From: nss3@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Noel Steere)
Subject: Re: More Rocket Bashing
Reply-To: nss3@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 05:55:02 GMT

In article <29JUL92.21531172@vax.clarku.edu> hhenderson@vax.clarku.edu writes:
>Yes, Roger Clemens is probably the best pitcher in baseball -- during
>the regular season.  Stop me if I'm wrong, stat fiends, but I consider
>his post-season performance to be underwhelming.  If he pitched in
>October against a championship team the way he pitches, say, in April
>against the Mariners, I doubt that the year 1918 would hold such
>dismal significance for Red Sox fans.

Gee, and I thought it was all Bill Buckner's fault :-).

Which really goes to show you that no one player can be responsible
for how a team does in any game, anywhere.  Be it in April or October.
The reason, of course, being that fans/mediots will each pin the loss
on a different player :-).

Also, realize that Roger pitching so well in April against the
Mariners allowed Roger to pitch in October, for better or worse.

>There are many possible reasons for Roger's ineffectiveness in the
>post-season.  (Drum roll, please -- the Baseball Psychiatrist is
>In.)  My theory, which crystallized after my observation of his
>1990 behavior, is that he flips out under pressure.  He's extremely
>aggressive and hypercompetitive, like most (all?) professional
>athletes, but he can't properly channel these drives.  He gets
>overly pumped for big games, so he presses too hard, loses his
>concentration, and doesn't pitch as well as he should.  Of course,
>since he's normally so great, and he's had Hall of Famer written
>all over him at every stage of his development, nobody has dared
>to try to explain this to him.  He would probably punch a wall
>or throw a tray of lasagna if the matter were broached, anyway.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I personally think
it's unfair to Roger, considering that he's never played on a team
that's been favored to win it all.  Don't forget, the Sox have to win
on the days he doesn't pitch, too.  (see Scott, Mike and '86 NLCS)

Though I agree that Roger probably wouldn't be too willing to broach
the subject :-).  Seriously, though, don't you think that, after
working day in, day out, to reach post-season play, that he'd have a
better idea on how to prepare for the game than you or me?

>My prediction is that, unless Rocket Roger somehow gains the
>ability to deal with pressure, he will never get a World Series
>ring.  I hope I am wrong about this.  My team won in 1986 and
>I promised my Red Sox fan husband that the Sawx could win the
>next time.

My prediction is, unless Lou Gorman somehow gains the ability to
actually make trades during the season, Roger will never get a World
Series ring.

>Heather
>HHENDERSON@vax.clarku.edu
>Jack Clark University, Worcester, MA
^^^^^^^^^^^

:-)

Noel Steere                  |...of the Dave Rossing fan club
GM/Manager, New York Knights |Knights' Run Total: 467 Runs in 93 games
Internet Baseball League     |Projected Season Total: 813  Target: 1000!
nss3@midway.uchicago.edu     |HECTOR VILLANUEVA FOR PRESIDENT
                             |(Heck, the Cubs sure aren't using him!)


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