The Rocket has landed: The Return of Roger Clemens

It's a story all over baseball this afternoon, and for the next few days. In a dramatic fashion this afternoon on a glorious day in the Bronx, Roger Clemens announced his return to the New York Yankees. I was watching the game at the time, and I had no idea what to expect from him, it was a very exciting moment for Yankees’ fans, as well as his future teammates. His return is expected sometime either late May or early June. This is a shot in the arm to a dreadful rotation that is in need of some dire help.

His fantasy impact is also a great thing. With the news of Chris Carpenter’s arthroscopic surgery sidelining him for three months, it is a great idea, and possibly a necessity that you pick this guy up. His three year averages look something like this: 179.1 innings, 28 starts, 13 wins, 168 strikeouts, only 56 walks, 136 hits, and an ERA of 2.41. During those three years he was a pitcher for a struggling Astros offense that never game him any run support. If they did, we all know that win total would have been a lot higher. His dominance can be questioned only because over the last three years he played in the National League. The innings average will obviously go down because of the fact that he is starting two months into the season. However, in 2004, and 2005 he had 214, and 211 inning pitched. His durability has never been a problem as he has been one of the healthiest pitchers over the last decade, and even beyond that. The obvious first ballot hall of famer will have immediate impact when he hits the field either at the end of this month or the start of June. Another advantage he will have is that he is starting his season two months after everyone else, giving him a stamina advantage over everyone else. His work ethic is unlike anyone else in the big leagues, and he will be a lot fresher than other players at the end of the season despite the fact that he is turning 45. He still has his command on all of his pitches, and his arm slot hasn’t diminished as he has gotten older.

Now the down side; there is little you can say about a hall of fame pitcher that can be negative, however this is hard to avoid. His return brings him back into the American League, specifically the AL East. The Red Sox will give him a hard time, as he only has an 8-5 career record against them. The American League is the tougher of the two leagues, and the more offensive. He won’t have the microscopic ERA’s that he had with Houston, however, I can’t see him having an ERA over 4.00. Andy Pettitte’s numbers haven’t fallen that far from where they were with Houston, and he has the same ethic as Clemens does. Clemens is as immediate pick up in every league, and should but stored on your bench until he returns. This is great news for people who have beat up pitching staffs, and he will have an immediate impact on your team.