European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 b the stars and stripes thursday april 25, 1991commentary reigns by Tom Verducci. A a a anew Day a. George Brett once took a vow he never would be caught on Kansas City a clubhouse commode whenever it was to Jackson a turn at Bat. Save the Royal flush for later Brett figured. He knew Jackson might do something amazing even historic with any Given trip to the plate. So he always stayed put. There Are Only two pitchers in the game who can command that sort of riveting attention Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. Each time they take the Mound they threaten to do something we Haven to seen before. In Clemens Case that could mean striking out 20 batters or putting on War paint and yapping at an Umpire. J 7 7. A 7 77. A every time Roger goes out there to pitch a Catcher Tony Pena said a we feel like we have a 95-percent Chance of has never been More True than this month. Clemens entering his Start Boston tuesday night against Toronto had allowed Only one run in 25 innings in his first three starts. His strikeout to walk ratio was 27 to 1. Though he pitches Only once every five Days his contribution and his presence Are so Large As to influence Boston in the four Days in Between. His 3-0 Victory enabled Boston to win its sixth in a Row taking Over first place in the american league East. Clemens 4-0, went seven innings strik ingot seven. A the Way we look at it if we have a two game or three game losing Streak we know Roger is going to Stop it a designated hitter Jack Clark said. A and if we win the first two games of a series and Roger is Pilch ing the third we feel confident we have ourselves a a sweep a a a a a a a a a a a a. a a said third baseman Wade Boggs a the Only Way you could be any better than he a been would be to give up no runs instead of one. He a been virtually can anybody touch Clemens apparently the Only Man who can is the commissioner of baseball and even Fay Vincent has not been too eager to step in against Clemens. It has been 196 Days since Terry Cooney threw Clemens out of game 4 of the american league championship series and still the matter is unsettled. Only twinkies have a greater shelf life than the Clemens Case. You wonder if Clemens and the red sox get off to the same Start if baseball does no to need More than six months to process a suspension. Clemens was supposed to be suspended for the first five Days of the season and fined $10,000. But after several delays he appealed the ruling to american league president Bobby Brown a and lost. So he took his Case to Vincent who heard the Appeal Friday but has taken enough time deciding whether to allow Clemens another Start against the jays. Vincent is expected to announce his decision any. Day now. A a a a a a a a a. A a a a a. A a a a. A _ in the meantime the reprieved Clemens is influencing the balance of Power in the Al East. It is not insignificant that two of his four starts have come against Toronto which appears to be the Only team capable of finishing ahead of Boston. It happens that Clemens is 11-4 in his career against the Blue jays after tuesdays happens if Dana Kiecker or Tom Bolton or Greg Harris had to pitch one of those games and would Clemens be in this Groove if he missed his first Start. A a a a a. A _ 1 a 7 a a 7 a a a a a a a a a a. A a there a nothing wrong with getting a Start off a Clemens said. A but not right now. I have a certain rhythm going. In Mon my game. Later in the year you mind a ,. The Blue jays at least publicly have not complained about Clemens stays of execution. We have no fear a outfielder Joe Carter said. If we take advantage of the opportunities we get we can beat him.�?�. A a r Vav Quot a a a a a if nothing else Clemens has proven beyond any ones doubt what sort of competitor he is he signed a $21,521 million contract during the Winter and unlike people such As Mark Langston Robin Yount and Mark Davis has had no problem shouldering the Burden of big Money. A and in addition to his problems with Cooney Clemens has a Misdemeanour indictment hanging Over his head. He is scheduled to appear in a Houston court on May 16 to defend his actions in a barroom a Brawl. 