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Early Addition
With the news that Roger Clemens is returning to the Yankees, reactions from the local media and Yankee fans are generally positive. Clemens made the announcement during the 7th inning of yesterday's 5-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. After the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," Bob Sheppard directed the crowd to the owner's box for a special announcement. Only then did the public find out that Clemens would be returning to pitch for the Yankees, "Well, they came and got me out of Texas. I can tell you, it's a privilege to be back. I'll be talking to y'all soon."
Clemens' one-year contract is for $28 million, but will be prorated from the date that he actually joins the team and is estimated to be worth about $18 million. Right now, Clemens will only get a stipend with his minor league contract. Unlike last year, the Yankees were willing to give Clemens special privileges where he can go home between starts and doesn't have to travel with the team when he's not scheduled to pitch. Before the season started, Yankee brass had $25.5 million earmarked for Clemens, but when Clemens' agent Randy Hendricks made a $28 million offer, the Yankees jumped at the opportunity.
For the Yankees, signing the high-priced pitcher was just standard operating procedure, but this time, the Steinbrenner sons were involved. While the news of Clemens' return to the Yankees was a secret to many, including his children, some Yankee players claimed that they knew he was coming back. Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter said they knew and Johnny Damon said there were rumors and that he knew for sure when he heard the music in the clubhouse, "We'd been hearing news; and hearing Rocket Man by Elton John and the Def Leppard song, too, we were like 'What's going on'."
For their part, Red Sox players said that they didn't need Clemens. Curt Schilling said, "I feel like we were legitimate World Series contenders without him, so that doesn't change my mind." Josh Beckett thought that Boston was also fine without Clemens, but added, "Unless the Yankees decide to trade him to us, we're probably going to have to move on without him." The Houston Astros, The Rocket's other suitors, were disappointed that Clemens signed with the Yankees. Owner Drayton McLane said, "We were hoping to have more time to talk. This happened faster than anybody thought." They also wanted Clemens for only three months, as opposed to the earlier time-frame that Clemens was on and that Hendricks pushed.
If Clemens returns at the end of May or early June, his potential opponents could be the Angels (home, May 25-27), the Blue Jays (away, 28-30), at Boston (away, June 1-3), at White Sox (away, 4-7), or the Pirates (home, 8-10). We can bet that ESPN is hoping that Clemens returns against the Red Sox on June 3rd for their nationally televised game. Clemens says that he plans to workout in Lexington, Kentucky with his son Koby, who's in the Astros farm system, for about two weeks. Assuming three starts in the minors, his first game could very well be against the lowly Pirates, which could be perfect. A National League team to warm-up against from the same division as his last team. The perfect, low-pressure situation to come back to.
The Times points out that the Yankees will use their 10th starting pitcher of the season tonight, more than any other team at this point in the season. (The Times also has a nice graphic summarizing Clemens's career stats.) When Matt DeSalvo takes the mound, he'll also be the team's 6th rookie to start this season.
Photo of Roger Clemens throwing in the outfield with Yankees pitching coach Ron Guidry by AP/Kathy Willens
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here we go again. the yankees will buy their way into the post-season as usual. clemens is a whore and the yankees are the pimps of baseball.
too bad baseball doesn't have real revenue sharing and salary caps like the NFL. the yankees have no heart - just lots of money to spend. and yankee fans keep thinking any of this means anything when the post-season has to be bought.
whatever bim, the same could be said for the Rod Sux, the Mets, Angels, White Sox...
Cry me a river. A river of beans.
i agree with you sp. that's why baseball sucks these days.
I'm so sick of Clemens. Either retire or don't. Every year with this.
"the Yankees were willing to give Clemens special privileges where he can go home between starts and doesn't have to travel with the team when he's not scheduled to pitch"
It's ridiculous. What a great teammate.
At least some of those other teams have brought in a significant amount of farm players. The Yankees only brought up one maybe two?
Only 1, maybe 2 farm players?? Jeter, Cano, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte, plus Rasner, Karstens, Hughes. And during their championship run, you can add Bernie to that list.
Steroids is just one factor that threatens the integrity of baseball. Sports is supposed to be a game of fair play. One major issue that needs to be addressed is a salary cap in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball needs a salary cap to help level the playing field. A salary cap is "a limit on the amount of money a team can spend on player salaries, either as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster (or both)." The purpose of the salary cap is to limit overall spending and to make sure one team is not dominant every year because they can afford the best players.
Seriously, can you stop idiotically parroting his agent's line that the other teams "only needed him for 3 months?"
Both the Astros & the Red Sox have refuted that. In fact, given the sorry state of the Astros pitching (but still better than that of the Yankees) they probably would have taken him back in April...
Good to see him pitching again, but enough of the cut & paste reporting from the Post already...
You forgot Wang and Cabrera
What is it, Casual Friday?
Give a shit, Guidry!
His new moniker should be "The Pocket."
Slightly more accurate for a 45-year old commanding $28 mil.
The Yankees have once again shown exactly why they are the #1 most hated sports franchise in the world with the $28 million for one year signing of 45-year old Roger Clemens.
