Clemens -> Astros! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

The_Dude · 01-12-2004, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Roger Clemens is pushing back his retirement, agreeing to a one-year contract with the Houston Astros, a baseball source told The Associated Press on Monday.

The six-time Cy Young Award winner had said for more than a year that he planned to quit after pitching last season for the New York Yankees.

But he was persuaded to join the Astros, his hometown team, after close friend and former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte signed with Houston last month.

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The Astros called a news conference for Monday. Clemens agreed to a contract Sunday, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Clemens, 41, was 17-9 with a 3.91 ERA last season, his fifth with the Yankees. He spent his first 13 seasons in Boston, then went to Toronto for two years before moving on to New York, where he won World Series titles in 1999 and 2000.

His 310-160 record puts him 17th on the career wins list, and his 4,099 strikeouts place him third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136).

Clemens' last appearance for the Yankees was a memorable one, in Game 4 of the World Series against the Florida Marlins. Flashbulbs popped repeatedly as fans photographed what they thought would be his final pitches.

Fifty friends and family members flew to Miami to watch the game; Clemens didn't get a decision as the Yankees lost to Florida 4-3 in 12 innings. Even the Marlins' players applauded after Clemens struck out Luis Castillo in what was thought to be his final major league pitch.

``So many people were using flash photography, it was quite amazing,'' Clemens said then. ``I think everybody started understanding that it was going to be my last inning, my last hitter, my last pitch.''

Clemens thought about pitching for the United States at the 2004 Olympics, but the Americans were eliminated in qualifying in November.

Clemens' outlook on retirement started to change Dec. 11, when left-hander Pettitte -- who also lives in the Houston area -- agreed to a $31.5 million, three-year contract with the Astros.

Houston, which has never been to a World Series, will head to spring training with a projected starting rotation that includes Clemens, Pettitte, Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller.

petite, then clemons?

sweet!

they have a pretty good lineup of sps now and at pretty low salaries too!

astros gonna be great next year!

djtestudo · 01-12-2004, 12:41 PM

As long as Clemens is back on the good side, I'm happy.

holtmate · 01-12-2004, 04:30 PM

Well, now I might have to go see the Reds/Astros games, just to watch Petitte and Clemens pitch. I'm just wondering how the Astros will actually do this season now. They'll probably ruin it for the rest of the division, and get eliminated quickly, as usual. :P

JoeyB · 01-12-2004, 07:35 PM

I agree that their starting staff is strong and their offense is solid....who do they plan on having as a closer this year???

forseti-6 · 01-12-2004, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JoeyB
I agree that their starting staff is strong and their offense is solid....who do they plan on having as a closer this year???

I think Dotel

thephuse · 01-12-2004, 08:23 PM

As a Yankee fan, this just makes me mad... because, last year, every yankee fan, and almost every ballpark he visited everyone gave him a goodbye cheer. Even in the frikkin World Series, the other team had a standing o for this guy.

He ignores the Yankee fans that have been so nice to him, after parading around his fake farewell tour, and has stabbed the Yankees in the back

This would have been surprising news to anyone except that the world hates the Yankees, and everyone thinks this is a good move..

Ugh... Clemens should have quit while he was ahead.. Minute Maid Park is not as friendly as Yankee Stadium, and comon.. why finish your HOF career in "Minute-Maid Park" when you can do it in "Yankee Stadium"

blah.

Ugh, and the YAnkees are also the bad guy for letting Pettitte go. his "I got no respect" whining. Believe me, when I say that he got TONS of respect from NY fans, had been my favorite pitcher for the last 5 years. Not to mention the offer the Yankees made to Pettitte. HE was the one hatin on the Yankees. Prolly thought he could make a lot more with money with his 4+ ERA but 20+ wins.

BigGov · 01-12-2004, 09:05 PM

Clemens in the National League?

This won't last very long.

bellzboy · 01-12-2004, 09:05 PM

As a Sox fan, I love it. Houston best be beating up on the Cubbies!

Sounds more like hes gonna be a glorified pitching coach though. Only pitchign at home, going to his kid's games when he's not pitching, etc.

Kurant · 01-12-2004, 09:53 PM

Aww, too bad, a Yankees fan getting upset that they're owner coulden't buy Clemens, boo fuggin hoo. The Yankees shot themselves right in the ass this off season, and I coulden't be happier. Do you realize a left handed pitcher hasen't lost a playoff game in Yankee stadium in 25 years? Letting the 2nd best pitching leftie in the game today, and maybe one of the best post season pitchers ever get away to the NL, well, Yankees depleated themselves.

