Over and Out

About two years ago, there was a part of me that wanted to see Roger Clemens join the Red Sox for (what I thought would be) his final season(s). It was largely sentimental -- Clemens was, of course, the pivotal player on that magical 1986 team, and it would have completed a circle of sorts to see him finish out his career twenty years later in the same uniform. The "generational" aspect of having him pitch alongside Curt Schilling (who had admired Clemens as a youngster in the Red Sox farm system) and Josh Beckett (who had, in turn, admired Schilling), was also intriging.

Instead, Clemens spent 2005 with the pennant-winning Astros, then part of 2006 with a vastly depleted Astros team. Free again, media talk heated up again this winter that as to whether or not he'd retire, and, failing that, which team would sign him -- either his hometown Astros, the Red Sox, or the Yankees, where he had won a World Series ring.

But to sign the Rocket, you'd have to play by his rules -- he won't consent to being required to travel with the team unless he's scheduled to pitch; he wants to travel back home between starts; and he wants to pretty much do his own thing. Some who have played with Clemens have called him a great teammate. That may be -- but this attitude sounds more like a prima donna.

So, to learn today that Clemens has signed with the Yankees for the duration of the season, my only reaction is ***yawn***. If he wants to spend the twilight of his career with a last-place team, and if Big George wants to invest untold millions in a 45-year-old pitcher who plays by his own set of rules, I really don't care. The novelty of Clemens finishing his career in Boston ended for me a while ago. I have plenty of memories of 1986-1991 that will comfort me at night, and I haven't quite forgotten how he mailed in his last few seasons in the Hub. This reporter is tired of his act and, at this point, really wishes he would just go away.

Astronaut Actifed

Wally Schirra has died. NASA also has an obituary. He was, of course, one of the original "Mercury 7" astronauts and the only astronaut to fly in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

His passing comes just a few days after his fellow Mercury astronaut, L. Gordon Cooper, was in the news.

Of "We Seven," now only John Glenn and Scott Carpenter remain. Ironically, John Glenn was the oldest of the Mercury astronauts.

So much for gathering no Moss...

The Patriots acquired Randy Moss on draft day. Obviously, a change in direction from an organization that has tried to build a franchise around character. We'll see how this works -- it did, after all, for Corey Dillon. My initial take is that they didn't really give up too much (a few low draft picks that would have been gambles anyway), and figured it was worth a shot. We'll see...

Several articles here.