BOSTON – By the time the seventh inning of the Red Sox, 13-1, whipping of the Yankees rolled around, the Fenway Park crowd decided it was time to have some fun at Roger Clemens’ expense.
Since Clemens had been out of the game since early in the third inning, the sold-out gathering began chanting, “Where is Roger? Where is Roger?” When that died down, “In the shower. In the shower” surfaced.
“That’s the nature of people,” Chili Davis said. “One day they love you and the next day they hate you. He could have stayed here and chose to leave. That’s his choice. That’s why they call it America.”
Most of the Yankees understood the words and knew where they were directed.
“They were into it and it was mostly for Roger,” Derek Jeter said. “You had to hear it.”
Joe Girardi hoped the early digs at Clemens, who was booed from the moment he surfaced from the dugout to go to the bullpen to warm up, would backfire on the crowd, which kept its chants clean.
“Just because the crowd is hostile doesn’t mean it can’t be fun for the visiting team,” Girardi said.
David Cone believed Clemens heard the taunts through a clubhouse television but couldn’t gauge Clemens’ reaction.
“I think he heard them in here,” Clemens said in the clubhouse. “But that’s what makes this Yankee-Red Sox series so great on both sides because you have passionate fans.” *
Both had taken Pedro Martinez deep and each were hitting .300 or better against the best pitcher on the planet. So, how did Joe Torre decide to use Chili Davis instead of Darryl Strawberry as his DH in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Red Sox at Fenway Park yesterday.
“I don’t know if it’s a change, switching Chili,” Torre said of the veteran DH whose Sept. 10 homer was the only hit Martinez allowed in a 17 strikeout, 3-1, victory at Yankee Stadium.
“Straw has hit a home run off him, too,” Torre answered when asked if his decision was based on Davis’ homer this year.
Davis went 0-for-3 with a walk and is hitless in eight ALCS at-bats. Strawberry, whose three-run homer was the difference in a Game 3 ALDS victory against the Rangers, was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts looking in Game 2. *
Torre had very little reaction to a story in a Boston paper that had the Red Sox inviting David Wells as their guest to yesterday’s Game 3. Knowing Wells’ affinity for Babe Ruth, the Red Sox were hoping Wells helped them “Reverse The Curse.” Some viewed it as an attempt to unnerve Clemens. According to the story, the Red Sox’s reason was to honor Wells for his perfect game in 1998.
“It doesn’t do anything for me,” Torre said. “If they are bringing Wells, I am sure Homer [Bush] and Graeme Lloyd would be offended.”
According to close friend Cone, who hadn’t heard from Wells, the Blue Jays lefty is hunting with former Tiger teammate Kirk Gibson in Michigan. *
Former Red Sox player and Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley says the Yanks’ Mariano Rivera is the best in the business.
“[John] Wetteland is pretty close,” Eckersley said. “But Rivera’s the best and it helps that he’s on a team like the Yankees.”