Only A Few Shopping Days Left Until Joba Day......and Nats Notes

If there is one story in baseball that you can't get away from right now it is Joba's gearing up for his first start. If you ask me it seems like every sports writer and Yankee hater alike is hoping that Joba will fail miserably. The truth is that no one knows what is going to happen next week, and one start will not be enough to make a determination on his effectiveness in the role. I do think that at this point Chamberlin is better prepared mentally to start than either Kennedy or Hughes was. Aside from his natural lights out ability he has benefited from having more opportunities to throw without the pressure of lasting six or seven innings. It just goes to show you that you can't rush a young player, pitchers especially, into roles they are not ready for. But I suppose I need to make a prediction even though all of my predictions for this year have been further off the mark than my friend Matt's tune at Karaoke. I think Joba is going to do well, but I think that Girardi sticks to the rules and only lets him go 6 innings or 75 pitches, whichever comes first. I imagine that he will give up a run or two early until the adrenaline settles down and he finds his grove, but overall I think he no doubt has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league. But even if he doesn't there is no love lost, I wouldn't shed a single tear if instead of being the next great starting pitcher he became the next Mariano Rivera.

Nat's Notes

In case you weren't watching, and let's face it no one was, the Nat's won last night thanks to a grand slam home run off the bat of Jesus Flores. I can't believe that it took a five million dollar flush of the toilet with Do'h Luca to finally get this guy regular playing time. Now I know that I sound like a broken record but Flores has earned the right to be the every day catcher. If not this year (thanks for nothing Paul) then certainly next year.

Kennedy to DL

I suppose this was inevitable but in case you haven't heard Kennedy left last nights game with a strained lat and will be placed on the 15 day DL. I have gone back and forth on the question of putting Joba in the rotation but now the Yankees don't have a choice unless they want to risk calling up Igawa. That just isn't a long term solution. So Joba will have an extended relief session tonight and look for him to make his first start sometime late next week. My fingers, toes, arms and legs are crossed tight.

My Kind of Town...And A Public Service Announcment if You Plan to Visit DC This Summer

For memorial day weekend I went to Chicago. I had been there once before but only for a short business trip so I had never really had the chance to look around the city. Of course since I had the opportunity I took the red line train to Wrigleyville and checked out the park. Even though the Cubs were in Pittsburgh and I didn't actually get to see a game I have to say that I was more than impressed with the iconic building. Cubs fans are going to scoff at me but I always knew that you could watch games from the buildings across the street from the park, but what I didn't know was that those buildings actually have stadium style seating built onto their roofs. Definitely a must see for anyone who even casually follows baseball. Pictures to follow tomorrow (hopefully).

In case you didn't have a chance to watch any baseball over the long weekend you missed the Yankees thoroughly embarrassing the Mariners. Certainly a much needed display of power for the bombers. I don't want to jinx anything but I think that the season may be turning a corner for the better. Whats more, Posada is starting to throw in extended spring training games and could return soon. But what really surprises me is that once again the Rays sit alone on top of the AL East with the best record in all the majors. The question will be how much endurance do they have. I doubt they can play at this level all the way through the season, but if as predicted they finish with around 85 wins they could be seeing their first postseason appearance in franchise history. Is it too much to pray that it is at the expense of the red sox instead of the Yankees?

Public Service Announcement

On a completely unrelated topic, a little public service announcement if I may. The memorial day weekend marks the beginning of the onslaught of tourists in our nations capital. I have always felt that as a resident of the District I am somewhat of an ambassador to tourist whether they be domestic or foreign. So often, and in some cases for good reason, we DCists get frustrated with slow moving, METRO-illiterate tourists. However as residents of Washington we should be willing to help them. Not only are helpful locals good for the impression of our city, but also our country. You wouldn't invite a guest over for dinner and yell at them for walking up the steps too slowly while they admire your front lawn would you? That being said, if you are planning a trip to DC this summer there are a few things to keep in mind to make our job of host easier and to lessen the possibility of an angry exchange from a local:

