Rocket gave Blue Jays a boost as free agent

9/7/97: Roger Clemens hurls a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts for his 21st win of the season, tying a Blue Jays recordBefore bidding adieu to the Hot Stove season, we asked our 30 beat reporters to look back at their club's past and answer the following question: Who is the best free-agent signing in the team's history?

We narrowed the choices with the following parametres: The signings had to be multiyear contracts, to exclude fluky one-year deals and to focus on players who got real commitments. And contract extensions don't count. Only instances when every team in the league had a chance to bid on the player were allowed, including international free agents who received Major League…