Greedy SOB

[VivaLaFlamme]

At the end of the seventh-inning stretch, Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard told fans to turn their attention to the box, where Clemens was standing with a microphone. As the video scoreboard in right-center showed Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner made the announcement himself.

"Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it's a privilege to be back," Clemens said. "I'll be talking to y'all soon."

Clemens, who will turn 45 in August, agreed to a $28 million, one-year contract that will start when he is added to the major league roster, most likely in three to four weeks.

He begins with a minor-league contract, and the deal will allow him to earn about $18.5 million. Clemens will start his workouts in Lexington, Ky., where his son Koby is playing in the Houston Astros ' farm system.

"I'm about at playing weight right now," Clemens said. "I feel pretty good."

The Rocket pitched for New York from 1999-2003. He left the Yankees after the 2003 season, saying he was retiring, but after Andy Pettitte signed with the Astros, Clemens followed his friend to their hometown team.

Pettitte returned to the Yankees this year, and Clemens followed on Sunday.

"It's another challenge," said Clemens, eighth on the career list with 348 wins. "I expect to do things at the age of 44, 45 like I did at 25."


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He chose New York over two of his other former teams, the Astros and Boston Red Sox .

"Let's face it - these guys know how to win," Clemens said, adding that captain Derek Jeter pressed him to return as New York struggled early this season.

The Yankees have been beset by a rash of injuries to their pitching staff, contributing to a disappointing 14-15 start. But they beat the Mariners 5-0 on Sunday for their fifth victory in six games after losing eight of nine.

"Derek was on me once a week, especially when things weren't working out," Clemens said. "I see the problems with the pitching staff, too. The injuries are incredible."

Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, was in Boston talking to the Red Sox on Thursday when talks with the Yankees intensified. Negotiations were held by e-mail and cell phone. By Friday evening, a deal was in place.

Clemens traveled to New York on Sunday, got to LaGuardia Airport at about 1 p.m., then went to a Manhattan hotel and changed. He got to Yankee Stadium in the sixth inning, then made the big announcement, prompting fans to chant his name.

He hadn't even told Pettitte or Jeter that it was a done deal.

"Andy is going to be pretty upset with me," Clemens said.

Clemens will have the same travel privileges he had with Houston last year, when he sometimes skipped road trips if he wasn't scheduled to pitch. Instead, he spent the time at home with his family and worked with Astros minor leaguers.

Yankees manager Joe Torre ran that issue by several clubhouse leaders who signed off on the arrangement, general manager Brian Cashman said.

"It's time to go to work," Clemens said. "I've got a lot of work to do to get back up here."

Traded from Toronto to the Yankees before the 1999 season, Clemens helped New York win consecutive World Series titles in his first two seasons in the Bronx. He won the AL Cy Young Award with a 20-3 record in 2001 and was a member of pennant winners that year and in 2003.

"As I pledged just a few days ago, I will do everything within my power to support Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and this team as we fight to bring a 27th championship to New York," owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "Roger Clemens is a winner and a champion, and he is someone who can be counted on to help make this season one that all Yankees fans can be proud of. The sole mission of this organization is to win a world championship."


I hope he fails liek the res tof the roster of pitching

[President B. Dazzle]

Fall ina bucket of AIDS.

As I told Scott, this is a well-calculated move, because it not only brings Clemens, it will improve Pettitte as well once he joins the team. So, if possible, their rotation will be Clemens, Pettitte, Wang, Mussina, and probably the Jap guy (Igawa). I have a lot more faith in that rotation than I did the one with Pavano at the start of the season. And they can continue to give Phil Hughes spot starts to get him ready for next year, too...at least when he recovers from injury.

[CRASHER]

yeah but dude.... $28 million ?

Holy hell!!

[bojangles]

4.5 mil per month in the majors, he also has a 18.5 mil contract to play in the MINORS while he gets ready for the yankees

[Jayson"Phonics"]

he's still one of the best damn pitchers even at his age, look at what he did last year. In about what? 20 starts had an era under 2. yeah his record sucked but that was because houston averaged less than 2 runs per game when he pitched, that wont be a problem in new york

[StonePolhamusCold]

They say he'll be making around $900,000-$1,2000,000/start!!!!!!

[President B. Dazzle]

1) I don't call him greedy at all. He doesn't have very many effective pitching years left methinks, and he feels the need to make as much money as he can off of them.

2) That being said, George pulled the trigger on a panic button as he is known to do. Yeah, they said they've been trying to go back to being a less money-driven franchise, and to a certain extent, they've done so. They are developing prospects from within now, and even though they have paid a lot of money to some pitching (see Igawa in particular), that's more of a reflection of the redonkulousness of the pitching market being inflated.

As I said on TCO, the Yankees are in good shape for having such a shitty April. They're 5 back on the division, and 4 back on the wild card. Their season is not over so long as they do what they need to do against the teams they have coming up, particularly Boston, Seattle, Texas, Toronto, and even the ChiSox, who are beatable. They just need to NOT tread water until June, because there's still a lot of baseball to be played. And as much as I'd like them to sweep the Mets out of their own building, they have to realize that those losses will hurt the least out of any of the losses they can get.