• I can not stress this enough, while in DC please stand to the right and walk to the left on our escalators. It doesn't matter if you are on the Metro or the Mall, if you are on an escalator and are standing on the left eventually SOMEONE WILL YELL AT YOU. And I mean it when I say yell. So do yourselves a favor and just stand to the right.
• Plan your trips into the city so that you don't hit rush hours. Trust me, when the humidity sets in you do not want to be packed onto a full train with a backpack and a stroller. And don't think you will just blend in, we can spot a wounded tourist in a heartbeat.
• Get an all day pass. Don't even bother trying to figure out how much it is going to cost to go from point A to point B just to save a buck or two. Get an all day pass which is valid AFTER 9:00 in the morning (see the avoid rush hour rule). It saves time at the kiosk too.
• Go see a Nationals Game. Take the Metro to the Green line Navy Yard stop. It isn't marked on most maps yet but trust me it is worth checking out while you are here.
• Don't take any cabs that don't have metered fares. According to DC law any cab that doesn't have a meter as of June 1, 2008 is subject to a $1,000 fine. There has been huge backlash about switching from the zone system to the meter system. Don't be the victim of an angry cabbie who refuses to follow the law and who wants to charge you whatever he wants.
• DC was built on swamp land and has ridiculous humidity in the summer. Dress appropriately and bring water, nothing annoys locals more than a tourist passed out blocking the sidewalk at rush hour.

Chamberlin to the Rotation, Girardi to the corner

In case you missed it Joe Girardi threw a fit last night over a questionable foul tip call. Whats more classic than a manager kicking dirt on an umpire? I love it, and it seemed to do the trick for the team last night too. To be honest this is just the type of intensity and fire that has been lacking from the team all season.

I'm also happy to say that even though Ian Kennedy didn't get the win, he did have a solid outing going six innings and only giving up one run. The fans even gave him a standing ovation. Way to go kid. The problem for Kennedy is that Rasner is looking great and ......are you ready.......CHAMBERLIN IS BEING MOVED INTO THE STARTING ROTATION. This could be adios for Kennedy, at least for a while assuming that Chamberlin does well. We will see.

On a side note, I would just like to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

Rock Bottom

That's what Girardi is hoping this is anyway, but who knows given how unbelievably horrible the Yankees are right now. And Moose......didn't even last through the first inning, although I am still going to give him some breathing room . I've written a couple of posts for my buddy Abbott on how bad I feel for the O's and how if only they could designate their owner for assignment. Well I'm not going to shed any tears for Baltimore today since their talons seem to be growing bigger by the day.

This Yankees team is clearly frustrated. Last night that spilled over in the form of errors and near brawls. They just can't keep players healthy, and the ones they do have are putting up fewer runs than my 3 1/2 year old nephew. Girardi wants to take the blame but the fact of the matter is that he isn't the one swinging (or not swinging) the bats. It is so hard to watch but this team clearly is one that needs to self destruct before it is able to rise again to glory. I just wish this all wasn't happening the last year in the stadium.

I'll try to put together some Nationals Notes later on today, this is all just too depressing for me right now.

A Steep Hill to Climb, and Don't Overlook Guzman (Nats Notes)

The Yankees are now six games out of first after a disappointing set of losses to the Mets this weekend. I'm not panicking, but at this point with the rest of the division playing as well as it is the battle back into the wild card spot is going to be long and tough. Unfortunately the Sox are not going anywhere, but I do expect the Orioles and Toronto to fall from site sometime in the not too distant future. In the East that leaves the Rays who the Yankees have had trouble with this year, but lets also not disregard the fact that Cleveland is strong and that the Tigers are sure to turn it on big time sooner or later. In short I am keeping the faith, but the reality is that the chances of the Yankees missing the playoffs altogether this year are alarmingly higher than they have been in over a decade.

Nats Notes

The Nationals don't have any high profile superstars this year. In fact aside from Soriano's brief stay since the team has really never had a superstar since they relocated. Until now Zimmerman has been taking the role of DC hero, especially after his walkoff homer in the 9th to win the first game at the new stadium. Even though Zimmerman has huge potential, fans need to stop over looking the contributions of Christian Guzman. The Nats shortstop is really the only consistently productive player on the team right now. Actually Aaron Boone is doing pretty well too but since he isn't quite an every day player I'm leaving him out of this discussion. Take a look at Guzman's numbers:

Guzman

G -43 AB-188 AVG .298 OBP .321 SLG .447 OPS.768

Now compare those with Zimmerman
G-44 AB-184 AVG .245 OBP .276 SLG.424 OPS.699

Guzman is having a decent season and deserves to be acknowledged. No disrespect to Zimmerman who I am sure will improve as the season progresses, but until he does, look to short to be the one thing Nationals fan can rely on this year.

I'm Stocking Up My Bomb Shelter

There are some things that you only expect to see a few times, if ever, in your lifetime. Events that are so rare you always remember where you were when you saw them. I'm talking about things like a solar Eclipse, a meteor crashing to earth in front of your eyes, and of course....this...

