Clemens a Yankee!

Now I have to root against one of my all time favorites

I heard Joe Torre offered to pay 1/2 his salary

Ohhhhhhh nooooooo!

so how many millions will he make?

Hard to respect this guy.Hes accomplished everything in baseball,has enough money to retire,and support the next 5 generations of clemens,yet he cant go out of the game gracefully.

Desperate times require desperate measures.

Go Sox

futurecatcher- He'll be making a pro-rated $28 million, which translates to $4.5 million per month. Simply put, pro-rated means he gets paid when he plays and gets nothing when he doesn't play (so until he activates himself, he gets no pay).

Hard to respect this guy? He has won 7 Cy Young Awards, 2 World Series rings, 300+ career wins and 4,000+ career strikeouts. In my opinion, he is in the top 5 greatest pitchers to ever live. As a baseball player/fan if you can't respect him, I don't know who you can respect.

Retiring from the game isn't that easy when you've played it since you were 5 years old. Maybe it's not about the money or the fame or the accomplishments. Maybe it's just because of the fact that he loves the game too much to leave it. Ever think of that?

And don't forget his EGO---it isnt about money it is about being the "stud on the white stallion" and winning

TR's absolutely right. He could have come to Boston, where it all began for him. He's tied with Cy Young in career wins with the RedSox and could have become the all-time leader. But why come to a winner that really doesn't need him anyway? He's got to be that white night. Bring it on Rog, it's going to be fun watching you fall flat on your Yankee face.

White KNIGHT even.

Nothing but respect for Clemens and all he has accomplished.

I somewhat expected him to sign with Boston to finish up there but then realized this may not be his last season he could still end up there next year.

If you notice,I say he has accomplished everything he ever will as a baseball player,and has enough money to set up his family for life already.

And no,its not for a championship,because he obviously has many title rings

I will never fault a guy for taking money,because why not,but at some point,bow out gracefully.

quote:

Originally posted by futurecatcher27:
If you notice,I say he has accomplished everything he ever will as a baseball player,and has enough money to set up his family for life already.

And no,its not for a championship,because he obviously has many title rings

I will never fault a guy for taking money,because why not,but at some point,bow out gracefully.

If it's not for the titles, why not stay close to home with a team with less of a chance to advance?

If it's not for the money, why go to the highest bidder?

What is it for? IMHO, the combination of the above topped off with passion and "love of the game".

Bowing out gracefully is easy for us armchair QB's but unless you've walked the cleats, that passion is a decision that only one man can make.

But he's retired how many times!!??

But he's COME-BACK how many times. You put horses out to pasture you put a competitor back on the bump. The only reputation that can be tainted is his own and who are we to determine his destiny.

He's only retired once and that was when he was with the Yankees the first time. He retired and put up the cleats. Then the Astros talked him back by allowing him only to show up when he pitched.

Ever since then it has beeen "one year" contracts - in effect is has only been for about 2/3 of the year he has played.

$4.5 million per month? The Yankees are getting pretty desperate...so when he gets in playing shape and graces the Yankees with his presence, he'll be making oh, close to $1 million per start...

Yep, it'll be nice to watch the Yankees flop this year.

I am a big Yankee fan and my feelings for Clemens are very mixed. One the on hand I respect him for the dedication and his work ethic. I read alot about him in "Pride and Pinstripes" by Mel Stottlemyre. One the other hand I hate the fact that he threw at peoples' heads. I think it is very low, especially when in the American league where you face no danger of being thrown at yourself. You could really injure someone for life and I really resent the fact that he did it.

I still don't know if something like that could be forgiven.

quote:

I somewhat expected him to sign with Boston to finish up there but then realized this may not be his last season he could still end up there next year.

Interesting thought Dad. I like Red Sox and would have enjoyed watching him throw for them. I can't imagine he could come back again next year. I'm not sure that he can hold up physically again this year..... but I wondered those same thoughts last year. A shorter season obviously is helpful, but still....

It would be neat if he was a Red Sox next year though!

quote:

Originally posted by futurecatcher27:
If you notice,I say he has accomplished everything he ever will as a baseball player,and has enough money to set up his family for life already.

And no,its not for a championship,because he obviously has many title rings

I will never fault a guy for taking money,because why not,but at some point,bow out gracefully.

Why bow out when you can still get the job done. MJ retired tried baseball and came back and won another championship. This isn't someone who is relegated to a couple mop up innings and hanging on by a thread. He's had two great years with the Astros and still believes he can pitch at a very high level.

I'll be the dissenter here and wish him well.

From The owners box behind home plate;

quote:

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

Tackiest contract announcement since Billy Martin was rehired.

He did look kinda sheepish didn't he.

