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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Roger Clemens returns to the mound

Obviously an Adobe Creative Sweets Photoshop of Rick Reuschel was used.

Repoz Posted: January 28, 2012 at 06:30 PM | 51 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: college, hall of fame, history

Reader Comments and Retorts

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1. Eric P. Posted: January 28, 2012 at 06:54 PM (#4048348)

Unfortunately the clip only shows two offspeed pitches. Anyone know what his fastball was hitting on the gun?

2. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: January 28, 2012 at 07:01 PM (#4048353)

The Red Sox could use another arm.

3. Don Geovany Soto (chris h.) Posted: January 28, 2012 at 07:03 PM (#4048357)

Could be one of my favorite Repoz-lines. Yep, it sure could.

4. Foghorn Leghorn Posted: January 28, 2012 at 09:14 PM (#4048432)

The speed difference between that pitch and the fast ball is usually 6-8 mph. So, he's going to be around 85.

5. Walt Davis Posted: January 28, 2012 at 09:46 PM (#4048458)

Second one was a splitter wasn't it? Anyway, nice movement.

Didn't watch the whole clip but he seemed to be handling the HoF question appropriately.

6. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit Posted: January 28, 2012 at 09:54 PM (#4048470)

A little rounder but the motion looks very familiar.

7. Everybody Loves Tyrus Raymond Posted: January 28, 2012 at 09:56 PM (#4048473)

I suspect he could still be a major league average pitcher - at worst. Especially out of somebody's bullpen.

8. Matt Waters Posted: January 28, 2012 at 10:51 PM (#4048510)

Wow, those splitters were nasty! Impressive.

9. Something Other Posted: January 29, 2012 at 12:32 AM (#4048569)

Unfortunately the clip only shows two offspeed pitches. Anyone know what his fastball was hitting on the gun?

How sure are we that those weren't his fastball?

He did sound like he expects to be elected but isn't taking it for granted; what else would he say?

10. Select Storage Device -- Baseball Historian Posted: January 29, 2012 at 12:51 AM (#4048575)

GG, nailing those kids with that untouchable jalopy crap. The first thing I thought of was David Wells. The second thing I thought of was David Wells as a Padre in PETCO. Clemens could probably go 6IP-ish with a sub-4 ERA in San Diego.

11. Select Storage Device -- Baseball Historian Posted: January 29, 2012 at 12:53 AM (#4048577)

You know, David Wells, because they're both fat.

12. Something Other Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:04 AM (#4048615)

Clemens is 6'-4", right? He looks like he runs around 300 lbs in the video.

13. ray james Posted: January 29, 2012 at 10:39 AM (#4048648)

I didn't watch the whole clip but he seemed to be handling the HoF question appropriately.

I don't know. It seemed to me he's anticipating not getting elected and has begun to set up the argument that he's already in, so whatever the voters do is irrelevant.

14. ray james Posted: January 29, 2012 at 10:40 AM (#4048650)

What is he doing throwing breaking pitches at an alumni game? That's like throwing brushback pitches at a father/son game.

15. base ball chick Posted: January 29, 2012 at 02:44 PM (#4048742)

ray

that's just roger - he can't stop being a competitor

it's really something watching him pitch again. now we get to watch J happ and henry sosa etc who are all like, oh pleeeze mister hitter don't hit this baseball

16. Horror Posted: January 29, 2012 at 02:52 PM (#4048748)

If I were some krap team I would make an offer to Clemens and Bonds. Just cause.

17. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: January 29, 2012 at 02:53 PM (#4048750)

That's like throwing brushback pitches at a father/son game.

Aren't brushback pitches the whole point of father/son games? Anyway, I have no doubt that Roger would put Koby on his ass in batting practice if he dug in a little too deep, much less in an actual game.

