The Red Sox arguably will have the strongest starting rotation in the American League heading into spring training, but that will not preclude them from pursuing Roger Clemens one more time.
Owner John W. Henry confirmed in a brief e-mail yesterday that the team intends to make another attempt to sign the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, potentially boosting a rotation that already includes Curt Schilling, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester. Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, said last week that his client was leaning toward playing another partial season after going 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 starts for the Houston Astros last season.
The 11-time all-star, who has repeatedly put off retirement over recent years, was so battered and sore at the end of Houston’s 2005 National League championship season that he decided to conserve energy last year by working out a deal with the Astros that didn’t result in his activation until June 22. The tactic worked, as Clemens posted ERAs of 2.00, 2.54 and 2.33 in his three full months. The 44-year-old right-hander allowed one or no earned runs in seven of his last eight outings.
The Sox pursued Clemens last offseason, presenting him with a film of his accomplishments with the ballclub that was said to have moved him to the brink of tears, forcing him to seriously consider returning to his original franchise before re-upping with his hometown Astros. Over the weekend, Clemens told Houston reporters that he hasn’t made up his mind if he will play again in 2007, but indicated that the scenario is similar to last year at this time.
“I don’t think it’s any different than last year,” Clemens told MLB.com. “Three teams are always players in this situation: my hometown team, Boston and the Yankees.
“I’m really not any closer to making a decision.”
Clemens said that a concern right now is that he’s not as close to being in playing shape as he was one year ago, because he is not preparing for participation in the World Baseball Classic.
The Yankees are expected to make an all-out effort to re-sign Clemens, who played for them from 1999-2003, after recently trading Randy Johnson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. New York signed Clemens’ closest friend, Andy Pettitte, to a one-year, $16-million contract Dec. 21 and the left-hander said that he hopes to lure the 348-game winner to the Bronx to join him.
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クレメンスは、６年後、又は７年後に、野球殿堂で、最高の得票率を取る。
Owner John W. Henry confirmed in a brief e-mail yesterday that the team intends to make another attempt to sign the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, potentially boosting a rotation that already includes Curt Schilling, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester. Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, said last week that his client was leaning toward playing another partial season after going 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 starts for the Houston Astros last season.
The 11-time all-star, who has repeatedly put off retirement over recent years, was so battered and sore at the end of Houston’s 2005 National League championship season that he decided to conserve energy last year by working out a deal with the Astros that didn’t result in his activation until June 22. The tactic worked, as Clemens posted ERAs of 2.00, 2.54 and 2.33 in his three full months. The 44-year-old right-hander allowed one or no earned runs in seven of his last eight outings.
The Sox pursued Clemens last offseason, presenting him with a film of his accomplishments with the ballclub that was said to have moved him to the brink of tears, forcing him to seriously consider returning to his original franchise before re-upping with his hometown Astros. Over the weekend, Clemens told Houston reporters that he hasn’t made up his mind if he will play again in 2007, but indicated that the scenario is similar to last year at this time.
“I don’t think it’s any different than last year,” Clemens told MLB.com. “Three teams are always players in this situation: my hometown team, Boston and the Yankees.
“I’m really not any closer to making a decision.”
Clemens said that a concern right now is that he’s not as close to being in playing shape as he was one year ago, because he is not preparing for participation in the World Baseball Classic.
The Yankees are expected to make an all-out effort to re-sign Clemens, who played for them from 1999-2003, after recently trading Randy Johnson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. New York signed Clemens’ closest friend, Andy Pettitte, to a one-year, $16-million contract Dec. 21 and the left-hander said that he hopes to lure the 348-game winner to the Bronx to join him.
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クレメンスは、６年後、又は７年後に、野球殿堂で、最高の得票率を取る。
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