Clemens: No Dough, Poor Show : The Pitcher Needed His All-Star Stuff to Get His Bonus

Superstar? Definitely.

All-star? Not likely.

Roger Clemens, last season’s American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winner, was close to the top of his form in Monday night’s 12-inning game won by the Angels, 10-7. But, for the second time in 11 days, he has seen big leads end in costly no-decisions.

Clemens’ two-year contract that he signed just before the 1987 season began says he is to receive $150,000 immediately and his 1988 salary will automatically increase another $150,000 if he is named to the American League squad for next Tuesday’s All-Star game.

That’s $300,000 Clemens probably won’t see because he failed to hold a 9-0 lead against the Yankees June 26 and the Red Sox squandered a 7-0 lead Monday night.

The Yankees went on to win the June 26 game, 12-11, in 10 innings and one of the spectators in Yankee Stadium that night may be in a position to have a big impact on Clemens’ finances. American League President Dr. Bobby Brown witnessed Clemens’ struggles and--if Boston Manager John McNamara gets his wish--it will be Brown who decides whether or not Clemens gets the money.

McNamara, hoping to stay out of the issue, has been saying that he would like Brown, with input from the rest of the league’s managers, to pick the All-Star pitchers.

Clemens isn’t letting his manager off the hook that easy, however. Ask the big right-hander about the bonus and he says, “It’s Mac’s decision to make and I’ll stand by it.”

Clemens is tied for the league lead in shutouts (three) with teammate Bruce Hurst and Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen. He came into Monday night’s game third in the league in strikeouts (106), third in complete games (8) and among the league leaders in innings pitched. But those statistics probably aren’t enough to overshadow a 7-6 record and a less-than-spectacular 3.55 earned run average.

He didn’t exactly hurt his cause Monday, going 6 innings, striking out five and yielding seven hits and four runs. It could have been a much better outing--maybe even a complete-game shutout--but the game sort of epitomized Clemens’ could-have-been season.

The Red Sox were leading, 7-0, with two out and runners on second and third in the seventh inning. Wally Joyner hit a drive to the warning track in left-center and left fielder Jim Rice got a glove on the ball, but it popped loose as he bumped into the wall and Joyner had a two-RBI triple. Doug DeCinces followed with a home run to left and after Clemens walked Jack Howell, McNamara went to the bullpen and brought in Kevin Schiraldi.

Clemens was still in a position to win, but the Angels tied the game in the eighth when Joyner hit a two-out dunker to right-center that center fielder Ellis Burks failed to hold on to after a near-collision with right fielder Todd Benzinger.

And Clemens’ hopes for that third of a million dollars evaporated into the mist at Anaheim Stadium.