18. base ball chick Posted: January 29, 2012 at 03:12 PM (#4048761)

roger actually DID put koby on his ass during one roger's minor league tour warm up to get ready to play june 22 2006

and koby is just about finished with his minor league career too

19. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: January 29, 2012 at 03:15 PM (#4048764)

Maybe he can start a memorabilia business with Pete Rose Jr.

20. base ball chick Posted: January 29, 2012 at 03:19 PM (#4048766)

CA

cmon, that ain't right. koby isn't either a fraud or a criminal, just a career minor leaguer who strikes out too much instead of too many

21. Accent Shallow Posted: January 29, 2012 at 04:30 PM (#4048802)

What I'd be curious about, is how many sons of HoF-type (or even HoVG-type) are worth a good God damn.

Off the top of my head, the good are:

Griffey Jr.
Prince Fielder
Barry Bonds

No good:

Pete Rose Jr.
Clemens' sons
Preston Mattingly

22. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: January 29, 2012 at 04:48 PM (#4048811)

koby isn't either a fraud or a criminal

Didn't say he was. It was just about the "sins of the father" and all that.

the good are:

I guess Gus Bell and Bob Boone don't qualify as HoVG-types, but they did have kids who were worth a damn.

No good:

Michael Munson

23. vortex of dissipation Posted: January 29, 2012 at 04:50 PM (#4048812)

Goerge Sisler's son Dick wasn't a great player, but he was an All-Star one year and had a few good seasons for the Phillies in the 1950s.

24. rlc Posted: January 29, 2012 at 05:50 PM (#4048836)

Dale Berra was a cromulent big leaguer. Tim Raines, Jr. not so much.

25. Horror Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:03 PM (#4048843)

I always forget how all the Alous are related but there's some combination there I'm pretty sure

26. Horror Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:11 PM (#4048846)

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

Unrelated: Apparently the Cubs had a reliever last year named Christopher John Carpenter -- the exact same name as the other Chris Carpenter. Didn't know that.

27. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:19 PM (#4048850)

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

Mel and Todd Stottlemyre.

28. Rob_Wood Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:40 PM (#4048859)

Dizzy and Steve Trout may qualify.

29. Voros McCracken of Pinkus Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:47 PM (#4048863)

The easiest way to remember the Alous is that the best player of the brothers had the best player for a son.

30. cardsfanboy

Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:51 PM (#4048865)

Unrelated: Apparently the Cubs had a reliever last year named Christopher John Carpenter -- the exact same name as the other Chris Carpenter. Didn't know that.

So did the Cardinals--he spelled it Cris instead of Chris.

31. ray james Posted: January 29, 2012 at 06:59 PM (#4048869)

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

Clyde and Jared Wright.

32. rlc Posted: January 29, 2012 at 09:18 PM (#4048934)

The Drabeks.

33. base ball chick Posted: January 29, 2012 at 10:46 PM (#4048984)

interesting about the sons of major leaguers and bloodlines thingy superstition that MLB got goin on

more sons of major leaguers fail than succeed. seems to me like that is especially true of hall of fame fathers.

but i think barry lamar was right all those years ago when he said it was talent and you can't teach talent. and it sure seems to be more NOT inherited than it IS inherited.

or maybe it is that the DNA is not activated unless accompanied by an obsession with competing and winning. see roger striking out teenagers/knocking his own kid down for crowding the plate...

34. Horror Posted: January 29, 2012 at 10:56 PM (#4048994)

Clyde and Jared Wright.

The Drabeks.

I said "decent." Not Abhorrent.

35. Darren

Posted: January 29, 2012 at 11:04 PM (#4049000)

Maybe Clemens should try to come back for another year just to push his HOF elegibility back. That would give writers another 5 years to mellow about steroids and separate him from Bonds. Andirons he could rejoin the red sox...

36. Everybody Loves Tyrus Raymond Posted: January 29, 2012 at 11:25 PM (#4049008)

Well, if we're setting the father bar at "better than Cecil Fielder" then Moises Alou is among the good.

37. A triple short of the cycle

Posted: January 30, 2012 at 12:01 AM (#4049022)

Father better than son: Jose Cruz, Tony Gwynn, Gary Matthews.

