This might or might not have been Roger Clemens' last game with the Red Sox. If not, Clemens, the fans and his teammates experienced a convincing rehearsal yesterday at Fenway Park.
``I got choked up when he made his curtain call,'' second baseman Jeff Frye said. ``It was neat to see the fans embrace him. The last few days there has been some stuff in the media that was negative to him, but he is a positive guy and a positive influence on the team.
``If we lose him, it would be a big loss. He's our No. 1 starter. And every player knows who the leaders on this team are. If you have a question, go to Clem and ask him. He's a competitor and he brings out the best in the team.''
When Clemens was replaced in the eighth inning, the Red Sox infielders went to the mound to bid him farewell. It was an extraordinary and spontaneous sendoff, especially since Clemens' departure is not definite and one game remains.
Many of Clemens' teammates spoke of him in the past tense. Frye said he was ``optimistic'' Clemens would return to the Red Sox. But the vagaries of contract negotiations and fate seemed to dampen that optimism.
``I can't speculate what might happen,'' Mo Vaughn said. ``It would be a tremendous loss if he is not with us. It is one of those things we will have to wait and see what is going to happen.
``I hope he is with us. Regardless, we will be tight and stay in touch.''
Mike Greenwell's self-described ``long goodbye'' was more definite, and it complicated matters slightly.
``It's sad to leave but I have mixed emotions because I am looking forward to a new challenge,'' Greenwell said. ``It's sad because my time here is done.
``It was a great honor to play with Roger. He was as dominant as any pitcher, and I got to play with one of the best pitchers in the game. Playing with Roger was special.''
Many Red Sox players regretted that Clemens did not receive a more glorious sendoff. Clemens earned 10 victories in 34 games this season but he would have to have been extraordinary, even by his standards, to boost the Red Sox into the playoffs.
Yesterday, Clemens let himself down with some high pitches that Mike Aldrete and Bernie Williams hit for home runs. And the Red Sox failed to capitalize on a Derek Jeter error during a last-chance rally in the eighth inning of a 4-2 defeat.
``A lot goes through your mind,'' Vaughn said. ``A guy walks off the mound after the way he has performed and it's tough to take. Regardless of whether we win or lose, it wouldn't make any difference. What is important is the time spent and the effort, the years I've known him. We play the game with the same type of intensity.
``No one understands what goes on on the field in the games - not the fans, not our families. This is a champion, a warrior who goes to war for us all the time. You have to respect that, respect that effort. And Roger Clemens exemplified that.''
This story ran on page c8 of the Boston Globe on 09/29/96.