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Time for Clemens to retire — for real

Struggling Yankees paying Rocket $17.4 million to be an ordinary pitcher

Roger ClemensAP file
It's time for Roger Clemens to hang it up, Bill Chuck writes.

''I feel like I could ask the Phillies to keep me on to add to my statistics, but my love for the game won't let me do that.''

Clemens has an opportunity to show his love for the game and his legacy is greater than his love for money. I hope that Roger Clemens can pick up the pieces and call it a day. He has 351 career wins and that is incredible. He won’t catch Kid Nichols who is in 7th place with 361 wins and he probably won’t hold off Greg Maddux who is in 10th place with 340 wins. But what does it matter?

The Yankees' investment of about $17.4 million in salary for four months of Clemens is helping neither party. Clemens should speak to George Steinbrenner, with whom he has remained very close, speak to Joe Torre, speak to his close friend Andy Pettitte and team captain Derek Jeter and tell them all his plans. Tell them that he wants to leave with dignity and the respect that he and the team deserve. Tell them he is not walking out on the team, he is simply not delivering on the promise he made in May when he claimed he could still pitch at Roger Clemens level. Tell them he wants to get number 350 and that he wants to go home and wait for the call from the Hall of Fame.

The Rocket has burnt out his fuse.

Bill Chuck is a contributor to MSNBC.com, is the creator of Billy-Ball.com and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales” to be published by ACTA Sports, later this year.


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