Chronicle: If Cy's fair, Clemens will be clear winner

Sept. 19, 2004, 12:31AM

BASEBALL NOTEBOOK
If Cy's fair, Clemens will be clear winner
Even Astros teammate Oswalt says the Rocket is most deserving of award in NL
By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES

No matter what happens the rest of the way, Roger Clemens has done enough to earn the 2004 National League Cy Young Award. And regardless of what Roy Oswalt says, Oswalt deserves to be among the top three in the balloting for the prestigious honor.


Oswalt leads the National League in victories with 18 despite pitching since spring training with discomfort in his rib cage. He has had two cortisone shots during the season to ease the pain but has not missed a start all year.

Oswalt also has won despite receiving little offensive or defensive support early in the season. But he insists Clemens should receive the Cy Young.

"On the funnier side, Roy has to say that now because I've been killing him about his little comment on the scoreboard. I think they asked him, 'Clemens or (Nolan) Ryan (in a Minute Maid Park promotion)?' And he said, 'Ryan,' " Clemens said. "I told him I was going to kill him for that. ...

"I think it's great. A lot of things have to happen the right way. I don't know if you look at numbers or whatever. I could be already past 20 wins if it was all candies and nuts or whatever."

A quick look at the statistics reveals that Oswalt is absolutely correct when he says his 42-year-old teammate deserves the award over fellow contenders Jason Schmidt of the San Francisco Giants, Carl Pavano of the Marlins, Oswalt, and Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks.

Some baseball folks say Johnson deserves the award because he leads the majors with a 2.74 ERA and a .190 opponents' batting average. Johnson has struck out 268 hitters this season and is two-thirds of the way to the pitching Triple Crown.

Johnson is 14-13, even though the Diamondbacks have scored two or fewer runs in 16 of his 32 starts. But if Clemens allowed himself to complain about run support, you'd have to feel sorry for him too.

"As far as the Cy Young goes, I've got six," Clemens (17-4) said. "After one, they were all icing on the cake. That's why I would hope for Roy or somebody like Andy (Pettitte) or one of my other pitching mates to win that and experience that and see if it pushes them to the next level.

"Andy had a '96 year that was incredible, and he probably should have won it that year. I could have seven right now. I think my '90 season (when Clemens was 21-6 with a 1.93 ERA but lost the Cy Young to Oakland's Bob Welch), everybody makes a comment that might have been my best season ever because of what I was able to march through."

Clemens' teammates have failed to reward him with wins in six games in which he gave up two or fewer earned runs over seven innings. He also lost 3-1 to the Dodgers on July 10 even though he gave up only three runs in seven innings.

Thanks to the game-tying home run Octavio Dotel gave up to the Mets' Mike Piazza on May 16, Clemens got a no-decision in a 3-2 loss despite seven scoreless innings.

On May 28, he gave up one run over seven innings against the Cardinals, but he didn't figure in the decision after the Cardinals won 2-1. On June 30, he gave up one run over seven innings, but the Astros didn't pull away to beat the Cubs 3-2 until he was out of the decision.

He also got a no-decision on July 5, when the Astros lost 2-1 against the Padres on a night Clemens gave up only one run over seven innings. He got another no-decision on Aug. 3, when he gave up two runs (one earned) over seven innings in a 3-2 victory over the Braves.

Clemens' defense betrayed him again on Aug. 8, when he gave up three runs (one earned) over seven innings in a 5-2 loss.

If not for such poor support in those six games in which he allowed two or fewer earned runs over seven innings, Clemens' .810 winning percentage, which already is the best in the NL, would be even better.

"That's an individual award, to me," Clemens says of the Cy Young. "Once you have a taste of the (World) Series and you have that ring, I'm finding myself wearing my world championship ring a little more because it's that time of year. Those are the thoughts you have to keep in your mind."

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Schmidt is out of it. Barring a complete collapse which pushes his ERA above 3.3, Clemens will probably win it IMHO.