Clemens, Maddux, and the Pud

Much like the time Dwight Gooden and I appeared together on the cover of Sports Illustrated, two legends of the game take the mound opposite each other tonight in Houston. The Cubs Greg Maddux and the Astros Roger Clemens are both 300 game winners and this matchup promises to be one of the year's most sizzling duels. Jayson Stark tells me that this is the first time two NL 300 game winners have faced off against each other since Jim O'Keefe and Jim "Pud" Galvin tangled in the 1800s! I never got a chance to see Pud pitch (lol I'm not that old Boomer!) but I can tell you for a fact that these two pitchers you'll see tonight are cut straight from Pud's mold.

Maddux and Clemens couldn't be less alike but they have so much in common. Maddux will paint the outside corners all night long while Clemens will just rear back with the flamethrower and throw the smoke right past the batter. Both are 300 game winners though. Both slice their opposition up quickly too--don't expect this duel to last longer than a Texas sitcom.

This early season classic will be one for the books. Throw out all the records for this rivalry, these are two 300 game winners and that's all you need to know. Tune into WGN tonight and enjoy the fireworks. I'm so pumped that when they introduce Clemens and Maddux I'm going to get goose bumps in my hair. I've gotten them in my arms before, but never in my hair!