7 \ a. A a a it is laughable now to think that Detroit one of 18 teams to pass on Clemens in the 1983 draft did not want him because its scouts thought he lacked mental toughness at the University of Texas. Despite All the controversy around him Clemens started his first three games against Dave Stieb Greg Swindell and Bret Saberhagen received a total of 11 runs to work with and came out of it 3-0. A a in a programmed to be a robot a Clemens said. A i can pitch this intensely for 35 starts but it would be Nice to get a Blowout after a in 1986, Clemens started 14-0 a including the Start against Seattle in which he fanned 20 a on his Way to a 24-4 season. It looked like a career year but now he is threatening to do it again Clemens said he received Many favourable Breaks during that 14-0 Start. He claimed that a so far he has not received any Breaks this time. Evidently he does not count the ones provided by Brown Vincent and ing wheels of baseball a Justice botox Blank jays. By the associated press Boston Roger Clemens does no to have to feel Good to pitch proved it again tuesday night. Clemens extended his scoreless Streak to 30 innings with seven shutout frames and the red sox Defeated Toronto 3-0 for their sixth straight Victory. Clemens 4-0 gave up five hits struck out seven and walked four. He is the top Winner Iri the major leagues and has not allowed a run since the second inning on opening Day in Toronto. A after the first couple of innings i did no to throw the Ball Well a Clemens said. A i had to work hard and depend on my defense. I thought i could go out there and relax a Little bit but i get my legs Clemens is still awaiting a decision by commissioner Fay Vincent on his Appeal of a five game suspension. In the meantime Clemens has made four starts and switched 32 innings giving up one run an .28 Era on 17 hits. He has struck out 34 and walked five. Ltd i done to feel a whole lot different a Clemens said of his last Start. A like tonight though in a throwing As Well As i have to right now. That a the key. All my games have been pretty close and there Isnit much room for error with a 1-0 Lead. You can to let a Guy hit the Ball out of the Ballpark in that situation a Wade Boggs and Mike Greenwoll hit Solo Home runs. Boggs hit his third Homer of the season and second in two Days connecting in the third with a 425-foot shot off Rookie Denis Boucher 0-1. In other tuesday games royals 6, indians 0 Cleveland storm Davis pitched a five hitter for his first shutout since 1985 and Kirk Gibson homered for the third straight game As Kansas City prevailed. It was the fourth time the indians have been blanked in 12 games this season. They Are 1-4 at Home. Davis 2-1 pitched his first Complete american league game of the season and Only his third in the last five years walking none and striking out four. He is 10-2 lifetime against Cleveland including 6-0 at Cleveland Sta. Drum. Eric King 1-2 lasted 4 is. Innings giving up six runs and 10 5, tigers 0 new York a Don Mattingly ended the longest Home run drought in Nis career at 312 at bats and Dave Eiland and Steve Farr combined on a four hitter to Lead new York. Mattingly had not homered since May 20 before connecting for a Solo shot in the first inning off Frank Tanana 1-2. Mat tingly missed six weeks late last season with Back 6, Brewers 5. Milwaukee Pinch hitter Mike Stanley squeezed Home the go ahead run in the 11th inning giving Goose Gossage his first win since 1989. Nick Capra Drew a one out walk from Chuck Crim 1-1 and took third on Brian Downing a single. Dan Plesac relieved and Stanley bunted his first pitch Down the third base line on a suicide squeeze. Gossage 1-0 got two outs for his first Victory since sept. 7, 1989, with the new York Yankees. Jeff Russell pitched the Lith for his third 2, Angels 0 Anaheim Calif. Scott Bankhead coming Back this year from his second shoulder surgery pitched seven Strong innings As Seattle matched the team Mark of eight straight victories in 1985. The mariners lost their first six games of the season Bankhead 1-1 won for the first time since september 1989. He gave up five hits walked none and struck out three. Russ Swan relieved for his first save. Seattle scored twice in the first off Scott Lewis 1-1. Edgar Martinez and Pete new York s Bob Gercon dives under Detroit a Mickey Tettleton for a second inning run. Of Brien hit rib singles with two outs. Athletics 7, twins 5 Minneapolis a Terry Steinbach hit a three run Homer in the first inning and Jose Canseco stole Home As Oakland stopped a five game losing Streak. The a a had not lost six straight since 1986. Rookie Kirk Dressendorfe 2-1 gave up six hits in 51/3 innings. Dennis Eckersley allowed Greg Gagney Sladoff Home run in the ninth but settled Down for his fifth save. Steinbach hit his first Home run of the season off Mark Guthrie 0-2canseco stole Home As part of a double steal in the third and Dave Henderson hit an rib double in the fourth for a 6-0 Lead. Henderson has a 12-game hitting Streak and is batting .440 with 14 Bis in that spa White sox 10, orioles 4 Chicago a Frank Thomas Robin Ventura and Craig Grebeck hit Home runs As the White sox waited out a two hour rain delay and won their third straight game. A a Joe Orsulak and Tim Hulett homered for Baltimore which has lost five of six. Thomas hit his second Home run in two Days a two run shot in the second inning. He hit a two run double in the fifth that chased Dave Johnson 1-2. Jack Mcdowell 3-1 gave up three runs on eight hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and w asked two
