The Biggest Mercenary in Sports

Roger Clemens. Will he, or won’t he come back?

This week, his agent Randy Hendricks asserted, “better than 50-50'' that Clemens plays somewhere”.

We all know what that means. Sometime in June, the lead story will be Roger Clemens signs with X team. ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, the other cable networks, the media and the bloggers, including myself will spend countless hours wondering about the good ol’ Rocket.

Once again, one of the mot intriguing topics of the winter (ok, it is spring if you’re here in Maryland spring in Mid-January), is the ever-going saga of Roger Clemens. The man is a living legend, his feats are worthy of tall tales though they are true, and he’s a Hall of Famer for sure.

Roger Clemens once again does now know if he’ll be pitching in 2007, but we all know for the right amount of cheese and situation (a chance at the World Series) he’ll make himself available.

To most of us in the baseball world, he’ll be with BFF, Andy Pettitte. So, he’ll most likely in pinstripes, since the Yankees are the Yankees and they are contenders. Brian Cashman and the fanbase up there want him, and since Randy and Gary Sheffield have now been jettisoned, George and company will be hard charging for him.

From what I know, the Yankees are the typical corporate organization where everyone knows their role and plays by the rules. Do I think the team would allow him to do as he please and have the schedule he had with the Astros?

No, but the lore of winning leads to desperation. They’ll bend the rules for him if he can be gotten.

The Red Sox aren’t likely to go after him anymore, since their rotation is fairly set, but you never know.

The Astros will mostly go after him since they have had a history, but the situation may be fuzzy down there, as they didn’t resign Pettitte over a few million and it looks like they are rebuilding. However, in the NL Central, it looks anyone could be possibly win it, so Clemens returning might be a possibility. As well, Houston would be most likely the team that would allow him the most liberal schedule.

The problem I find with Clemens is that he’s all for the ring and a hefty paycheck, and not much else. I don’t know him, and I have heard he’s a great teammate, good for the young guys, but isn’t part of being a teammate also being there for your team through the thick and thin, through every out and defeat?

Yeah, Roger isn’t just any pitcher, but are we all not tired of the song and dance?

Sports are a business and winning is everything. Clemens is the typical capitalist in America – however, it is sad that he has no sense of loyalty to anyone except himself and the dollar whatsoever.

Quick News...

• Happy trails. Astros first baseman, Jeff Bagwell announces his retirement after 15 Major League seasons. Riddled with injuries the past few years and unable to play in '06, while in Houston established himself as the face of the team and pretty much holds all it's offensive records.
  
• More D-Mat. Well, now that he's reached the States, Daisuke Matasuaka will be well taken care of. On top of being PAID, The Red Sox and Scott Boras, superagent, agreed to a package of benefits that included a physical therapist, massage therapist, interpreter, personal assistant, a total of 80 to 90 flights over the course of the contract, special transportation and living accommodations for D-Mat. Yes, he's special, but he's been pampered. However, he probably does not know a word of English, and his teammates don't know Japanese. I think the Red Sox are trying to make him as comfortable as possible.
• According to ESPN, Vernon Wells will be signed to an extension by the Blue Jays. Look to seeing Wells sign for 7 years and at least 126 million.
• ESPN also reports Boston got pitcher Brendan Donnelly from the Angels for Phil Seibel. As well, J.C. Romero and Doug Mirabelli have been resigned.
• After D-Mat signed from Japan, the Devil Rays signed Japanese infielder Akinori Iwamura to a $7.7 million, three-year contract.

Yankee Doodle Dandy: Petitte back to the Yankees for 1 year, 16 million

Andy Pettite is returning to where his career started. He's going to back to the Yankees for 1 year, 16 million after three seasons in Houston. Apparently, Houston offered Petitte 12 million for one year, but he wanted 14 million and the Astros didn't budge.

As you recall, Petitte only went to Houston after the Yankees didn't even make an offer for him to remain there. Concerns about his elbow arose, and he was let go, even as he won 21 games for them that year and was as "money" as you could get.

The Yankees swooped in with a 16 million dollar deal for the '07 season and Andy took it.

Does that open the door for a Roger return?

Um, Houston, we have a problem. Give credit to the Yankees -- a good move.

Link: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061208&content_id=1754838&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Who says you can't go home again?