MIAMI – New Britain, Conn., native Carl Pavano once dreamed of pitching in the same rotation as Roger Clemens. Tonight, he’ll have a chance to retire him.
When Pavano was a Red Sox farmhand a few years ago, he watched an Instructional League tutorial on perfect pitching. It was a tape of Clemens’ 20-strikeout game in 1996 against the Tigers.
“To emulate something like that would be particularly impossible,” Pavano said yesterday. “I mean, maybe possible, but it was definitely something that [when your are] at the age of 20, you’re automatically in awe of the situation. But coming out [today], thinking about those things aren’t gonna do me any good.”
After last night’s 6-1 Yankees win, a Game 4 victory by Pavano would get the Marlins even and insure the Series going back to The Bronx. Regardless, Clemens wouldn’t get a chance to pitch again, unless it was in relief on two days’ rest.
“I got a lot of opportunities to watch him pitch some of his biggest games,” Pavano said. “He’s definitely a great competitor. And his work ethic is something I really try to follow. To follow him as a pitcher would be awfully tough, but his work ethic is what stands out the most for me.”
The relatively anonymous Marlins right-hander, once a touted prospect, finally has a chance to live up to his promise. Until now, Pavano has been a footnote to history, the answer to barroom trivia questions. He was traded from Boston to Montreal in 1997 for Pedro Martinez and served up Mark McGwire’s 70th home run in 1998.
Pavano began the postseason in the bullpen, manager Jack McKeon said he believes Pavano has shown improvement over the course of the year. The righty finished 6-3 down the stretch, and the Marlins won 10 of his final 13 starts. Overall, he was 12-13 with a 4.30 ERA.
“First of all, I think he was healthy the whole year. That helps,” McKeon said. “He’s been in a regular rotation most of the year. That’s certainly given him more opportunities to out there to work on his stuff [and] his control.”
Although it’s the grand stage and Clemens is trying to retire as a world champion, Pavano isn’t technically pitching against him. Then again, in a National League ballpark, he will be.
“He’s not one of my concerns in that lineup,” Pavano said with a laugh.