Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
The five-time Cy Young winner is the first to reach the mark as Yankees win 6-3.
©Associated Press
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 20, 2001
CHICAGO -- On another day and at another time, Roger Clemens hopes to enjoy his latest milestone. Right now, it's not that important.
"It just doesn't take on as much meaning as it would have because of the circumstances," Clemens said Wednesday night after he became the first pitcher to go 20-1, leading the Yankees over the White Sox 6-3.
It had been eight days since terrorists attacked New York and the Pentagon, and Clemens wasn't ready to celebrate a baseball achievement.
"It's a different feeling," he said. "There are a lot of things we take for granted and I didn't know how I'd feel once I got out on the mound. It's been an unbelievable week with everything."
The 39-year-old right-hander reached 20 wins for the sixth time and became the AL's oldest 20-game winner since Early Wynn did it in 1959, just shy of his 40th birthday.
The Rocket, struggling at times with his rhythm, allowed three runs and five hits in 61/3 innings and struck out a season-low one. It was his first start since Sept. 5, when he joined Rube Marquard as the only pitchers since 1900 to go 19-1.
His scheduled start against Boston on Sept. 10 was rained out, and the rest of last week's games were postponed.
After the attacks, Clemens drove 23 hours from New York to take his wife and some friends back to Texas. Then, he rejoined a team trying to deal with a tragedy that rocked the city it represents.
"It just doesn't have the same feeling it would have two weeks ago," said Clemens, who was hugged by his teammates and got the game ball. "It's a special win and maybe sometime down the road I'll take time to reflect on it."
Five years after Boston general manager Dan Duquette said Clemens was in the "twilight" of his career and let him go, Clemens became the AL's first 20-game winner and lowered the Yankees' magic number to five for clinching their fourth straight AL East title.
He has won 16 straight decisions, his loss coming May 20 at Seattle. He improved to 280-143 in his career and is the favorite for the AL Cy Young Award, which he has won five times. He also moved within five of Bert Blyleven (3,701) for third on the career strikeout list.
"I've been around for a long time and to win 20 games at this stage of my career is definitely a blessing," he said. "A lot of work has paid off."
Clemens, who threw 107 pitches, left to a standing ovation from the crowd of 18,465 after allowing a run-scoring single in the seventh to Chris Singleton that pulled Chicago within 4-3. Jay Witasick got Royce Clayton to hit into an inning-ending double play.