NEW YORK -- All the buzz in New York is about Roger Clemens batting at Shea Stadium on Saturday. The Clemens talk even overshadowed the World Series rematch between the Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week.

Everyone can't wait until Saturday -- and the Mets must feel the same way.

I believe the Mets' pitchers are obligated to retaliate for what happened two seasons ago, when Clemens beaned Mike Piazza during a regular-season game in July and then threw a piece of Piazza's broken bat toward him during Game 2 of the World Series. Regardless of Clemens' intentions at the time, Piazza felt Clemens threw at him; that is all that matters.

Let The Players Decide

Despite the hype entering Saturday's Yankees-Mets game, the umpires should not issue a pregame warning to Shawn Estes and the Mets. As Joe Torre said the other day, "Baseball has policed itself for a long time. I'd like to believe it could take care of itself now." The umpires, however, are trying to police the game, getting their marching orders from Sandy Alderson, MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations; and Ralph Nelson, MLB's vice president of umpiring. The players can decipher when a pitcher is throwing at a hitter or not better than an umpire standing behind home plate. I have seen instances when an umpire warned a pitcher after he hit a batter with a curveball. Umpires should not carry the added burden of figuring out a pitcher's intentions. When the offense is obvious, they should deal with it. But problems arise when an umpire warns both sides after a pitcher throws at a hitter. When that happens, the other team is denied a chance to retaliate. That only enhances the hostility. Sometimes, the pent-up emotions erupt into bench-clearing incidents. Here's how the players should handle it: If you throw at my player, I will throw at your player. Then everyone can move on. -- Joe Morgan

If a team's star player feels someone threw at him intentionally, it is up to the pitchers to protect their teammate. Clemens would do the same for his Yankees teammates.

Last year, before the Yankees and the Mets played, Mets manager Bobby Valentine was asked if he would tell his pitchers to throw at Clemens if he batted against them. Valentine's response spoke volumes. He said there was no need for him to say anything because everyone saw what happened.

Shawn Estes, the Mets' starting pitcher on Saturday, was a member of the San Francisco Giants two years ago. But once Estes became a member of the Mets, he took on his new team's personality, one that will harbor hostility toward Clemens and the Yankees as long as Valentine is the manager and Piazza is on the team. If Estes were to disassociate himself from the situation, he would also distance himself from his teammates.

There will be no closure to the situation until Clemens bats and the Mets have an opportunity to retaliate. It will be difficult for Estes, as a left-handed pitcher, to throw at Clemens, a right-handed hitter, without being obvious. But whatever happens, the two teams should move on once the at-bat is over.

If the Mets decide to hit Clemens, the Yankees should not get upset and react by spilling onto the field. Over the years, I have seen Yankees pitchers retaliate when one of their star players was hit. That is how the game is played. Clemens could further the animosity, depending on what he does when he returns to the mound the next inning. If he throws at another Met, then I'm sure the Mets will offer another response.

Major League Baseball conducted an investigation, but on Thursday decided not to fine or suspend Clemens for hitting Barry Bonds with a pitch last Sunday after Clemens reportedly said he would "take that piece of plastic (elbow guard) off him." If Clemens were joking, the quote should have been written that way, but it wasn't.

The DH rule has allowed Clemens and other American League pitches to throw at hitters without having to stand at the plate and face retribution. Giants manager Dusty Baker summed it up best: "You can be bold in (the American) League and get away with it. It's different in our league where you have to hit. Not to take anything away from Roger, but in the National League he might not be ... what's his nickname? The Rocket? In our league he might be Roger the Dodger."

In Baker's estimation, Clemens would be dodging pitches in the National League because he throws at too many hitters. Bonds became the 132nd batter Clemens has hit during his career, ranking him first among active pitchers. But Clemens, in 20 total plate appearances, has never been hit by a major-league pitch.

Like Clemens, Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale were intimidators on the mound. At the same time, they stood at the plate and took their lumps -- and that is the way it should be. Gibson was hit eight times in his career and Drysdale five times.

Saturday is the Mets' one shot at Clemens. Being two years removed from the Piazza beaning and the bat-throwing incident has little relevance. They were still on the mind of Yankees manager Joe Torre a year ago when he altered his rotation to keep Clemens from pitching -- and thus hitting -- at Shea Stadium.

Torre said it would have been a "circus." But guess what -- the circus is coming to town this weekend.

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan is a baseball analyst for ESPN and writes a weekly column for ESPN.com.