At water coolers across New England, in Hurricane O'Reilly's and hundreds of other sports bars, and on WEEI, the question has been agonized over by Red Sox fans: what do we do when Roger returns?
A surprisingly large number of fans I've talked to have vowed to boo Clemens— but then, the loyalties of Sox fans are sometimes hard to sort out. We give standing ovations to the likes of Trot Nixon and Dave Roberts, but only a lukewarm reception for the great Pedro Martinez. We treat the traitor Johnny Damon, who helped bring a World Series win here for the first time in 437 years, colder than Barry Bonds (like any college student wouldn't jump to their school's rival if they were suddenly offered free tuition).
Really, it shouldn't be a very difficult decision. If I am lucky enough to be in the stands when Roger Clemens returns to Fenway Park, I will stand up and cheer for perhaps the greatest right-handed pitcher in baseball history. I will for a moment push aside petty annoyances with his uniform choice and applaud greatness as it stands before me.
At some point the accomplishments of this incredible man should transcend even the greatest rivalry in sports. Roger Clemens defies records, age and history, capping a marvelous career and padding totals that could make him the best in baseball since World War II; Rob Neyer argues this point excellently in his 2003 (four years ago!) column: http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/neyer_rob/1558124.html.
Actually, I'm pretty appalled that any Sox fan would consider doing otherwise. We, known for our 'knowledge of the game' and proud that at Fenway, we need no prodding from scoreboards and loudspeakers to know when to stand, should know better. As the steroid controversy and Barry Bonds loom over the game, Roger stands as a reminder of what baseball used to be before the home run was king, a relic—perhaps the last relic—from the time of Kirk Gibson and fist-pumping home runs at Dodger Stadium ("I don't believe what I just saw!"), when Chuck Knoblauch still remembered how to throw to first and the average fan had never heard of a steroid.
Who cares if he needs to take a few extra months off to get into baseball shape. He's 45. This time Roger, as every other time, my hat's off to you.
