Tony DeMarco

We thought we saw the last of this six years ago. Flash back to Game 4 of the 1999 World Series, and in the clincher of a New York Yankees’ sweep, Roger Clemens allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings to get his first World Series victory. He was 37 then, and became the oldest pitcher to win a World Series clincher since 1953. We figured he was near the end of a Hall of Fame career.

His opponent that Oct. 27 night was John Smoltz. He allowed three runs and six hits and struck out 11, but it wasn’t good enough. And then he would start only five games over the next five years. He wouldn’t pitch at all in 2000 while recovering from Tommy John surgery after tearing an elbow ligament in spring training. And in 2002 he would begin a three-year stretch as a closer that drew comparisons to Dennis Eckersley, a Hall of Famer who made the same transition with remarkable success.

And now comes the rematch: Clemens vs. Smoltz once again. One a certain Hall of Famer, the other a most-likely inductee, following very different paths that will cross again Thursday night in Turner Field. It’s only Game 2 of a division series — two steps away from the World Series. But it is a match-up for the ages, and it became even bigger for Smoltz and the Braves after a 10-5 loss in Game 1 on Wednesday to Andy Pettitte, who just so happened to tie Smoltz for the most postseason wins at 14.

No, Clemens’ career wasn’t drawing to a close in 1999. Far from it. Ninety-four more wins, two more Cy Young Awards and one very brief retirement later, he is back in the postseason again at 43, and doing things nobody his age has done on a big-league mound before.

“My thoughts are I better be on my game,” Smoltz told the Associated Press on Wednesday. “I think Game 4, the last time we hooked up in the World Series, he certainly was on his, and he beat us.”

“I don’t remember a great deal about it,” Clemens told the AP. “I haven’t reviewed the tapes or seen any highlights of late.

“It was an exciting time for me personally because the number of times I’ve been to the playoffs, that was the opportunity to obtain the first ring. That was special, that’s for sure.”

Clemens' victory total is up to 341 — ninth all-time and second-most by any pitcher since the Dead Ball Era, trailing only Warren Spahn. He passed the 4,000-strikeout mark two seasons ago, and now sits at 4,502 — second behind Nolan Ryan’s unreachable 5,714. And just when you thought maybe he was done with the spectacular, Clemens posted a 1.89 ERA to win the NL title by a mile.

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Smoltz has done something remarkable in its own right this season, making the transition back to the rotation at age 38, and doing it in dominating fashion. He won 14 games and logged 229.1 innings — the most he has thrown since 1997. The most he threw in any season in the bullpen was 81.2 innings in 2004.

But it is that innings total that could be at the root of a stiff shoulder that kept Smoltz out of his last regular-season start after the Braves had clinched their record 14^th consecutive division title. He says he is fine, and tired of being badgered about the issue, avoided a media contingent at his locker on Monday.

“Everybody’s putting me in a coffin. It’s not that big a deal,’’ he said.

But as a precaution, Braves manager Bobby Cox decided to start Tim Hudson in Game 1, rather than Smoltz, so Hudson would be certain to be able to come back for a possible Game 5.

“John is not 100 percent. But if he’s 95 percent, that’s good enough.’’ Cox said.

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Clemens may not be 100 percent, either. He was bothered down the stretch by a hamstring injury. That’s the reason Pettitte moved ahead of him on the second-to-last turn through the rotation in the regular season. But in his final regular-season start, Clemens allowed one run and six hits in seven innings in a win over Chicago after 11 days off.

But 100 percent or just something close to it, Smoltz vs. Clemens — probably for the last time in October — isn’t to be missed.

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