Clemens's current "situation" vs Yankees not like anything in 2006
There's almost no similarity to the Yankees' situation facing an arm or elbow injury to Roger Clemens and what occurred last year with Mariano Rivera as suggested in the NY Times. Next, I'll read, "the squirrel has chipped a tooth, his future unknown, much like the situation last year with Rivera."
- After Rivera pitched v Detroit 8/31/06, the Yankees were 7 games AHEAD of Boston and 10 games ahead of Toronto.
- After Clemens pitched v Seattle 9/3/07, the Yankees were 7 games BEHIND Boston and 5 1/2 ahead of Toronto. They were only 1 game ahead of Seattle in the wild card, tied in the loss column.
- Rivera was back pitching on 9/22, out since 9/1, and still finished the season leading the AL in IP by a late inning reliever with only JJ Putz ahead of him. Having helped his team to a comfortable lead, he was able to rest his abused arm to prepare for what he'd done for 11 years prior---pitch in the post season. And he did for the 12th year.
- The last game of the season was Oct. 1, and the Yankees finished 11 games ahead of Boston and 10 games ahead of Toronto.
- The comparison used by Tyler Kepner would be pleasant for many people, a fun reminder. But only by the narrowest definition would there be a similarity and not enough to put in print and send around the world millions of times. The Yankees post season hopes for 2007 were a long shot before the Clemens news. This was far from the case in 2006. That's the most relevant point about the fact and timing of Clemens' injury. I see the parallels Mr. Kepner mentioned about both pitchers' and Yankees' fudging around about pains, whether and when to face up to it, get tests, etc. But that's the end of it.
- "The Clemens situation is similar to the handling of Mariano Rivera’s elbow problem last season. The Yankees knew that Rivera’s elbow was bothering him last Aug. 30 but did not immediately shut him down.
Rivera pitched against Detroit that day, had an M.R.I. test the next afternoon and pitched that night, too. Only after that game was Rivera shut down for three weeks with a muscle strain.
Yesterday, the Yankees were concerned enough about Clemens to have Mussina ready as an emergency starter. But instead of sending Clemens to a doctor and ordering him to rest, they deferred to Clemens’s wishes and let him pitch.
“It’s not something that’s unusual,” Torre said. “The first three innings, it was a manageable situation for him. Then in the fourth inning, he said it started grabbing on him.”
Clemens’s velocity was not noticeably different; he hit 90 and 91 miles an hour a few times. Whatever discomfort Clemens felt, he did not share it with catcher Jorge Posada.
“No limitations at all,” Posada said. “We threw every pitch. I called every pitch like nothing was wrong. I didn’t see anything wrong. He didn’t talk one thing about his elbow.”
Posada said Clemens’s elbow had not been an issue except yesterday and in the Boston game. The start before that, in Detroit, Clemens struggled with blisters on his right foot.
Torre said Sunday that the foot concerned him more and stressed that the elbow problem was not alarming."*******************
- I appreciate the detail about Clemens' condition, how it's communicated or not, how it's dealt with or not, etc. But tying it to Rivera without making a big distinction in how each would or did affect the team is just fun for non-Yankee fans.
(I'm trying to start a fad of not using the word "hater" in any context. Instead of "Yankee haters" I'm using "non-Yankee fans." We'll see if it changes the culture). sm
From NY Times article by Tyler Kepner, "Yankees Can Add Clemens's Elbow to Recent Woes," 9/4/07
- P.S. I understand Mr. Kepner also has a blog on which he observed the distinctions I noted here. I'm pretty sure his column carries more weight.
posted by susan at
9/04/2007 05:19:00 PM
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