Bronx, N.Y., April 21, 2002 — Today, Roger Clemens’s performance was stellar and the crowd’s reaction to him was warm and accepting as he defeated a team representing an American League city about as far from San Jacinto as possible. From where you ask? Well, you see, 166 years ago today, an army of Texans led by Sam Houston vanquished the Mexican Army at San Jacinto, thereby assuring Texan independence. Three years ago, newly acquired Yankee (and son of Texas) Roger Clemens tied an AL record with his 17th consecutive victorious decision by beating the Texas (hmmm!) Rangers in the Bronx, 4-2.

Although it may be difficult to believe (but not really if you listen to the Stadium crowd during Giambi at bats now), Roger was not cheered lustily that day, as many fans felt he had not shown much for a player who was once despised in the Bronx, and whom we had acquired by sending away three very popular Yankees. Twice that April the Yanks had managed to tie games when he had allowed the opposition big leads (we won one of them), and fans felt that we had garnered the record for him rather than the other way around. The rest of the 1999 season the cheer/boo give-and-take continued, and Roger wasn’t really accepted as a Yankee until he beat the Braves in the last game of that season’s World Series (some would say not until two dominating starts in the 2000 postseason, against the Mariners and Mets respectively).

Roger was very good today, shutting the Blue Jays down in innings one and two on a grand total of 14 pitches while the Soriano-powered Yanks were taking a 3-0 lead, then withstanding the only real threat of the day (while the game was in easy reach anyway) by striking out Raul Mondesi in the third with two outs and the bases loaded. He was pitching smart, as fully half of the first 16 outs were recorded by his infielders, and he didn’t resort to his pitch-count-intensive strike-out ways until late (half of his eight strike outs came in his last two innings). And he was pitching in front of a crowd that loved him.

A lovely, then not, Cap Day in the Bronx, it seemed warmer than the posted 53 degrees at the outset, very much lower (and damp) at the end. The hitters were generous with foul balls, so generous that the fans seemed to start rejecting them. Rondell White wouldn’t handle his third ball in play in left until phenom Blue Jay shortstop Felipe Lopez singled to left in the eighth, but he twice had to retrieve hard foul liners that had struck Stadium metal or concrete and careened out into the playing surface. Later, a ball off the bat of Robin Ventura smacked the Tier facade in Section 4 in the eighth, caught the metal brace at the bottom, shooting the ball five or ten feet straight up, just begging for a fan to reach out a hand and scoop up the quirky carom.

Continuing the Lone Star theme, Texan Mike Stanton not only recorded the last four outs, but had as dominating a three-pitch strike out of fearsome Carlos Delgado in the eighth as I have seen. And it’s good that we can enjoy Roger’s closing baseball years now, that we can cheer him as milestone after milestone fall in his quest for another ring and victory No. 300.

But wouldn’t it be special if we could learn from the lesson of April 21, 1999, and realize how lucky we are to have another super talent plying his talents in the Bronx? And this one always wanted to be here, reveres the names of the Babe, Lou, Joe D and in particular The Mick as much as any of us, and has a swing as built for this ballpark as any who has put on the Pinstripes. Today’s crowd was mildly appreciative of the fly balls Jason stroked to center with men in scoring position in the second and fifth, but they were very unforgiving when he hit a foul pop to third in the sixth. They pay their money. They have the “right to boo.” But wouldn’t they have more fun if they felt, as I do, that we’re in for a special year (and years) with Jason? Thinking of Giambi’s upcoming trip to Oakland, I turned to my brother in the eighth and said, “He’ll hit one out; he needs to do that before Oakland.” I didn’t know it, but I rooted for it, and I felt the joy as I leapt to my feet when he came through.

No long intro for Jason, not for me. I’ll be on my feet next time too.

BTW,TYW

YANKEE BASEBALL!!!