NEW YORK — Was it miscalculation or malice? Was it accidental or aimed? Did Roger Clemens hit Mike Piazza on purpose, or was he merely trying to mark his territory?

        Three months after the plunk heard 'round the world, questions continue about intent. There can be no question, however, about impact. The events of July 8, and their angry aftermath, have made tonight's World Series game one of the most combustible confrontations since Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding.

        Will the Mets' slugger extract his revenge? Will the Yankees' pitcher dare drop him to the dirt? Will baseball's biggest event be overshadowed by a bitter blood feud?

        Stay tuned.

        “Everyone is waiting for that first pitch he throws me,” Piazza says. “It might be the most-watched pitch in history. Millions of eyeballs will be glued to the TV.

        “Maybe I should go up there with a big sign on my helmet. Maybe I should sell space on my helmet like a Formula One car. I could make obscene amounts of money. The only thing you wouldn't want is a logo with a bull's-eye.”

Playing down incident
        Though he once referred to Clemens' pitch as a “blatant tracer bullet right at my coconut,” Piazza is now trying to play it for laughs because the Mets and Yankees are playing for keeps. A chance at a world championship ought to override the settling of personal scores. Still, when a 90-mile-per-hour fastball hits you in the helmet, causes a concussion, and is deemed deliberate, “excuse me” doesn't quite cut it.

        “If anybody thinks it's the biggest thing going on here, that's inaccurate,” Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. “And if anybody thinks it's forgotten totally, that's also inaccurate.”

        Yankees manager Joe Torre says continuing focus on the Piazza plunking was a “disservice” and suggested that it might incite “riots.” Rather than risk retribution, Torre chose to confine Clemens' series starts to Yankee Stadium, Games 2 and 6. This way, Clemens won't have to bat under the National League rules in force at Shea Stadium.

        Clemens claims the incident will not influence “how I pitch” or change his general pitching philosophy. Though head-high heat has no place in a civilized sport, Clemens can ill-afford to allow Piazza many allowances. The Mets' catcher has seven hits in 12 career at-bats against Clemens, three of them home runs.

        “I'll still pitch inside,” Clemens said. “That's part of my game. I've got to go in there. He's a dangerous hitter. Depending on who their hottest hitter is, we might have to pitch around him.”

The Intimidator
        The ability to pitch inside is one of the things that separate baseball's journeymen from its giants, and modern pitchers from their less polite predecessors. The pitcher who can back aggressive hitters off the plate undermines the authority with which they can hit outside pitches. This makes all of his other pitches more effective.

        Clemens struck out 15 Seattle Mariners en route to a one-hit masterpiece in the American League Championship Series, and he did it, in part, through intimidation. Twice, he threw up-and-in to Seattle star Alex Rodriguez.

        “Those pitches Clemens threw to Alex Rodriguez were very good pitches that didn't hit him,” said Yankees pitcher David Cone. “But fastballs that were part of the game are now looked on as a criminal act.”

        Roger Clemens' fastballs to Mike Piazza will henceforth be seen with suspicion.

Associated Press coverage

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