Clemens is a Yankee.... Doh!

[Abel]

Just heard the story that Roger Clemens has signed with the Yankees for about 28mil for 4 months...

wowzers...

[TxLerman]

Not a bad gig if you can get it. (*now where is my pitcher's mit?*)

[ratbert]

When I saw that Andy Pettite had gone back to the Yankees, I figured Clemons would end up going back too.

[Sonny]

Dang It!

Wonder why he would choose a last place team? The smart choice would of been Boston.

Now I need to decide...should I burn my Clemens T-shirts? Hate to see you leave Rocket, but good luck in NYC.


Correction: The Yankees are no longer in last place.

[JoeBannon]

And it's such a boring sport too ;-)

[PeteQ]

Well don't think all of us Yankees fans are happy to see him. Once you "retire" and the city throws you a party, to see you run to another team to start playing again doesn't sit well with the hard-core fans. The crap about not knowing you still wanted to play and going to Houston was a pile of BS. Even the local kids weren't fooled by that. Plus, a million a day for a 44 year old pitcher, c'mon! It's not like he set the world on fire in Houston either...

He didn't go to Boston because their pitching staff is doing well, notice the first place standing, and weren't going to pony up the $$ this year. The Yanks are in second (as I write this) just about tied with everyone else. But despite that they are still considered contenders for a pennant. Oh, and they do have 26 World Championships by the way...

As for why he didn't stay with the Astros, just check the Vegas odds on Astros and post-season play let alone World Series Champs.

Me personally, I think it is going to be a long year and I don't think "Rocket's" presence is going to vault the Yankees to first place, more like they will be lucky to hold on to wild card hopes....

Rocket will muddle through and collect his $$ retire (again) and look for the next GM that thinks he can save the day....

[Duffy Pratt]

Since Steinbrenner took over the club, the Yankees haven't been known for their loyalty: Ask Bill Virdon, or Bob Lemon, or Mel Stottlemyre, or Elliot Maddox. (Stottlemyre was a fine sinkerball pitcher with the Yankees who got dumped without any post-career job by Steinbrenner, and then went on to be one of the best pitching coaches ever, for the Mets.) So anyone who has stuck with the Yankees through this unholy ownership doesn't really have much cause to complain over Clemens' antics.

The Astros might have been able to keep Clemens and/or Pettite if they could have come up with anything resembling run support. And you are wrong about Clemens with the Astros: he has been great, and would have won another Cy Young award his first year if the Stros had just scored 2 or 3 runs a game for him. His stint here reminded me of the early years of Tom Seaver with the Mets (who probably lost more 1-0 games than any pitcher in history).

Duffy

[Wes]

IMHO, he doesn't give a rip about the sport. It's all about the money. Sad to see that this attitude seems so prevalent in sports nowadays.

[Digital Prophet]

Originally Posted by Wes

IMHO, he doesn't give a rip about the sport. It's all about the money. Sad to see that this attitude seems so prevalent in sports nowadays.

Word! Good riddance.

Prophet out.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Wes

IMHO, he doesn't give a rip about the sport. It's all about the money. Sad to see that this attitude seems so prevalent in sports nowadays.

My sentiments as well. There seems to be too little left of the attitude "For the love of the game."

[Wes]

Funny... as soon as I posted my comments I find a newspaper columnist that says pretty much the same thing. http://sport.monstersandcritics.com/...s_such_a_phony

[MarcoFromHouston]

Bah! Humbug! Let the Yanks pay those Millions$$$ for him. I ain't mad at The Rocket.

Remember though.... as soon as he (finally.....for real this time....honest!) retires, he has a 10 year personal services contract with the 'Stros (a la Nolan Ryan & Jeff Bagwell).

[Duffy Pratt]

IMHO, he doesn't give a rip about the sport. It's all about the money. Sad to see that this attitude seems so prevalent in sports nowadays.

He could have gotten more money from the Yankees or the Red Sox any of the last three years. He came to Houston for several reasons: Pettite was here. It was his hometown. The Astros let him be away from the club when he wasn't starting. And the money.

Now Pettite is a Yankee. The Yankees for the first time have matched the Astros semi-retirement policy. And the Yankees might actually score some runs for him, allowing him to win a few games.

He is going to the team with a horrible pitching staff but great hitting. His presence might actually make the difference between winning and losing. From the standpoint of "caring about the game," he made the best choice he could have made. It also happens to be the one that pays the most. But do you really think that the Red Sox wouldn't have matched the money, if they could have had Clemens on their terms?

Duffy

[TXhummer2]

I can throw a hardball half as fast as Clemens, and I'd have taken the contract for half as much!

[JenJohnson79]

what was failed to mention in his 28 million contract for four months. . . is that he will only be getting 18 million. . .it's prorated! I think it was his man crush on Pettitte that drove the decision. . . and I think my boys (the 'Stros) have been through tougher times than two starting pitchers moving on to "bigger and better" things. . . so good luck to them both. . . but GO STROS!