''I think we have a chance," Nipper said. ''We have a chance.
''We talked in Texas at great length, about things like how he'd fit in, and we talked to him about the ball club. I laid everything out. Believe me, I threw everything but the sink at him. Plus, he's going to be wearing a Red Sox hat into the Hall [of Fame], pass Cy Young [in wins by a Sox pitcher] and everything.
''We'll be talking more. We've exchanged e-mails and stuff like that. When he gets close to making a decision, I'm confident he's going to give me a call, because he told me he'd call and we'd talk more.
''I just think it would be a great ending to his career. There's no question it would give Boston, it would give our city a huge lift, it would give our club a huge lift, it would give our pitching staff a huge lift. I could not imagine going into a three-game series with Clemens, Schilling, and Beckett."
Nipper, who 10 years ago was fired by Dan Duquette as Sox pitching coach, just a month into what was Clemens's last season in Boston before he left for Toronto as a free agent, returned to the Sox as minor league pitching coordinator and was promoted this winter to bullpen coach. When Dave Wallace developed a serious infection this spring (he now awaits hip replacement surgery), Nipper stepped in to fill the breach at pitching coach.
Despite Curt Schilling's no-decision last night against the Indians, Nipper has seen enough to be convinced this is no mirage, that he is back to ace status.
''I think the concern with him coming into this year was his velocity," said Nipper, ''and that was answered when his first two pitches against Northeastern were 94 and 95. He answered a lot for himself right there.
''The ankle? That's yesterday's news. I have never, ever heard him say one thing, from spring training to this point, about his ankle. Not even an issue.
''I wasn't here last year, but I just know from talking with him, what he was able to do in the offseason and in spring training -- what he's done cardiovascular-wise, more weight work, more leg work -- obviously he's doing more now than last year. Obviously, he's got to be a lot stronger, and it's very evident in the way he's been throwing.
