Walking away with dignity.(Baseball Playoffs)

Now Roger Clemens is going to retire? Now, when he's finally winning a 20year battle with his emotions? Now, when bedlam is erupting around him, and he's the only sane guy in the room?

Don't do it, Rog. Pitch for the U.S. Olympic team next summer, then sign with the Yankees--or maybe the Red Sox or your hometown Astros--for the final weeks of the season. Your stuff is plenty good enough. And, in the words of Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte, you're "getting better and better in big situations"--as if this still is a work in progress.

It isn't. Other than acknowledging his interest in pitching for the Olympic team, Clemens gives no indication that his retirement plans are subject to change. Still, the sport would benefit if he continued shaming young pitchers with his work ethic. And don't look now, but at age 41, Clemens is surprising even those close to him with his--ahem--newfound self-control.

The Fenway madness swirled around him last Saturday, the fans derisively chanting his name, Pedro Martinez trying to lure him back to the dark side, Manny Ramirez charging him and cursing him with bat in hand. In the old days--uh, a few months ago--Clemens would have debased himself accordingly. But somewhere along the line, the punk turned into a prince, or a reasonable approximation. Next thing you know, Barry Bonds will make nice.

This is the way a Hall of Fame career should end, in dignity, not infamy. Clemens has earned his share of the latter, most notably when he hit Mike Piazza in the head during the 2000 regular season, then threw a piece of a broken bat at him in Game 2 of the World Series. But he assumed a new role last Saturday, that of composed warrior. By declining to retaliate for Martinez's near-beaning of Karim Garcia, Clemens avoided getting ejected from Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, surviving an early 2-0 deficit to complete six innings for the victory.

"He was the better man," Yankees catcher Jorge Posada says, uttering words that frequently have been used to describe Clemens the pitcher, but rarely Clemens the human being.

Thirteen years ago, in one of his legendary meltdowns, Clemens was ejected from an ALCS elimination game for arguing balls and strikes. His opponent that day, A's pitcher Dave Stewart, was his polar opposite, a proud ace in total control. Clemens applied his eye black as thick as war paint, donned Ninja Turtle shoelaces and generally acted nuts.