You Dipped. Then, You Dipped Again.

Now that we are on the subject of the Red Sox Double Dip (when a Red Sox player or critical figure goes elsewhere only to come back again), I've been putting more thought into the whole Clemens possibility.

I guess I am trying to prepare for it, because, like it or not, Roger may be pitching for the Red Sox in June of this year. It's still anyone's guess, I suppose, but stranger things have happened and front office is "all in" on this one, pushing Nipper out on the poker table along with their chips. Although I joked about Doug's return being a joint effort with the marketing department, I think that where Clemens is concerned, marketing has a very clear and distinct role. Even if (huge if, by the way) everything is sealed and it's just a matter of ripping off a few calendar sheets for it to be realized, I am sure that the entire Red Sox machine is sitting on this egg together, waiting for the perfect hatching moment. They know that everyone has a stake in this. NESN, WEEI, ESPN, The Boston Globe (in other words, the NY Times), The Boston Herald, the fans, the evil Dirt Dog, Dunkin Donuts, Bernie and Phyl's, Sports Illustrated - geez, the list is endless, as this could potentially be one of the most powerful stories to break in recent sports history.

Still, I wish he had retired seasons ago. I don't like Clemens and I am offended that the bozo has become part of the WS clinching equation for contending teams. My team, being one. This creates quite a dilemma for me. My morals or my team? Let me illustrate my point. My coworker, Tom, told me about this stock called Vicex today. It's performs exceedingly well, especially when the country has fallen on tougher times. Why? Because it's the tobacco/alcohol/gambling/nuclear arms stock. Tom knows that if he invested in this stock, he'd make some serious cash, but he won't do it for the obvious reason. I see Clemens as Vicex. If I invest in him, I have to somehow put all of the things that I hate about him out of my brain and I don't think I can do it. He crossed the line the day he kissed the Babe Ruth statue outside of Yankee Stadium right before a playoff game against us. Nothing says, "I hate the Red Sox" more than this act and he committed it.

On the other hand, if it comes down to 2 teams for Clemens, and those 2 teams are the Red Sox and the Yankees, I will have to hope that we reacquire him. I won't have a choice. If the Yankees reacquire him, they stand to gain more than just an "edge," especially if we are still forced to use DiNardo in our starting rotation (and that assumes that our remaining staff stays healthy all year long).

I guess, if I can make it about the 2 teams rather than the man himself, it will be easier for me to accept. By rooting for Roger to come to the Red Sox over the Yankees, I am rooting against Steinbrenner. I need to focus on this, especially if Theo gets his wish.

Speaking of rooting against Steinbrenner, the game begins in less than 4 hours. The first Red Sox/Yankees game of the season. Holy crap, I can't wait.