The Rocket’s 300th will be a rare opportunity for dads, coaches, and kids.

(Since the writing of this article Roger won his 300th and has gone on to pitch for Houston and now back with the Yankees. He still has the passion to compete and is still helping others to accomplish their dreams behind him. His continued success only validates this article.)
 
I had the privilege to take my daughter down to Comerica Park today with the idea of witnessing Roger Clemens’ 300th win. Instead, the Tigers and Yankees entertained the largest crowd to ever see a baseball game at Comerica Park with a seventeen-inning marathon. The Yankees won the game, 10 – 9. Roger was gone after six. This game was the closest the Tigers will get this year to a World Series atmosphere. It was SRO with everyone wanting to take home the memory of history being made. It didn’t happen today, but it almost certainly will.
 
Many people who will witness #300 will keep that memory, maybe even a picture or a ticket stub, either in the back of their mind or in their memorabilia collection only to be brought out later to show off its value or memory. Volumes have been and will be written about Roger’s wins and how he accomplished them.
 
But oh, it will be much more than that, and I believe that Roger would be greatly disappointed if the Hall of Fame was all that comes of his 300 wins. In baseball, and in our society, there are benchmarks that validate greatness. For a Major League pitcher, it is a 20-win season that validates a great year. You can win 19 games and have a good year. Win one more and it is a great year. It took Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton ten years to finally be called a great pitcher even though he won 19 games twice, 18 games once and 17 games twice during that ten-year stretch. He eventually won 324 games. To be measured as one of the great pitchers of all time, the benchmark is 300 wins. In The Rocket’s case, win #300 will merely validate the obvious. He is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. More importantly, he represents a part of Americana that I hope never fades away.
 
The Rocket is a shining example of how passion and responsibility can move a person to greatness and, in the long run, enables a person to overcome adversity much more than strategy or selfish ambition. Passion almost always involves love and thankfulness to someone or something, and many times includes the humble feeling of positively contributing to something that is bigger than oneself.
 
Mercenary armies have proven over and over to be no match for our military that fights with a passion for our freedom that we hold so dear and for which we are so thankful. Jim Collins in his best selling book, Good to Great, outlines how businesses move to greatness when they realize a passion for how the unique way they do things contributes to the betterment of society.
 
Unfortunately, there are many people today who don’t get it. Passion has been put on the back burner. Passion guides few people these days. Strategy is the means to success that has self-indulgence written all over it.
 
That has never been true of Roger. Passion flows as freely out of Roger as the sweat from his workouts. He has a deep passion for his family and friends, witnessed by his wanting them all to be there and share in his 300th win. He is passionate about the game of baseball. That is shown in his great respect for the players that have come before him and his humility about his positive contribution to the game. To Roger, the game has always been bigger than he is.
 
He also has a deep respect for how difficult it is to succeed year after year. Any player that has played over a long career knows, that as you get older, it takes more and more work to maintain the skills you had the year before. Roger has always taken full responsibility for his own preparation to win. His work ethic and self-discipline is an example for all. He has the psychological advantage of believing, in his heart, that he has outworked and out prepared his opponent.
 
Many, if not most, players get near the end of their careers and then start to think about their impact on the game. It’s like a light goes on when they finally realize they are not going to play forever. Only then do they start to think outside themselves and their own accomplishments and consider what they might give back to the game. It seems that Roger has had a view to that all along. He has been thankful for the great talent that he has had to be a power pitcher, and from the beginning, realized that he, by utilizing his natural drive, could approach some pretty lofty records.
 
All this passion gets expressed through his performance and his demeanor. Every single start, he is as high strung as a thoroughbred waiting to run the Kentucky Derby. He locks himself in a zone and is impenetrable. Even on an off day, he can get the flavor out of gum in a moment’s time. He has appeared to be a man on a mission ever since he arrived in the big leagues in 1984. In my time, only Nolan Ryan could match his presence and intensity on the mound.
 
Like Nolan, Roger has accomplished everything with class and integrity. There was a certain aura and respect surrounding Nolan, and I sense the same with Roger. It’s not just about the velocity and power. There are many pitchers now throwing harder than Roger. It is about the passion Roger brings to the mound and to every day of his life. Players look up to that knowing few can match it.
 
I’m glad my daughter got to see this game but not just because it had the potential to be an historical occasion. The real reason is because it gives me the opportunity to let her know that passion and responsibility carry you through adversity and keep you focused on what you value dearly and for what you are most thankful. Passionate people have made America great. Roger Clemens is a good example of how passion can drive a man to greatness.
 
As a former major league veteran pitcher and college coach, I hope that no father or coach will miss such an opportunity to use Roger Clemens as a teaching example. Get all the material you can on Roger and make sure our youth know that, with all his great attributes, passion is what has made him one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
 
I hear and read of pitchers of all ages, including big leaguers, who are saying they want to be like The Rocket. That’s wonderful because he is a good role model. However, I can’t help but think that his response to them would be, “Why limit yourselves?” I believe, that because of Roger’s example, there is a pitcher out there right now setting sights on his accomplishments. The Rocket wouldn’t want it any other way.
 
As Roger’s career is winding down, I sense that he has a strong desire for his example to spur players coming after him to perform with the same intense passion he has exhibited for all these years. Dads and coaches, Roger Clemens’ 300th win will give you the opportunity to teach our youth through his example. It is a learning experience much needed by our kids and for that matter, all of us. Don’t miss it!
 
June 1, 2003, updated June 25, 2007
By Geoff Zahn Former Head Baseball Coach University of Michigan and 12 Year Major League Veteran Pitcher