Stewart Says Clemens Deserved Ejection : Athletics: AL playoffs’ MVP thinks Red Sox starter should have shown more self-control.

OAKLAND —  Dave Stewart proved to be a man of his word Wednesday, but he doubts Roger Clemens is.

The bellwether of the Oakland Athletics’ pitching staff will be fishing for sturgeon near the Richmond Bridge today, as he had predicted Tuesday.

He put the Boston Red Sox out of their misery Wednesday by pitching a 3-1 victory, his second of the A’s four-game sweep in the American League playoff. It earned him the most-valuable-player award.

And when Bobby Brown, the American League president, presented him the silver platter as MVP, it could just as well have carried Clemens’ head, because Stewart is 8-1 in their nine meetings.

This time, he overcame the distraction and delay created by Clemens’ second-inning ejection, which Stewart emphatically said was warranted.

“I can’t imagine what he was thinking,” Stewart said of Clemens. “He’s got to realize his importance to his club and keep himself in the game. He’s got to show more self-control. Maybe he was thinking he would spark his club, but it struck me as an inopportune time to get kicked out.

“I mean, my importance to the A’s is about the same as his to the Red Sox, and I’d never allow it to happen. Then again, if they place that much importance on one guy, they have to be a pretty weak club to start with.”

Clemens denied directing profanity at plate umpire Terry Cooney, who said Clemens had done exactly that. Stewart agreed.

“I heard it all,” Stewart said. “I heard him say, ‘Put your bleeping mask on and get your . . . back behind the plate.’ Cooney asked him what he had said, and Roger repeated it. I mean, (Cooney) gave him a chance to take it back and he didn’t, and if (Clemens) denies saying that, he’s a liar.”

Clemens had left the clubhouse by then. “The umpires can’t let the players take control of the game,” Stewart said. “Most players know what they can and can’t get away with. Clemens used the magic words, and I thought the ejection was warranted.

“I don’t know him well enough to sit down and have tea with, but maybe this was a chance to see what really goes on with Roger Clemens. I mean, who can think with him? I thought the umpire did a great job.”

It was definitely another chance to see Stewart enhance his reputation as a big-game pitcher.

He is 7-1 in 12 postseason appearances and has won three consecutive playoff clinchers. He is 5-0 in five playoff starts and was working on a record playoff streak of 12 scoreless innings when Boston scored in the ninth, and Rick Honeycutt came on to gain the save.

Before the ninth, working on three days’ rest, Stewart had given up only two hits and retired 10 in a row.

Did he think the Clemens controversy detracted from that performance?

“I don’t think that one game or one person can overshadow what I did today or what we did in the series,” he said. “We swept them. We beat them soundly. I did my job (allowing two runs in 16 innings) and won the MVP. I think people will recognize that.”

Likewise, Stewart said, he didn’t allow himself to become distracted by the delay and wasn’t adversely affected by only three days between starts.

“I didn’t have the same velocity, but my control was better,” he said. “I had everything working. I think I’m probably a better pitcher on three days’ rest. I keep it plain and simple.”

He will have five days off before starting Game 1 of the World Series, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

Said Bill Rigney, the A’s senior adviser: “The thing I find amazing about Stew is that he always finds a way to win the big game. He’s always pitching against a Clemens or (Chuck) Finley or (Dave) Stieb, but he always finds a way to win. The only guy I can think of with that same consistency was (Sandy) Koufax.”

Added Tony La Russa, the A’s manager: “When you get right down to it, Stew was the difference in this game, not Clemens or Cooney.”

Stewart is 24-11 this year, 4-0 against the Red Sox and 3-0 against Clemens during the regular season, whom he had said Tuesday was wasting the effort and taking a serious risk trying to delay the inevitability of an A’s victory by starting on three days’ rest after his recent arm problems.

“I imagine I’ve been a thorn in his side,” Stewart said of his domination. “But I feel I’m a good pitcher, period. I mean, if I do what I’m supposed to do, nobody should beat me, and I like being out there when the pressure is on.”