Is there a better way?

Roger Clemens made his minor league debut this season on Friday, May 18th. He'll make his major league debut with the New York Yankees on Monday, June 4th.

The entire process, from first minor league game to big league opener, will take all of 15 days.

Compare that to a typical preparation for a starting pitcher, who goes to spring training in the middle of February, spends a month-and-a-half in Florida before beginning the season in April.

Take, for example, Chris Carpenter. The Cardinals ace made six spring training starts and tied (with Adam Wainwright) for the most innings of any St. Louis pitcher -- 27.2.

Carpenter, who opened the season for the Cardinals against the New York Mets, lost the game and hasn't pitched since. He underwent surgery for bone spurs in his elbow. Any possible return this year is still months away.

No, I'm not suggesting his spring training starts led to a regular season injury. But let's peel back another layer of the Carpenter story and go back to spring training 2006.

Just like this year, Carpenter made six starts. He pitched 26.2 innings, the most on the team.

When people look at his 2006 stats, they see the 221 innings he pitched in the regular season. But what they don't factor in are the spring training numbers and his postseason appearances which totaled 32.1 innings. Add all that together and Carpenter pitched 280 innings last season in 43 starts. That's on top of 41 starts and a combined 289 innings in 2005.

His 2006 season lasted from early March to late October, a stretch of eight months. The longest season of his career (remember, he was hurt and didn't pitch in the 2004 postseason, the 2005 postseason didn't involve a World Series) made for the shortest offseason of his life.

And how did the Cardinals respond to the condensed offseason? By treating it just like any other.

Yes, I know. Major League Baseball isn't going to cut short spring training. There are young players to evaluate, veterans competing for bench spots, middle and late inning relievers who need to get their work in.

I also can't fault the Cardinals for wanting to get their ace ready for the season. And I don't think Carpenter's spring training numbers, in isolation, are the real issue. But in light of the grueling postseason, for a guy with a history of arm trouble, I can't help but wonder if there's a better way for a veteran starting pitcher to prepare for the coming year.

What if, say, a veteran like Carpenter reported to camp in the middle of March instead of mid-February? Maybe he even stays behind in Florida a week or so after the team breaks camp. Between extra days off and a few bullpen games, the team could survive the first ten games.

In exchange for missing a couple of starts, the starter gets an extra month off and misses out on pitching during what is typically the coldest weather of the year. Would that really be so bad?

Baseball's training schedule is based on an outdated model; a time when players had offseason jobs and needed extra time to prepare for the season. Now, with larger contracts, the offseason jobs are gone, year-round training is normal, and the seasons are longer than ever (this year's seventh game of the World Series is scheduled for November 1).

Instead of getting mad at the Yankees and Roger Clemens, maybe other teams should start to imitate them. Especially in cases that involve veteran pitchers. Especially those who pitched deep in the postseason. Especially those with a history of arm trouble.

Anyone come to mind?

I watched the first segment of ESPN's Sportscenter last night (the 11:00 ET/10:00 Central, not the late version that gets repeated in the mornings). Here were their top stories.

Video highlight of the Mets' Carlos Delgado walk-off home run that beat the Giants.

Roger Clemens and his return to the major leagues next week.

Boston Red Sox highlights.

New York Yankees Highlights.

More video of the Delgado home run and an interview with Mets manager Willie Randolph.

End of segment - commercial break.

To summarize, here's how ESPN views the most important stories of the sports world.