On Roger and the Yankees

When Roger Clemens made the announcement today that he signed with the Yankees for 2007, I was not really surprised. I suspected it would happen during the offseason when one of Roger's best friends, Andy Pettite, signed back with New York after three seasons in Houston.

Am I upset that Clemens decided to sign with New York over my Red Sox?

Not really. I've always been a Clemens fan from his early years with the Red Sox and I always will be. I'm a Clemens fan because of the way he played while he was here and never making excuses. I met Clemems once at a baseball card show in the early 90's. He autographed two cards for me that are still valued parts of my Red Sox collection.

I'd be dishonest if I told you that I wished he'd decided to play for Boston (or even Houston) instead of going back to New York. But it is what it is.

Will Clemens help the Yankees win this season? The jury is still out on that but he will make that team much better and will make the remaining games with the Red Sox far more interesting. He'd better help them win, what with the rediculous salary and bonus perks he's getting.

Like I wrote last year when Johnny Damon chose to sign with the Yanks over re-signing with the Red Sox; I wish them well - just not when they play my team.

I remember when Dwight Evans, one of my favorite Sox players of all time, signed with the Orioles for his last season. That first game he played at Fenway in a foreign uniform, I was in the right field stands. When Dewey came out to play defense, we in the stands rightfully gave him a standing ovation and he tipped his cap in acknowledgement. Everything Dewey did that day drew cheers. He could have sneezed to thunderous applause if he'd wanted to.

One time when Carlton Fisk (another of my favorite former Red Sox players), then with the Chicago White Sox, came to Fenway I was in the stands to the left of home plate. It was around the time he was about to set the Major League home run record for catchers, and he hit a home run during the game. We in the stands cheered wildly for him because of what he'd done while playing for the Red Sox.