New York, New York!

Yes, Pauli beat me to a Yankees story. But only because I was busy with my day job: researching and writing for the Wall Street Journal. Besides, what is Pauli going to do if I don't write? Fire me? The Journal, on the hand, would do exactly that. It was an easy choice to make.

Obviously I'm glad the Rocket is coming back to NYC. I'm glad he decided not to go to Boston. That would have sucked. He is a huge upgrade for the Yankees, even if he turns out to be only 75 percent as effective as he has been the last two years. Yet I can't help wondering, as great as the Rocket is, and he is probably top five all-time, where is his defining clutch moment?

Schilling has the bloody sock. Pedro has the those six innings in relief (among others). Jack Morris has the greatest World Series game ever pitched (yes, better than Larsen's perfect game). Orel Hershiser put the Dodgers on his back. The Big Unit shut down the Yankees in relief when he was in Seattle, then dominated them again in 2001. Josh Beckett shut out the Yankees to win the World Series.

Clemens gave us the case of the mystery blister in '86.

To be fair to the Rocket, he left Game 7 in 2001 with a 2-1 lead. A lead nobody expected Rivera to cough up. A lead that would have given Clemens a World Series clinching victory in a must win game. I watched that game. I was crushed by the outcome, which, and I think this is telling, I would not have been if Clemens had left trailing 2-1. With Rivera on the mound, I felt the Yankees were invincible. Not once did I feel so with Clemens. I expected him to pitch well (he did). After all he is Roger Clemens. But I found myself willing a dominant performance from him rather than expecting it.

That said, I'm still going to be excited when Clemens makes his season debut. Go Yankees!