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The news, you would have to say, is intriguing.
The most productive pitcher of the past half-century is returning for another go-around. One more season of rage fitted neatly in cap and spikes. One last chance to witness the marriage of power and precision.
The sunset will have to wait; Roger Clemens is coming back for more.
Clemens signed this week with the Astros, and researchers were asked to re-open their record books. There are immortals to be passed on the career victory list and hitters to be added to his strikeout tally.
Just one element nags about this refunded retirement:
I believe he owes me some tears.
Certainly some goosebumps and perhaps even a lump in the throat.
Less than three months have passed since Clemens was given the sendoff of a lifetime. It was Game 4 of the World Series and Clemens exited Pro Player Stadium to an ovation that inspired feelings both winsome and wistful.
It was not just the visiting crowd rising to its feet when Clemens faced Luis Castillo, his final hitter. It was not just the flashbulbs popping throughout the stadium for six consecutive two-strike pitches. It was not just the Marlins stepping out of their dugout in salute or Florida catcher Ivan Rodriguez tucking his mask under his arm to applaud.
It was all of that. All of that, plus the thought you were witnessing a legend's final moment. A player for the ages snuffing out the candle.
Except, as it turns out, it was a party store gag.
Weeks after the retirement he insisted was real, Clemens has agreed to re-ignite the flame in Houston for about $5-million.
Now, I do not fault him for wanting more. Wanting more action, more applause, more money. An athlete's time is brief. There are only so many games in their bodies, so many days in their pursuits.
Nor do I fault him for changing his mind. Who among us hasn't made a decision we've come to regret and wished we had the chance to do it over?
My only problem is the way he went out. Clemens enjoyed the adulation of a farewell tour without being committed to his farewell. If there was even a slim chance of coming back, why not keep quiet from the start?
Did he break a promise? Sort of. Did he go back on his word? Kind of. Did he take advantage of our gullibility? Absolutely.
Major League Baseball bumped Barry Zito and added Clemens to the All-Star Game roster at the 11th hour. Oops. Fans overpaid by hundreds of dollars for tickets with the understanding they were seeing his final starts. Eeek. Tributes were offered and gifts were given. Yikes.
Yes, it's true, this business of saying goodbye can be tricky. After all, is it more painful to wave too late or too soon?
You might say Jim Brown or Sandy Koufax did it with style. They left at the top with fans hungry for more. You might say Willie Mays or Johnny Unitas did it poorly. They lingered in unfamiliar uniforms with unappealing results.
Then there is the question of how, exactly, do you go out? Do you do it with months of advance flattery? Do you wait until days before your final game? Or do you go quietly in the offseason when no one is near?
There is something to be said for each. Cal Ripken's final season was both a tribute to his legacy and a celebration for baseball. Wayne Gretzky kept the fanfare to a minimum and made his final appearance extraordinary by delaying his announcement until the season's final week. Mark McGwire was lifted for a pinch-hitter in a playoff game and simply never returned.
You have to understand, it's not like punching a clock or signing a time card for the final time. Great athletes do not just give up their jobs. They lose a little piece of themselves when they decide the time has come to walk away. For some, their entire identity gets stored forever in some locker.
The choice, obviously, is never easy. And, for Clemens, there were extenuating circumstances. He wanted to retire to spend more time with his wife and four sons at their Texas home, about an hour north of Houston.
But when good friend Andy Pettitte signed with the Astros, and ownership offered Clemens a flexible schedule, he had more reasons to play than not.
Clemens, 41, will not flounder. His arm is too strong and his pride is too resolute. He will win more than he loses and the Astros may win more than ever. Team officials say season ticket sales already are exploding.
From the looks of it, this seems to be the right move. His sons will see him pitch again and Clemens will be around to see them play. The Astros become the team to beat and National League fans will see a legend up close.
So he's back and, I suppose, we should applaud.
Just so long as we don't have to get choked up about it.