Changes

A lot can change in a day. The Yankees were hoping for a good start from Darrell Rasner on Sunday and they got a great one. They have been trying to patch up their starting rotation and they got some encouraging news on Phil Hughes.

And, oh yeah, they signed Roger Clemens.

That’s a big change. Clemens is the greatest pitcher of his generation, and probably the greatest pitcher of any generation. No one doubts that he will do the job. On the mound there is no give, no quit and no fear in the man.

No one in the Bronx ever wanted him to leave and everyone has wanted him back since the day he signed with Houston. Clemens was born to pitch here. Born to pitch where every out is as important to the people as it is to him.

His first start at Yankee Stadium will light up the borough. The tension was already building outside the players’ gate as Clemens threw in front of 55,000 empty seats yesterday afternoon. No one knew for sure what was taking him so long, but there was speculation.

“He’s probably working out,” someone said. “That would be just like him.”

And that’s why we love him.

The Rocket is back where he belongs.