Chapter 73: One of the Greatest?

Roger Clemens, who's best known currently for being accused of having a pin cushion for a butt, is frequently described as one of baseball's all-time greatest pitchers. But I can't help but wonder what such accolades are based on. His seven Cy Young Awards, three more than anyone else? His 354 victories, eighth all time (for now)?

But this is exactly the point that anti-steroid people should be harping on: anything he achieved after he allegedly started using the drugs is tainted. The man was breaking down; steroids and HGH reportedly help speed up the healing process. His fastball was becoming less dominant, but suddenly he went to Toronto and was able to mow down the opposition, winning the Cy Young Award in both seasons north of the border. I believe he won almost 200 games for the Red Sox, so he surely would have topped 200 if he'd never taken any enhancements. He'd won two Cys in Boston with three 20-win seasons and a pair of 18-win years. And of course he had struck out thousands of batters and been the first to notch 20 Ks in a nine-inning game (twice).

In short, he was a probable Hall of Famer. Does it matter that at that point, he wasn't among the top five who could compete for "one of the greatest"?

You see, I don't care who is called "the greatest" of the past fifty years, because none of these guys is Cy Young or Walter Johnson. They're not even Christy Mathewson. In a big game, I'd take any of those guys over the Rocket. I'd lean toward Tom Seaver or possibly Warren Spahn over Clemens at any point during the regular season. [Spahn is one of those guys who never gets enough credit. He retired with 363 wins -- fifth all time -- and probably would have topped 400 if not for World War II.]

I am sick of hearing about Roger Clemens the pitcher. I'm far more interested in seeing his reputation sink lower. Remember when Roger was best known as a headhunter? Then he was a surly bugger who wasn't satisfied with earning his salary. Red Sox fans hate him.

No. This man is not one of the greatest pitchers, at least as I define them (top five). Take him away.

Chapter 63: Milestones

Some significant milestones are in sight for many future Hall of Fame baseball players. Today, Frank Thomas became the twenty-first player to hit 500 home runs (before being ejected from the game). And it's likely that sometime this weekend Craig Biggio of the Astros will become the twenty-seventh to reach 3,000 hits for his career. [Correction: Biggio knocked five base hits last night to surpass 3,000. Congratulations Craig!] Both are almost certain Hall of Famers. Thomas won two Most Valuable Player Awards in the 1990s, and while Biggio has started to slow down, he's been one of the more consistent hitters in the National League since 1988.

But they're not the only people who have significant milestones ahead of them. Of course, Barry Bonds is the most obvious, with just a handful of home runs to go before he ties Hank Aaron's record of career home runs. I'm no fan of Bonds, whose reputation has been dragged through the mud due to his suspected steroid or human growth hormone use. It's sad, too, because he was a certain Hall of Famer before he seems to have started using the substances. Add on his career-long surliness and attitude problems, and you probably have as many people hoping his hamstring snaps as he's circling the bases on 754, if not sooner, than rooting for him to break Aaron's record.

The guy I'm rooting for to reach his personal milestone is Tom Glavine, who is now three wins away from 300 for his career. After a stellar career with the Atlanta Braves, where he won two Cy Young Awards, he came to the Mets and has been solid. There was a point last year when I thought he might be able to win another Cy Young award; had he not been left with so many no decisions and reached 20 wins, he probably would have. I know a lot of Mets fans are sick of his soft-tossing and picky nibbling at the corners, but I'm a fan of smart pitching, and I enjoy seeing him work and listening to him talk about his craft.

Another craftsman is Roger Clemens, though I think we're finally seeing the final season of his remarkable career. He needs one more win to reach 350, and even though the Yankees suck, he should be able to get it despite his slowing fastball.

With such achievements in the near future, I wouldn't be surprised if Major League Baseball did something during the All-Star Game to recognize the achievements -- particularly for Thomas and Biggio. (To Bud Selig's happiness, Bonds will likely not have reached the Aaron mark by the All-Star Game.) Though Biggio doesn't deserve a spot in the game itself, I think it's a worthwhile gesture for these guys.

Chapter 62.1: Dud Rocket

Watching the first couple innings of last night's Mets victory over the Yankees, I couldn't help but notice that Roger Clemens wasn't pitching with too much velocity. His fast ball was mostly hitting 90, 91 miles per hour. Oliver Perez was in the same range -- sometimes a little faster, and I saw at least one 95 mph pitch -- but Clemens is known for his fast ball. I understand that he's 44 years old; more importantly, he knows how to pitch and has impeccable location. I'm just saying he's lost a lot of velocity.

What he also lost was the game, I'm happy to say. Let's Go Mets!