Now I know that the picture quality didn't come out as well as I had hoped but your eyes are not deceiving you. The Rays are in first place and The Yankees in last. I'm happy for Tampa don't get me wrong, but in the past few days I have been talking a lot about signs of impending Armageddon and the Apocalypse and this is pretty much the third horse man right here.

The only normal thing happening so far this season is that Ian Kennedy sucked again last night. No big change there. It started out bad with a lead off home run but then it calmed down. Heck he didn't give up anything in the second, I was actually thinking he had figured some stuff out. But inevitably the floodgates were pried open and a flurry of runs came in as usual. I think Ian's only hope at this point is to hope that the end comes before he embarrasses himself again in his next start.

Now I'm off to my bomb shelter, I just hope my internet connection works down there.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

A Steinbrenner going of the deep end has become an as much of a part of spring as Daffodils, Easter Egg Hunts, or April showers. Love him or hate him, George Steinbrenner made these annual rants one of his signature pieces of work (now whether or not it actually motivates the players is arguable) but usually its no big deal, its just Georgie being Georgie. But when sonny boy Hank Steinbrenner went off I just cringed. I suppose I had foolishly hoped that these rants would retire with big Stien, but I guess the apple truly does not fall far from the tree. But let's get off the topic of the Steinbrenners because frankly they are getting paid a lot of money to not be managing the team well.

Ian Kennedy is slated to start tonight as the Yankees play the final game of their four game series against the AL Leading Rays.* It's an understatement to say that tonight is a big night for I-Ken. Hopefully the pressure wont get to him too much. At the very least the momentum from last nights win (MOOOOOSE) should help calm the jitters a little. So Ian, get out there and make us all look stupid.

Now normally I wouldn't blog about anything Red Sox unless it involves some sort of odd virus that magically made their fans go temporally mute from April through October. But, last night I have to say that Manny's Willie Mays-Hayes-esq play was pretty impressive. In case you didn't see it, Ramierez made a running catch, jumped up into the stands and high fived a fan, and then still made the play at second. I can only imagine that Terry Francona in his best Lou Brown impression said "Nice catch, (Manny). Don't ever fuckin' do it again." In the end the giant Talons of the Orioles proved to be too much for the Red Sox who blew a three nothing lead. Ok, I guess this little walk on the dark side does have a happy ending.

Nats Notes

Nats 5 Mets 3

Ryan Zimmerman upped his average to .240 last night in part thanks to a long home run that may have hit the capital dome. Jesus Flores hit a tie breaking single in the 7th. I continue to argue that Flores is on the verge of being an incredible catcher and should very soon be an every day starter for the Nationals. I just hope they don't do something stupid like trade him.

The Nats are still far behind the pack and will be for some time, but if the Rays can do it, so can the Nats. Maybe not this year, but their time will come soon enough.




*Many thanks to the Washington Express who quoted yesterdays post in the blog log today. This is the second time that it has happened and each time I get so excited I want to tap the person sitting next to me on the metro and say, hey look, this is me. You have to actually download today's print edition to see the quote, but if you do it is on page 36.

It's May 14th and.....

The Rays are in first place in the AL East. In short, I am speechless.

Devil Be Gone

In what is surely another sign of global warming, the slowing economy, and Armageddon, The Rays are now six games over .500 after laying down the hammer on the Yankees 7-1 last night. It begs the question, what else could we improve by simply removing the word "Devil" from its name? Would Devil's Food Cake suddenly become a healthier alternative to soy milk? Would deviled eggs and Deviled ham suddenly taste good? Who knows, but the way that the Ray's have been able to improve this year is astounding, especially when you consider the schedule that they are playing.

Speaking of schedules and the Rays, Ian Kennedy has been recalled from Scranton after only 1 outing (and one inning this past Monday) in Scranton. Kennedy will start in the place of Igawa in the series finale versus the Ray's this Thursday. Conventional wisdom would suggest that this is a terrible idea and that the kid needs much more time to get his ducks in a row. But the truth is, what other option do the Yankees have? I suppose they could go to a four man rotation but it is too early in the season for that and you risk overworking the guys who are actually being productive. So, I guess I support the move albeit with reservations.

