an effective comeback or giving the Astros a better chance of winning a September game. Instead it would be about butts in the seats, whether they be Clemens fans or hecklers.

So say I who brought a Village People album in exchange for a seat at the Disco Demolition night at Old Comiskey. Baseball is entertainment.

52. bunyon Posted: August 21, 2012 at 10:41 AM (#4213608)

I would love to see Clemens make a start with the Astros.

I would then love to see the consecutive HR record broken.

Seriously, if he really can hit 87 consistently, he would probably make a better than average reliever. I would say closer, but it's Houston we're talking about.

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Neyer: Stop printing those Hall of Fame ballots!

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