I can only hope the old men on the Yankees continually get hurt and that they finish near the bottom of the AL East.
Have proven IMO that they not only represent all that is wrong with baseball, but all that is wrong with America.
"Only 1, maybe 2 farm players?? Jeter, Cano, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte, plus Rasner, Karstens, Hughes. And during their championship run, you can add Bernie to that list."
Oh, you mean the farm players when they won World Series? I think you get my point.
"Have proven IMO that they not only represent all that is wrong with baseball, but all that is wrong with America."
Jesus Christ dude, get over it.
Not so sure the Yanks can buy themselves out of this hole...at least Clemens got to stick it to the Sox one last time. Think their fans aren't bitter? :
www.thenewsroom.com/details/273873/Sports
The socialist systems of basketball, hockey and football have proven to equal the playing field and be fairer. The capitalist system which is used in baseball has been exploited by the Yankees like no ther team. They believe, as do many Americans, that might makes right, that the o'mighty dollar can buy anything e.g. a championship. Well, it has been proven that it doesn't but that does not make the Yankees and their behavior alright. The Yankees are the evil empire as is America.
hey patrick, don't you know about the signing bonuses the yankees give to hot prospects to join their farm system? yes, that's right, they buy out the prospects to keep them from joining other teams as well. the yankees have helped to ruin baseball from the minors on up. and they didn't keep winning those world series just because of those farm products. they were still outspending everyone else in order to have the best veterans as well. the yankees are so lame.
they are so lame. i hate teams that consistently field contenders. i also really hate seeing teams which constantly have sold out ballparks to add to the exciting atmosphere of home games. what really sucks too about the yankees is how they always draw fans regardless of where they're playing. lame, indeed
p.s. karstens, rasner, wang, cabrera, and hughes didnt help them win the world series, jackass
name calling huh?
number one - they buy their way to contention, jackass.
number two - they sell out ballparks because when you deal with the masses you're dealing with common idiots who don't question anything about the world around them you complacent obedient jackass.
number three, they draw crowds for the same reason as reason number two, jackass.
"when you deal with the masses you're dealing with common idiots who don't question anything about the world around them"
..what makes you such an elitist?
the yankees produced a wealth of farm talent in the late 90's and seemingly they are producing a high level of talent again (see: wang, cabrera, hughes, et al.). you did nothing to refute my brief points about the number of quality members of their team who were produced from their system. instead, you've shown us all why you've evolved to a higher plateau of thinking..oh no, wait, you just got really angry.
Personally I don't like the prima donna styles of these players. It seems like they're more sports celebrities vying for the camera time than actual teammates wanting to win a world series.
Further, one extra - and aging - pitcher is not going to change anything for the team in the long or short terms.
If the yankees could get back into fundamental baseball like the mets then they might have a team that's worth the money they're being payed. Right now, though, media whoring and high salaries seem to be the only thing on the yankees' minds.
i did address the issue of quality of players produced from the farm system by stating the fact (in an earlier comment above) that they beat out other major league teams by giving young talent big signing bonuses to join their farm system.
i wasn't being angry. you're the one who called me a jackass first and since this is all written and we are not talking person to person my tone would be much more comical and sarcastic which is what i thought you were being.
and yes i am an elitist when i see masses of people who work hard to get by on what they earn while trying to support their families, spending 5 dollars on hot dogs at the stadium and much more money on cable tv and tickets to watch a game, while a man who can throw a little white ball very fast makes 28 million dollars on top of what he's already made. it's disgusting! and the masses support this so i look down on them and it's why i stopped watching baseball - so call me an elitist if you like.
Talk about the Yankee farm system all you want but in the end they are all failures....in the eyes of the Yankees because they don't win the World Series. Yankees say it all the time, "Anything less than a World Series win is total failure."
That whole team is so full of ego that they probably whip each other in the locker room when they lose.
honestly - in terms of sports - i wouldn't want it any other way.
and by that, i mean, i want my team to be able to consistently field contenders and guys who show up to win a world series. its not gonna happen every year, and of course they're villified because they 1) have the biggest payroll and 2) are from NY.
actually it's pathetic. what other teams can just go out and buy roger fing clemens in last ditch effort to get to the playoffs. it takes the fun out of the game. Or maybe it will be fun to watch when the yankees lose their division? We'll see.
Here we go again ! Another stupid deal for the Yanks . I'm sooooo glad that I'm not a fan of that team because they may have just sealed the deal for the Red Sox . If they do get all of their pitchers back and the Rocket still has something left in the tank . Then they may have a little bit of a chance to do something in the post season . I mean come on now a Pro-rated contract for a forty-something year old pitcher ! That's crazy, Don't get it twisted I'm not saying he doesn't have the right to a fair deal and all . It's just that this money could have been spent elsewhere . It also gives Clemens leverage in the decision making process here . It makes it seem as if they need him more then he needs them too further this farce of a legacy he's trying to fortify . Yes the Rocket will go into the Hall of fame for his career accomplishments . To me this "Return" too the Yanks is a vain attempt solidify a spot in history that has already been afforded to him with all that he has accomplished in his career !