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Rocket’s return Click to see highlights from Roger Clemens’ career, including his return to the Yankees. |
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Never in the history of baseball has any player so defined the word of carpetbagger. He might have been able to keep his news away from the New York press, but Clemens isn’t fooling everyone.
He’s in it for the money.
Clemens talked with the Yankees, Red Sox and his hometown Astros. All three wanted him, but the Yankees blew away the field with an offer of $28 million prorated over the final four months of the season. The Yankees will pay him $4.5 million per month from June 1 through the end of the season. It will cost King George even more when the luxury tax is considered (about $1.8 million more per month). Anyway you slice it, it will cost the Yankees more than $1 million per start.
But this is not about Steinbrenner’s money. Doesn’t Clemens have any dignity? This is the third straight year he has decided to come into the middle of the season, even though everyone else has been working since February.
Clemens is perhaps the greatest right-handed pitcher in the past 70 years. He comes back to the Yankees as a 44-year-old power pitcher (he’ll turn 45 in August) with the mental makeup and demeanor to remain a commanding presence.
OK, he looks the part. But just how good is Clemens at this point? The Yankees think that signing Clemens will get them back in the race, but the numbers don’t guarantee anything.
Clemens is looked as something of a horse when he gets to the mound. Listed at 6-4 and 220 — the guess here is somewhere around 235 — Clemens has thrown 118 complete games 47 shutouts in his 23 years in the major leagues. Exactly two of those complete games have come in the past six years, and he’s had one shutout in the last seven years.
Clemens is no longer pitching to his prior standards. During the prime of his career, he wanted the ball, and he didn’t want to come out of the game. Now, Clemens is more than happy to retire to the bench after six innings. He had 19 starts a year ago and went seven innings in only five of those starts.
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Now Clemens comes back to the league he apparently said goodbye to following the 2003 World Series. It could get ugly.
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Back in pinstripes May 6: In a surprise announcement, Roger Clemens announces his return to pitch for the Yankees. |
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