Call to the pen
Fansided

Yankees: What Tino, A-Rod, and Clemens Tell Us About Stanton

By Manny Gómez

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 04: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a third inning three run home run against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 04: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a third inning three run home run against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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New York Yankees
UNITED STATES – CIRCA 2000: New York Yankees’ Roger Clemens pumps his fist after pitching his way out of a jam in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Safeco Field. The Rocket threw 15 strikeouts for a one-hit, complete game shutout over the Seattle Mariners as the Yanks won, 5-0 to take a 3-1 lead in the best of seven series. (Photo by Andrew Savulich/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) /

Rocket

Upon winning the World Series in 1998, their 2nd in three years, the Yankees were able to acquire Roger Clemens from the Toronto Blue Jays in time for the 1999 season.

Prior to being traded to the Yankees, Clemens had won two consecutive Cy Young Awards with the Blue Jays, reestablishing himself as one of the games premier aces. Despite winning 20+ games in two consecutive seasons in Toronto, where he posted a combined 2.33 ERA and 2.44 FIP, Clemens saw his numbers balloon in his first year in Yankees pinstripes.

In 1999, his age-36 season, Clemens posted the worst ERA (4.60), FIP (4.36), and WHIP (1.465) of his career. Fans quickly lost their patience with the “Rocket,” reigning boos upon him after every erratic start and early exit.

That postseason, Roger Clemens didn’t fare any better.

Despite getting his first World Series ring, Clemens did very little to contribute to the feat. After helping to sweep the Texas Rangers in the ALDS by holding them scoreless through 7 IP in game 3, Clemens would be mediocre the rest of the way. In his remaining two starts that postseason, he posted 5.59 ERA in 9.2 IP

The ineffectiveness would carry over to the first two games he pitched in the postseason in 2000, but then, in game 4 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, Roger Clemens would deliver one of the best postseason starts in MLB history.

That game, Clemens pitched a complete game shutout, earning his pinstripes for the first time.

From then on, in 11 postseason starts before leaving to pitch for the Houston Astros, Clemens would post a 2.84 ERA, winning one more ring and becoming the Yankees go-to starter in the postseason.

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