Via the Post -
Estranged former Yankee Roger Clemens was “heartbroken” when his former team left him out of Sunday night’s Stadium-farewell festivities, which included a video montage honoring the Bronx Bombers’ greatest pitchers – but not him, a relative told The Post yesterday.
Clemens was sitting at home in hurricane-ravaged Texas, in front of a battery-operated television on his living room couch, when the team delivered a final crushing blow to its former star.
Clutching wife Debbie’s hand on one side and mother-in-law Jan Wild’s on the other, Clemens tuned in to his final team’s last home game hoping for some recognition for helping win two World Series titles, Wild said.
But that Rocket never launched.
When the team played the video celebrating its greatest players at every position, the steroid-scandal-scarred Clemens was nowhere to be seen.
“Debbie and I held his hand while we watched the game, and he was heartbroken,” said Wild, 70. “Not mad. He still loves baseball and the Yankees, but it was sad what they did to him.”
From a pure statistical standpoint, there’s no excuse for leaving out Roger Clemens on the tribute video when Al Downing was included. You cannot tell me that Downing’s contribution to Yankees history was greater than that of Clemens.
Now, from a public relations standpoint, perhaps the Yankees have some merit with their decision to exclude Clemens? Granted, Pettitte, Giambi and Knobluach were included in the videos…but, you have to remember that they have not taken the stance that Clemens has taken with respect to dealing with reports that they used PEDs.
I do not recall seeing David Justice in the video tribute. Yet, I know that Jesse Barfield was in it. Sure, Barfield played in 396 games for the Yankees while Justice played in 189 games. Yet, Justice was a huge part of the Yankees 2000 ring season. His value to the Yankee legacy is greater than that of Barfield. Was Justice excluded as well because he was in the Mitchell Report and has decided to say it’s not true (like Clemens)? Maybe…
I have to wonder…if the Phillies had a park-closing ceremony and they decided to leave Pete Rose out of a video tribute…despite the fact that he helped them win a ring in 1980…would the team get heat for that after the fact? Or, if they included Rose, would they have been questioned for it?
Is the Clemens case much different? For what it’s worth, Clemens – even with what he’s reportedly done – has not been banned from the game.
As Yankees fans, or just fans of the game, what do you think? Should Clemens have been included? Or, did the Yankees do the right thing?
11 Responses to “Rocket Heartbroken Over Last Game Snub”
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September 23rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Clemens absolutely should’ve been included. If the Yankees want to distance themselves from Clemens by not inviting him to Old Timer’s Day or having him come to Spring Training, that’s fine. But showing a photograph of someone that won 2 WS and 1 CYA here wouldn’t have brought a PR shit-storm. It would’ve been the classy thing to do. Tip your cap to him, thank him for his contributions, and move on without him.
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Just another exmple of how MLB, and now the Yankees, play ‘cover your ass’ with a sanctimonious bent. This whole PEDS issue is a bunch of crap, where a select few, out of hundreds, are singled out like lepers, while the rest go unnoticed.
Im not a big Roger fan, but he was an influencial Yankee. Period.
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Should Clemens have been included?
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Of course, no doubt about it… Especially when you consider, like you mentioned, that Barfield and Downing was included.
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Besides, “a lot of great Yankees weren’t mentioned…”
Seriously, I wonder if this will make its way into tonight’s broadcast.
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
“Clemens was sitting at home in hurricane-ravaged Texas, in front of a battery-operated television on his living room couch, when the team delivered a final crushing blow to its former star.”
Seriously?
First article in a long time to make Clemens out to be a victim.
However, totally agree he should have been there. I don’t think any fans would have booed him if he was at the stadium.
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
“Clemens was sitting at home in hurricane-ravaged Texas, in front of a battery-operated television on his living room couch, when the team delivered a final crushing blow to its former star.”
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SO he had cable to get espn, but has to use a battery operated tv? come on
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Also, Justice misteriously dissapeared off the Yes network staff lets not forget that
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I’m not happy with the way Clemens has acted over the last year or so, but he should’ve been included. It’s ridiculous for the Yankees to leave him out. He was a big part of the franchise and gave me a lot of great memories as a Yankees fan. Even the Giants brought Bonds back this year for a ceremony.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:07 pm
He should have been included.
Years from now, when we have a better handle on the science of how PED’s actually impact performance, we may all regret the McCarthy-like tactics of the media, fans and MLB.
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:54 pm
~~SO he had cable to get espn, but has to use a battery operated tv? come on~~
Maybe he had a dish?
September 24th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
you still need a box with satellite right? that’s gotta be plugged in…