Nationals Notes

Nats 10 - Mets 4

This can't be right can it? The Nats really beat up on the Mets that badly? Well somehow, finally, the Nats were able to get hits with runners in scoring position. Although it seems like some bad blood may be a-brewing between these two clubs:

After getting the third out of the third inning, Figueroa turned toward the
Nationals dugout and made a mock clapping gesture into his glove in response to
what he perceived was the Washington bench's rhythmic clapping for his walk and
error during the inning.
Figueroa was not happy afterward.
"They were
cheering in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls," he said. "I am a
professional, I take great offense to that. ... They won tonight, but in the
long run, look who they are, a last-place team."
Milledge defended his
teammates: "We didn't try to rattle him. We're trying to get our guys going."

You know what, maybe a good bench clearing brawl wouldn't be a bad thing to get the Nats motivated. Just keep the elderly clear of Pedro Martinez when you do it.

Days of Agony

DAVID WELLS?!?!?!? Are You kidding me????? Sorry, maybe I should back up a little bit. In case you haven't heard yet, rumor has it that David "Jack and Coke" Wells is interested in playing another season for New York. Hank Steinbrenner apparently hasn't ruled it out. I'm shaking my head as I write this. Perhaps he has forgotten that Wells is notorious for not staying in playing condition. He may have handled it ok when he was in his 20's and 30's, but the guy is 45 years old now. Not to mention....DOESN'T STEINBRENNER REMEMBER GAME 5 OF THE 2003 WORLD SERIES WHEN WELLS LEFT AFTER HARDLY AN INNING OF WORK!!?? Sorry, but that memory is simply unforgivable. I suppose Well's is basing his comeback on the idea that a six pack a day keeps the back pain away.

Let me put it this way, signing Clemens last year was a bad mistake in a desperate time. The Yankees are not quite as desperate this year but even if they were, signing Wells would be of a scale similar to that of the Hindenburg disaster. So David, please, we all know that you have been a Yankees fan, or at least a Babe Ruth fan your entire life. Heck, I even thought it was cool that you would sometimes wear Babe's hat when you pitched....but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't even try this. If you need the money just let us know and we will start a "Keep Wells Where He Is" charity.

Speaking of mistakes let's talk briefly about Kei Igawa. Spending 40 million on a guy who has no business in the majors is a good investment right? Geez, we couldn't even give this guy to San Diego last year. You know it's bad when your team is praying for rain so that they can skip your start. Igawa just isn't ready for prime time, and in my opinion never will be.

Injury update

A-Rod appears to be doing well in his recovery. Not a moment too soon considering Wilson Betemit left Saturday's game in the fourth inning with a strained right hamstring. Betemit will join what seems like the rest of the Yankees 40 man roster on the 15 day DL. Nothing much on Posada yet, but he did take some swings the other day. I suppose that is encouraging, although it isn't his hitting that was the problem, it was his throwing.

Not Much I can Say Today and Nationals Notes

As a sports blogger it can get pretty difficult trying to think up ways to spin things when your teams keep losing. I'm pretty confident that the Yankees will still be able to pull a 30 game winning streak out of the bag at some point this season (ok, let's just shoot for a 10 game streak) but until that starts to happen here I sit suffering through my morning ritual of box scores, recaps, and lately.....injury reports. (sigh) Let's just move onto Nationals Notes, at least I can spin that one a little bit better.

Nationals Notes

Ryan Zimmerman blasted two home runs against Houston last night, but that still wasn't enough as the Astros won thier 5th straight 4-3 over the Nats. It's frustrating to see the Nat's losing games by just a run, but at least Zimmerman is starting to get hits again (see how I spinned that there) Now if only they could cut out all the Bush League errors.

In other news Matt Chico has been demoted to the bullpen. I suppose it was only a matter of time considering his 0-5 record. Then again with the Nationals record what it is right now there are very few pitchers in the Nationals rotation who fare much better.

End of Days

Yes it is true, Joba Chamberlin cost the Yankees a win last night against Cleveland. Is time to panic? Give me a break. Anyone who seriously thinks that this wasn't bound to happen sooner or later, or that Chamberlin has lost it clearly doesn't have thier head screwed on tight. No pitcher can win all the time and EVERY pitcher gives up home runs now and then. The only difference in Joba's situation is that it hasn't happened to him much.....yet. Not to mention the even more intense spotlight he is under thanks to the the struggles of the other two youngsters. I'm just glad it happened before Joba's inevitable move into the starting rotation. If this had happened with Joba as a starter people would be heading for bomb shelters right now equating it with a sure sign of Armageddon. It isn't, so put away the "Repent" signs, the end is not near, this is just baseball....it happens.

