[新聞] Clemens sweepstakes officially begin

[dogmoon (KGB)]

http://0rz.tw/582Dn (洋基官網)

05/01/2007 10:24 AM ET
Clemens sweepstakes officially begin
Rocket's agent says his client will make decision this month

HOUSTON -- If Roger Clemens decides he does indeed want to pitch in 2007 and
if he had to pick a team today, based on the requirements he has placed on
the interested parties, he'd go to the Red Sox.
After all, the Red Sox are in first place in their division, they're third in
the American League in runs scored and their pitching? Second lowest ERA in
the league.

The other two suitors, the Yankees and Astros, well, they're not doing so
well. Both are in last place in their respective divisions, with 14 losses
apiece. The Astros have won 10 games, the Yankees nine. The Astros' problem
is offense, the Yankees, pitching.

But according to Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, no team is out of the
running.

"The three original teams are all being considered seriously," Hendricks said
via e-mail.

The calendar has flipped to May, officially marking the Clemens sweepstakes
open for business. Clemens will decide, according to Hendricks, "sometime
during the month of May, but certainly, not very soon." Of course, he first
has to decide whether he wants to pitch, and while Clemens is playing coy,
few in the industry believe he'll retire.

Last year, Clemens signed on May 31. It's likely the same ETA can be expected
this year.

Astros owner Drayton McLane recently had a brief conversation with Randy and
Alan Hendricks, and while McLane hasn't talked to Clemens in a few weeks,
he's certainly keeping tabs on the Rocket. Clemens spent much of Spring
Training in Kissimmee, Fla., throwing batting practice to and working out
with the Astros' Minor Leaguers. When the regular season began, he made a
handful of trips to Lexington, where his son, Koby, is a third baseman for
the Class A Legends.

Clemens hasn't made his desire to pitch in '07 official, but if he does agree
to stave off retirement for a fourth year, his suitors will not have to worry
that he may not be in proper shape. Clemens' workout regimen is as strenuous
as ever, and according to Hendricks, Clemens' nagging aches and pains from
the past -- groin, back, hamstring -- are not an issue.

"He feels very good physically," Hendricks said. "He will be accelerating the
intensity of his workouts soon."

But first things first. Clemens has to inform the interested parties that he
will pitch this year.

"We had a brief conversation with Randy about Roger," McLane said. "I said,
No. 1, that Roger and Debbie [Clemens' wife] need to make up their minds.
He's 44, he'll be 45 during the season [Aug. 4]. He's still a power pitcher
and he needs to determine physically that he can do it.

"[Hendricks] said that they are having conversations and hopefully, sometime
by mid-May, Roger will give word. We're not negotiating and to my knowledge,
no other teams are negotiating. [His agents] said there's no point until we
know what Roger wants."

McLane is confident about the Astros' chances to sign Rocket, despite the
club's slow start. The Red Sox and Yankees haven't said whether they would
afford Clemens the perks he has with the Astros, namely, skipping road trips
when he's not pitching.

But if Clemens signs with New York or Boston, it's likely he wouldn't be able
to spend time during the season in Lexington with Koby, which has been a huge
selling point for the Rocket since Koby was drafted in 2005.

The other issue, of course, is money. Last year, Clemens signed for
$22,000,002 and was paid a little over $12 million for a shortened season
that began on June 22. Assuming Clemens begins this season around the same
time, and assuming he's not going to accept a pay cut, McLane will have to
exceed the $100 million mark in payroll for the second year in a row. The
Astros' Opening Day payroll was just under $88 million.

McLane is confident that the Astros will be competitive with their bid for
Rocket's services. He also doesn't seem to be worried that the Yankees and
Red Sox would knock the Astros out of competition with a bidding war only
those two teams can afford.

"I certainly hope not," McLane said. "I don't think so. I think [Clemens'
agents] know reasonably where we are."

What is reasonable?

"I don't know," McLane said. "You saw what it was last year and this is a
year farther down the road. Whether that will be less, the same or more, we
haven't gotten that far."

McLane, who will likely be the sole negotiator on the Astros' behalf when the
bidding begins, likes his club's chances to land the Rocket for a fourth year.

"Randy has assured us that we are in the mix," he said. "The big decision is
the one that Roger and Debbie need to make. He needs to let Randy and Alan
know and then we'll sit down and talk. I think Roger feels there's something
that hasn't been accomplished here that needs to be.

"I think he really feels a part of the Houston Astros. I said to him all
along, he helped us get to the World Series and now we need to get back to
the World Series and win it. I think he really, really wants to be a part of
that."




--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) 
◆ From: 125.232.154.232
推 bymee:Hurry up!
推 Melson:urry up!
推 Datow:Hurry up!  〒.〒
推 lukehong:ry up!
推 dogmoon:rry up!
推 mlb99:Hurry up!
推 wjmandy:rry up!
推 whatisthis: up!  根本欺負長ID XDDDD
推 sooooooo:ry up! 看不懂啥意思  哈
推 nitrile:rry up! 問問技安比
推 klarc:要去紅襪喔@@a 這下有趣了
推 upscom:紅襪牛棚有天天岡....
推 awhat:哪段說要去紅襪了?
推 kevinsyc:he'd go to the Red Sox....囧>
推 yattin:沒說要去紅襪啦  第一段意思是說如果今天就讓火箭決定
→ yattin:那麼最有可能就是去紅襪  太空人問題在打線便秘  洋基問題
→ yattin:在於投手放火  不過經紀人也說現在三隊都還在考慮當中
→ yattin:其他比較重要的內容就是太空人認為老火箭會因為家人以及對
推 asdfzx:臆測之詞啦
→ yattin:於太空人的歸屬感而回到休士頓  其實沒啥太多新消息的新聞
推 yattin:話說...要五月決定是不是又要拖到月底啊...雖然私心希望
→ yattin:他留在太空人繼續投...
推 whatisthis:我看乳摸網站說好像就是要拖到月底才決定~~@@
推 scal:這種新聞跟什麼宅男傳奇一樣煩
→ scal:若是Jake Peavy, Santana這類的還比較有看頭