Yanks want Rocket again??

[Providence A's]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printe...y-sports-print

He’s old and expensive, but he’s still The Rocket
December 9, 2005


DALLAS -- Let's do it like this: You can enumerate the reasons why the Yankees shouldn't sign Roger Clemens, and I'll shoot down your arguments in four words or less.

He's 43 years old.

But he's Roger Clemens.

He broke down physically at the end of last season.

But he's Roger Clemens.

He'll be ultra-expensive.

But he's Roger Clemens.

Starting pitching ranks among the least of Yankees concerns.

That said, he's Roger Clemens. All right, so I took an extra word on that last one.

Nevertheless, the Yankees, in the midst of their Winter of Admirable Restraint, need to go against logic, because that's what you do when the greatest pitcher in baseball history becomes available.

With the Astros surprisingly cutting ties with their hometown hero, the Yankees must summon their inner college basketball coach and recruit, through every means of communication possible. Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada should flood The Rocket's Blackberry with e-mails, reminding him of Yankee Stadium's October electricity. Joe Torre should telephone Clemens and, in that calm, reassuring voice, say, "Roger, we want your right arm, but even more, we want your heart."

George Steinbrenner, still a snail-mail guy, should pen one of his famous personal letters, expressing fondness for one of his all-time favorite warriors and subtly mentioning the dispensable $20 million he has stashed away in a Cayman Islands bank.

This can happen. Yes, it's a longshot. But to say there's no chance is to say that Clemens can't be tempted by money, glory and jewelry. Which would pretty much make him a robot.

If Clemens is robotic in any way, it's in his dominance over most of the last 22 seasons. Yes, he fell apart some in September and October, culminating in his early departure from World Series Game 1 with an ailing left hamstring. Yet keep in mind, it was no ordinary time for him. He was grieving over the loss of his mother, Bess, which would mentally and physically wear down most of us.

And don't forget, there have been other times when Clemens appeared physically spent, from Dan Duquette's infamous "twilight" remark after the 1996 season to three years ago, when the Yankees hemmed and hawed over bringing the righthander back for 2003 after an injury-plagued 2002.

The man with 341 career victories, who compiled a 1.87 ERA in his age 42-43 season, deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The Rocket also would bring some much-needed leadership to the Yankees' pitching staff. Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina are who they are; they're not going to raise Shawn Chacon or Chien-Ming Wang to new heights. Clemens, to the contrary, prides himself on setting the bar for his teammates, on sharing tips on mechanics and opposing batters.

The biggest obstacle? Clemens would have to be with the team full-time. You can't give him the "come as you please" schedule that he enjoyed with Houston the last two years, not with so many other superstars on this club. He wouldn't get to see his family anywhere near as much. Maybe the Texas Rangers, the next closest team to Houston, can capitalize on their proximity to Clemens' home.

So maybe Clemens joins the Yankees in May, June or July, just to shorten the physical and emotional burden for him and the financial one for The Boss.

In declining to offer Clemens arbitration, the Astros have agreed to wear the black hat in this scenario, no small thing. Essentially, they foolishly pushed him away, unwilling to wait out his decision.

So now the Yankees can look like the good guys, for once, offering employment to a guy let go by his company.

All right, maybe that won't play in Houston. But it should play very well at the next Yankees organizational meeting. And if anyone objects, The Boss, a man of fewer words nowadays, should merely respond, "But he's Roger Clemens."

In an offseason of nothing for the Yanks, it would make a splash...

[Saber]

Actually, starting pitching is a serious concern for the Yankees.

After all, Mussina, Wang, Small, Pavano, and Wright are who they are.

[Providence A's]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...p-317916c.html

Since the Astros didn't offer arbitration to Roger Clemens last week, speculation has been rampant that the Rocket will wind up in one of his old haunts if he decides to pitch next season.
There is a little more fueling such talk now. The Yankees have had talks with Clemens' agents about a possible return to pinstripes, according to one of his reps. And the Red Sox also have made contact, according to a report in yesterday's Boston Globe.

"We have talked about things in general with the Yankees," one of Clemens' agents, Randy Hendricks, wrote in an E-mail to the Daily News yesterday. "We have told the teams that have called to talk to us in January because there is no rush, due to Roger's timetable."

Clemens, 43, has several options for next year, including retirement after two years in Houston. He might not decide on pitching until February or March, after pitching for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

Clemens cannot re-sign with the Astros until May 1 by baseball rules, but some in baseball believe that's what he will do. He may wait to pitch whether he returns to Houston or not - one fewer month in the season might be better for Clemens, who had physical problems in the final month of the season and left his World Series start after only two innings due to hamstring trouble.

Clemens undoubtedly will be wooed by the Texas Rangers, too, along with the Yankees and Red Sox. The Mets, who seem to have a rare baseball luxury - surplus starting pitching - have not called about Clemens. Hendricks wrote: "We haven't heard from them, but I can't see Roger playing for them over the Yankees."

[Hmark6]

ha! Small, Moose, Wang....I can't believe i never saw that before...