Speaking of youngsters Ian Kennedy had a good start in AAA Scranton last night going 7 innings, giving up one hit, and striking out 8. He even had a no hitter going into the 5th inning. That's good to see because clearly it means that Kennedy still has his stuff, he just needs to work on being under the spotlight. I'm also glad that he is committed to getting called back up and he isn't just hanging his head wallowing is self pity. Still, it remains to be seen if he can ever be a true ace. Most scouts put him as a four or five starter at his best. After what we have seen so far that seems to be holding true but hey, you never know. Kennedy may not throw high heat, but if he could develop a good knuckleball* he could be right back on top.



*It amazes me that there are so few guys throwing knuckleballs

Schilling To Throw After He Kills Off The Polar Bears

~~It's no secret how much I hate Curt Schilling. So since both the Yankees and the Nats were off last night enjoy this satirical ESPN article. If you want to read the original story here is the link.




Red Sox's Jerk ready to test shoulder, will throw Tuesday


Was rehab the right route for Curt Schilling? It looks like the Boston Red Sox are about to find out.


The Asshole himself


The 41-year-old terrorist, who is the 60-day disabled list with a limp wrist, will throw for the first time this season on Tuesday.


"There's a burning down a Red Cross aid station feeling to it," Schilling told the Boston Herald. "Considering where I was four months ago and what the options were ... I guess if I was robbing girl scouts, this would be the pretending to be the crossing guard part."
Osama Bin Schilling is scheduled to throw 25 pitches from 60 feet. If that goes well, he will begin a regular throwing program.


"Now that the baby seal hunt in Canada is over he's got himself to the point where he's excited he's getting to do it," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's another step."


Early in spring training, Schilling's course of treatment became a sort of melodrama.


Schilling said he would have preferred a colonoscopy, but the team insisted he try rehab. The right-hander said he had a career ending injury which he kept a secret when he agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract with the Red Sox in November.


Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas Gill recommended a suture for Schillings ever expanding asshole. Schilling sought a second opinion from Dr. Craig Morgan, a veterinarian, who operated on Schilling in 1995 and 1999. Morgan felt strongly that a colonoscopy was best and that rehabilitation would fail -- and potentially, hopefully, end Schilling's career.


A third doctor, New York Mets team physician Dr. David Altchek, said Schilling is a dick.


The club and the pitcher had originally hoped he could be back around the All-Star break. Now, it's uncertain when he might return, but at least Tuesday's a start.


"It's tough to come back after spending so much time at the north pole with a hair dryer melting the ice pack in order to speed up the extinction of Polar bears," Schilling told the Herald. "We're finding the way I work in tests and everything that after the recovery day I'm immensely better. There's a very short window but there are tangible results.


"It's been a long couple of months, but every time you see a polar bear drown its worth it."
If he returns, it would be the 21st season of a career that's included....blah blah blah blah.

Adios Ian....Woah There Joba

It was only a matter of time before Ian Kennedy was given a bus ticket back to AAA and Darrell Rasner was sent to the head of the class. I feel bad for the kid considering how well he threw at the end of last season and how much promise he still has. But numbers are numbers and you can't stay in the show with an 8.37 era. The short and simple of it is that Kennedy has been losing games for us. A game here and there is understandable, but to lose every time you start is simply unacceptable. His trip to Scranton should help him figure a few things out. If it doesn't hopefully we can get him looking like the top prospect he used to be so that we can at least pawn him off for someone else. Regardless, I have come to the decision that it is NOT time to move Joba up into the rotation, at least until maybe after the all star break.

It just goes to show you how difficult pitching in the Majors really is. I've tried unsuccessfully to to figure out the percentage of minor league pitchers who end up in the big leagues, and of those, the percentage who have a respectable era and winning record. I don't know the number but I would be willing to be that it is around 8%. That's pretty darn low considering any kid who even gets drafted into the minors has some potential and most likely can throw at least 90 mph. That's not even to mention the physical toll that pitching takes on the body. There is a reason why fast ball velocity has not changed much in the past century. These guys are throwing the ball at the absolute limits of human ability. When a pitcher throws 100 mph fastball his tendons literally come off from his elbow.

