Rocket: Good luck & good riddance

Roger Clemens signs a contract with the Stanks that will pay him $4.5 million/month so he can retire (again) with the Bronx Bummers

...and the Red Sox Nation says "fuck you very much, Roger!"

I think our pal Curt Schilling summed it up best when word came down yesterday that Roger Clemens would return this season and pitch with New York, spurning potential deals with Boston & Houston:

"We don't need him."

Aptly put, but there's more to it than that. Not only do we not need him, but we really didn't want him, either.

Would it be nice to add a legendary, sure fire Hall of Fame pitcher who could finish his career where it started to a team already loaded for a title run?

For the right price, of course.

But the question isn't 'would it be nice', but would it be necessary to add a high-profile prima donna pitcher to a team that obviously has a great, unified clubhouse?

And that answer is clearly "no."

Let's face facts, 2007 style: the New York Stankees pitching staff is in complete shambles, and that's not even counting Carl Pavano most likely being done for the year, because Pavano doesn't count, while Boston's staff owns the 3rd best ERA in the majors. Therefore the Stanks desperately needed Clemens for his arm, aura and attitude. For Boston he would merely be a luxury, an insurance policy, and a guy in the twilight of his career trying to coattail his way to another championship.

So New York did what the Sox did for Daisuke Matsuzaka in the offseason- they overbid for someone they felt would put their team over the top.

The problem is there is no guarantee such a high-priced chip will fit the bill as team savior. Look at what's happened with Matsuzaka. If it weren't for the success of the rest of the Boston's staff, his struggles (3-2, 5.45 ERA) would be a lot more amplified & magnified than they have been.

So Clemens will ride into the Big Apple on his high horse, talking about winning another title in the Bronx and ending his career on a high note.

The reality is even with Clemens' presence the Sox still have a better staff, not to mention superior bullpen, and if it comes down to a 4-game series (which it will), I'll take my chances with Schill-Becks-Dice-Wake against Clemens-Mussina-Pettitte-Wang.

Next thing you know they'll bring back Wade Boggs and sign Johnny Drama's horse, King, to play the part of the police horse.

That's the problem with the Stanks today- always living in the past.

The present says Boston has the better, more cohesive team, one that is completely unified in bringing a championship back to the Hub and very capable of doing so, with or without one of the greatest, and greediest, pitchers of all time.

Only time will tell.

But until then I know one thing- the remaining 12 games vs. New York just got a whole lot more interesting-if that's possible.