Don't be shocked if his first start this year is against the Red Sox----the schedule may make iit so

The Rocket knows theatrics as witnessed by his announcement yesterday

Ego yes, but money ruled here. Report is the Red Sox only offered him 18 mil pro-rated. What an insult! The point everyone is missing is that he's retired almost as many times as Jordan and Magic. Its a joke. His scenario is worse however. Remember that this game begins in mid february, when pitchers work in the pen, do lots of running, work on things. This game does not and never will begin in late may or early june. But his highness thinks so and so do the fools who pay him. When he hits 50, they'll sign him for august and sept only. At 55, maybe just the last 2 weeks of sept and then the playoffs. Remember, retirement age is 62. Special exceptions for athletes diminishes the game. Imagine what that does in teaching young players discipline. The old timers must be rolling over. I believe he should either show up in feb, suffer through a full season, then we would see if he's cut out for it at his age. If he is, then he will continue to be revered. If he can't do it all season, then he should pack it in and get out the Clubs. One mans opinion.

He has become the HIGHEST PAID PLAYER IN BASEBALL!
Are the Yankees really that desperate?
There are rumors out there that Steinbrenner is sick, could we just be seeing the beginning of a spending spree to win George one more title? Who is next?
Respect Clemens. Had the priviledge of meeting him in person and he is a class guy. Do not begrudge him the money or the adulation. Wish it had been with somebody other than the Yankees though.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Don't be shocked if his first start this year is against the Red Sox----the schedule may make iit so

The Rocket knows theatrics as witnessed by his announcement yesterday

He can start about 13 or 14 games, but who is going to finish them for him? The Yankees are not so good in the bullpen. He's big non-factoring sideshow. He goes 5-5 with a 3.5 ERA. Yankees win 85 games.

Whoa,

Didn't realize I'd see all of these posts. Clemens will be fine. He still has good stuff and yes he is overpaid but he knows the Yanks are desperate. It is very early and with the starting 5 with ****, Pettitte, Mussina, Clemens, and a healthy Phil Hughes, they will play alot better. Unfortunately all the Yankee haters will disagree.

My question is with all the money they paid for DICE -K , I think this is a good deal. DICEK's era is almost at 8.00.

quote:

My question is with all the money they paid for DICE -K , I think this is a good deal. DICEK's era is almost at 8.00.

The answer is who cares, as long as the Sox are first and the Yankees are not. btw Matt DeSalvo is your starter today.

It's May fellas...enough bickering...let's wait til October to argue about the Yankees-Red Sox.

One of the most amusing parts of this 7th inning stretch announcement was that female Yankee broadcaster's reaction. If you get a chance to listen to it it's good for a laugh. You'd a thought JC Himself was sitting in the owner's box! What's her name, Waldman? She was screaming "Goodness Gracious!" She called it something like the most dramatic announcement or moment in Yankee history or something like that. I think she went to the Hawk Harrelson school of "Boozin' and Broadcasting".

Sounds like normal New York to me:

Over-publicized, over-paid, over-exposed.

Yawn.

Kudos to Clemens-he took Georgie Boy to the woodshed financially. Let him pull a muscle, strain a tendon, etc. and see how the deal looks. Can anyone think it's honestly a good thing for the game that one team can spend as much on a pseudo-geriatric hurler as many teams spend on their entire starting lineup?

Unless he has some of "Uncle Barry's Magic Elixir", now banned of course, he's one injury away from providing non-stop material for the late night comedians. It is just soooooo easy to hate the Yankees. They always try to win titles the old fashioned way..they BUY THEM.

BOOOOOOOOO Yankees and their grossly exagerated payroll. This just drives my point home with a resounding thud.

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
They always try to win titles the old fashioned way..they BUY THEM.

It certainly worked for the Red Sox.

The Yankees game last night showed what is going to happen----Rivera blew another one---6 inning pitchders cannot exist on the Yankee staff--the bullpen is "toast"

quote:

"Uncle Barry's Magic Elixir",

I did not know that had been banned.

THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE!!

i can't believe noone has mentioned anything about a baseball salary cap....way over due!!!

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
Sounds like normal New York to me:

Over-publicized, over-paid, over-exposed.

Yawn.

Kudos to Clemens-he took Georgie Boy to the woodshed financially. Let him pull a muscle, strain a tendon, etc. and see how the deal looks. Can anyone think it's honestly a good thing for the game that one team can spend as much on a pseudo-geriatric hurler as many teams spend on their entire starting lineup?......

I've been hearing rumors that Goose Gossage and Denny McLain might be willing to make themselves available to pitch if the price was right.

Sandy Kofax is working out in Tampa with the Yankee minor leaguers, so I hear.

Know when to say when.