“One more replay of Roger Clemens patting Babe Ruth on the head Saturday would have only added another layer of Candyland hype to what the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network billed as “The Rocket Re-Launch.” wrote Bob Raissman in yesterday’s New York Daily News, who embraced last Saturday as the perfect opportunity to mock virtually everyone in the YES empire.
“I don’t think anybody should paint this as an extraordinary outing for Roger Clemens,” Kay said. “He did okay.”
Okay? Is Steinbrenner shelling out that prorated $28 million for okay? Did Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and the rest of the Yankee brain trust fold to Clemens’ demands, letting him come and go as he pleases, for okay? Did Suzyn (Georgie Girl) Waldman go freaky-deaky, when Clemens said he was Bronx bound, for okay?
Okay, the un-Al Yankzeerish rap was coming from Al Yank’s headmaster, not his alter ego who does radio for the Worldwide Leader in Something.
Fortunately, for those waiting for their cue to wave Yankee pom-poms, Mr. Al Leiter parachuted in to fill the void. Leiter had a few choice words for his partner.
“I don’t know Michael. A six-inning quality start. And to get the win,” Leiter said. “… I’m not saying there’s an expectation of him throwing shutouts, but what he did today was beyond what people expected.”
Dissent is good, especially when it comes from the normally nonconfrontational Yankees TV propaganda arm. Nonetheless, viewers could’ve used even more of, “You idiot, did you really say that?” during Clemens’ 2007 Yankees debut.
Like in the second inning, when Kay tried justifying why Clemens does not attend spring training. “There are two reasons. One: He can do it. He can do whatever he wants because he’s Roger Clemens,” Kay said. “And he can no longer -at his age -give you a full six months of the season.”
Clemens can “do whatever he wants” as long as there is a team willing to overpay for his services and let him play by his own rules. As far as the “age” angle, well, that doesn’t jibe with all the talk about Clemens being some sort of supernautral competitor. Leiter and Bobby Murcer must have agreed with Kay. Neither had the inclination to challenge his statement.
That game was really irritating to watch. He was mediocre against a very bad Pirates team. It was depressing to see shot after shot of lobotomized people in the stands with uninspired (some just plain half-assed) signs with variations on the ‘Rocket Re-Launch’ phrase. And he gets to play against yet another NL team on Friday and I’m sure Michael Kay will bring his personal lubricant and a box of Kleenex for that one, too. I made a Seinfeldian pact with myself to avoid watching games on YES (and to, instead, watch the games on the SNY) but that lasted about one day. I need help. Can anybody help me? I watch these games and everytime Kay does that ‘ssssssssssssssssssssssee ya’ call it drives my systolic up about 40 points. For the love of god, somebody please help me.