Return Of The Rocket

It was quite a sports weekend and bear with me as I review and comment:

I have to start with the cheesy dog-and-pony show the Yankees used to announce they had won the Roger Clemens sweepstakes, an annual lottery
in which a major league baseball team pays a ridiculous sum of money to lure “The Rocket” out of retirement AGAIN. During the 7th inning stretch Sunday in the Bronx the Yanks directed their fans to the owner’s box where Clemens (in a suit and Yankee cap) announced he was back. Later we learned the 44-year old had agreed to a pro-rated $28 million contract that kicks in when he is added to the major league roster, which could be by the end of the month. Clemens is expected to make more than $18 million and does not have to travel on road trips in which he’s not scheduled to pitch. While he’s one of the all-time greats and still probably has gas left in the tank the whole process sums us much of what’s wrong with pro sports today.

Give credit to NBC Sports for their terrific overhead shots of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby in which you could clearly see how “Street Sense” came from 19th place to win the race. It was pretty amazing how jockey Calvin Borel patiently stayed on the rail and passed tired horses until he found an opening to eventually win by 2 ½ lengths. “Street Sense” will try and become the 7th Derby winner in the last 11 years to also capture the Preakness at Pimlico in a couple of weeks.

Tiger Woods won another golf tournament this weekend, his 9th victory in the last 12 events he’s played in. What more can you say?

The hockey season is over in our area with the Rangers knocked out of the playoffs a day after the Devils. By the way who does Lou Lamoriello now get to coach the Devils? I mean the guy coming in must know that the first sign of trouble and he’s out and will be replaced by his own boss.

Congratulations to the Toms River North baseball team and head coach Ted Schelmay for clinching the Class A South championship over the weekend.
Meanwhile with two weeks left in the regular season the Rutgers baseball team is tied for the Big East lead with St. John’s. The Scarlet Knights swept a 3-game series from Cincinnati over the weekend with Todd Frazier & Casey Gaynor of Toms River making big contributions.