38. puck Posted: January 30, 2012 at 12:36 AM (#4049032)

Aren't Steve Garvey's sons about the age where they should be populating a couple minor league teams?

39. Russ Posted: January 30, 2012 at 07:19 AM (#4049071)

Father better than son: Jose Cruz, Tony Gwynn, Gary Matthews.

Restricting fathers and sons to the set of fathers and sons who both played major league baseball. Otherwise, this list would be pretty much the size of professional baseball players minus about 2%.

40. Russ Posted: January 30, 2012 at 07:19 AM (#4049072)

Aren't Steve Garvey's sons about the age where they should be populating a couple minor league teams?

Moneyball crushed these dreams from ever happening.

41. Matt Chico's Bail Bonds (Dan Lee) Posted: January 30, 2012 at 07:38 AM (#4049073)

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

The Tiants, though Luis Sr. obviously never played in the majors.

42. RMc and His Roster of Rubbish Posted: January 30, 2012 at 10:48 AM (#4049119)

John Henry Williams (ouch).

Mickey Mantle Jr (ouch).

43. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: January 30, 2012 at 10:59 AM (#4049126)

Let's not forget Hank Aaron XXIV.

44. Honkie Kong Posted: January 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM (#4049129)

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

Even though Adam Laroche is a hitter, he was supposed to be a pretty decent lefty pitcher when coming up.
Kinda strange, so was Freddie Freeman.

45. you got a STEAGLES? you're gonna need a STEAGLES. Posted: January 30, 2012 at 11:45 AM (#4049194)

Aren't Steve Garvey's sons about the age where they should be populating a couple minor league teams?

the phillies drafted one of them out of high school last season, but i can't remember if they signed him.

46. Papa Squid Posted: January 30, 2012 at 12:44 PM (#4049285)

Father better than son: Jose Cruz, Tony Gwynn, Gary Matthews.

Jesse and Josh Barfield

47. WSPanic Posted: January 30, 2012 at 01:18 PM (#4049344)

Does Sandy Alomar qualify for the HoVG? Probably not. 15 seasons - didn't hit very much - one All Star game. His sons were pretty good, though.

48. Repoz

Posted: January 30, 2012 at 09:11 PM (#4049965)

Plumped for Moe Greene...

49. Mike Emeigh

Posted: January 30, 2012 at 09:23 PM (#4049973)

Perucho Cepeda was very likely a better player than Orlando, who was obviously no slouch himself.

-- MWE

50. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 30, 2012 at 09:37 PM (#4049986)

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

Mel and Todd Stottlemyre.

Oddly, not Mel Sr., and Mel Jr.

Are there any decent father/son pitchers? My mind is drawing a blank.

Floyd and....well Brian Bannister had one good season and was a stat-geek.

Jeff Russell and James Russell?

It is interesting the few pitchers I can think of that had kids in MLB, the kids were hitters - Lance Niekro. Robb Nen, Vance Law, Andy/Adam LaRoche. The inverse would be Bob and Darren Oliver.

Father better than son: Jose Cruz, Tony Gwynn, Gary Matthews.

Jeff Burroughs.

Sal Butera. I would never say Sal was better than anyone, but his kid flat-out sucks.

51. Moe Greene Posted: January 30, 2012 at 09:54 PM (#4049997)

Plumped for Moe Greene...

Thanks, Repoz.

I don't visit the site for a couple of days and I end up submitting a story that's 2 days old. That's the last time I take a day off from BBTF.

Anyway, that splitter still looks great. If Clemens spends some time getting in shape, building up some arm strength... I think he'd look good in most teams' bullpens. No idea if that would be good enough for him (given the restrictions I seem to recall he had during his last season in Houston), but most importantly, as someone pointed out above, it would reset the clock on his HoF eligibility.

Unless he's blackballed now.

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Roger Clemens returns to the mound

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