So why not try out Joba in the rotation now? Even if he isn't great as a starter he could still be put back into his roll as a set up artist right? Well yes and no. As we have seen with both Kennedy and Hughes, rushing a young pitcher into the rotation with somewhat unreasonable expectations takes not only a physical toll, but a mental one as well. I think that both Hughes and Kennedy caved to that mental pressure and it had an effect on their ability to control the ball, win games, and in the case of Hughes may have ultimately led to him ignoring his injuries until they got even worse. It is nothing new. Almost all young players go through it at first, but few rookies in that situation are being asked to be a starting pitcher for a Yankees organization suffering through such extreme growing pains. Chamberlin is not exempt from any of those same spotlight issues. Whenever it finally does happen Joba is going to be under more pressure to preform than any young pitcher in recent history. And Talk about un realistic expectations, there is no way that Chamberlin will be able to make it through 7, 8, 9 innings the way he makes it through 1 or 2 as a set up man. He is going to start to give up some runs, even home runs, and that inevitably will make people wonder if he is really the iron man we all thought he was. In my opinion he is that iron man which is why there is no reason to rush it. The more time he has on the mound the better prepared he and the fans will be on the days where he just doesn't have it. Not to mention the fact that the Yankees need him to work on his other pitchers and let him get comfortable with them again. You can't win consistently against teams like Boston and Detroit with only one pitch.

Loving Honesty, and Nationals Notes

Dear Ian,

Hey buddy, how have you been? How's the new wife, the house, the dog? I would ask you about your job but look Ian, I have seen you pitch this season and I am afraid it is time for a session of loving honesty. You just are not ready for the show yet. I know it's been kind of tough living under the shadow of your buddy Joba, but you need to worry about you. I didn't want to bring this up but the truth is that you are hear and Santana isn't, that means you have a lot to prove. So next week when Cashman asks you to head to Scranton do it with your head up. There is no shame in being sent back to the minors, just make sure you use that time to fine tune everything. Don't get so worked up about the demotion that you lose your ambition. Remember Ian, being a Yankee is a privilege you have to earn.

Your Buddy,
Bruce

Nationals Notes

Manny Acta's man crush on Austin Kearns surprises a lot of people, including me. Sure, he is hard working and he has a ton of potential, but a .194 batting average (even after last night) is still south of the Mendoza line. Well finally for one day Austin gets to have his day in the sun, and Acta gets to pat him on the ass for a legitimate reason. Last night Austin broke a tie with a two out RBI single in the eighth inning putting the Nat's up 3-2 for their fourth consecutive win.

When you think about it the Nationals record really isn't that surprising, nor is it surprising that they are starting to rally now. If you look back at the schedule they have played through April you will see that the have ONLY matched up against the best teams in the National League. Finally they are going to be facing off with teams they can beat. Three more against Pittsburgh and then off to Houston before the Marlins come back next weekend. This is the time they need to win a lot of games, if anything just to build momentum. Hitting is contagious and if just one of these guys really starts to break out I guarantee others will follow.

Entire Scranton AAA Team To Replace Yankees, More Rocket Romance,

This is starting to sound like an Onion article, but for God Sake now Phil Hughes is packing his bags for the DL thanks to a strained oblique. By the end of the week the only person left on the team will be Joba Chamberlin. No doubt Steinbrenner will want Joba to play every position, including pitching to himself. At least the Nationals won last night in the 12th inning. They are now officially on a winning streak.



Rocket Romance



Yet another of Roger's affairs has surfaced. According to the The New York Daily News Rocket had a relationship with Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of champion golfer John Daly. You may be wondering who will be next on Roger's hit parade. Well we here at 567 Miles From Home are going to take all the guess work out of you and break the story first....here we go with a list of Rogers other flings:






Miley Cyrus

Always a fan of Hannah Montana Clemens nearly lost it when he found out that Cyrus is 15 years old. Reportedly, Clemens was spotted earlier this year escorting the teen star to the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards. Clemens claims the two are just friends, but close ups of Cyrus' neck show what appear to be K shaped hickeys.

Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K)

Former Red Sox teammates claim that Clemens took a fancy to Coach K in the late 80's after Clemens openly fantasied about having a child with K in his first AND last name. While Krzyzewski has not commented on the affair, a spokesperson from Duke University released a statement saying that the two remain close friends but that the relationship was completely appropriate.





Ashley Alexandra Dupre




The New York Post is reporting that after the story broke about Elliot Spitzer's call girl, New York Post employees received numerous phone calls requesting Dupre's telephone number from the same person. "It was ridiculous" said one Post employee, "we kept getting these phone calls from a man with what was obviously a fake Asian accent asking for Dupre's home phone number. When we finally traced the calls back to Clemens house I said Roger, I know this is you, and then the phone suddenly went dead."