As for Clemens, that's bad news for me. I'm a Cubbies fan. But Maddux is meeting with Hendry this week, and Pudge is now a prospect of the Cubs as the O's have shut down talks with him.

Zeld2.0 · 01-12-2004, 11:13 PM

If anything Clemens in Houston and the NL means big bucks for teams - Clemens pitching regularly (or at least more often than before in interleague) against players like Sosa, Bonds, Pujols, and against other pitchers (Johnson, Wood, Prior, etc.) will be pretty damn interesting for sure - and he'll be a draw for hell every team IMO.

Spartak · 01-13-2004, 01:27 AM

Aww... a Cubs fan thinks his team won't choke this season, thats admirable.

Seriously, who the hell will the Yankees use as their starting pitchers ? They lose 3 of them so far, and as far as I know (prove me wrong!) haven't signed anybody to fill those spots.

djtestudo · 01-13-2004, 09:37 AM

Well, they didn't sign anyone...

They traded for Javier Vasquez from Montreal and Kevin Brown from LA.

Of course, they only hav three decent starters now, because after Mussina, they only have Contraras and Lieber. And with the lack of a minor league system, if one (read: Brown) gets hurt, they are s-c-r-e-w-e-d.

BadForm · 01-13-2004, 11:59 AM

I like the signing for the Astros. Clemens should be pretty effective this season. Most NL batters have not seen him, so he should have an advantage for about the first half the season.

metrodub · 01-13-2004, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thephuse
As a Yankee fan, this just makes me mad... because, last year, every yankee fan, and almost every ballpark he visited everyone gave him a goodbye cheer. Even in the frikkin World Series, the other team had a standing o for this guy.

He ignores the Yankee fans that have been so nice to him, after parading around his fake farewell tour, and has stabbed the Yankees in the back

This would have been surprising news to anyone except that the world hates the Yankees, and everyone thinks this is a good move..

Ugh... Clemens should have quit while he was ahead.. Minute Maid Park is not as friendly as Yankee Stadium, and comon.. why finish your HOF career in "Minute-Maid Park" when you can do it in "Yankee Stadium" blah.

Now you can join us Sox fans and Blue Jays fans in hating the Con Man together...not too close though, you are still a Yankee's fan

This move doesn't surprise me in the least. Clemens is notorious for doing these things.

ebeye · 01-13-2004, 01:19 PM

Why oh why can't my Rangers ever get any pitchers??? Sometimes it is tough being a fan.

The_Dude · 01-13-2004, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ebeye
Why oh why can't my Rangers ever get any pitchers??? Sometimes it is tough being a fan.

tom hicks

ebeye · 01-13-2004, 01:26 PM

The way that man pays for people? Nah, he isn't the reason they don't come. What we need to do is get rid of Hart and let Fuson take over officially. Either way, don't mean to derail your thread. Grats to the 'Stro's on getting the Rocket.

dragon2fire · 01-13-2004, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spartak
Aww... a Cubs fan thinks his team won't choke this season, thats admirable.

Seriously, who the hell will the Yankees use as their starting pitchers ? They lose 3 of them so far, and as far as I know (prove me wrong!) haven't signed anybody to fill those spots.

you dont understand us cubs fan

i am telling you the cubs have the best team and will win it all next year

its red sox fans that think there team will choke

thephuse · 01-13-2004, 03:50 PM

lol.. the sox fans and cubs fan keep dreaming.. If the curse was easy to beat, the sox woulda won in '86.

Contreras isnt bad.. infact he's a very very good 4th starter (albeit a bit pricey) and Lieber's no pushover. We also have a Jorge De Paula from the minors who pitched a few good innings for us last year.

besides.. Brown is better now than Clemens is this year, and Vasquez is better this year than Pettitte is. Pettitte had 4+ ERA in the most lefty friendly parks in the league, and Clemens doesnt last long in games.. around 6 ip a game. .. .. .. Arg.. wtf, who am I kidding, I miss Pettitte and Clemens..

ps = Texas has Chan Ho PArk~~ w00t.. go Korea. (he'll have a rebound yr.. pick him up in fantasy league undrafted

)

Zeld2.0 · 01-13-2004, 04:14 PM

Clemens can pitch 7 innings constantly if needed provided he's not having a bad day of course - hell i was there when he complete game shut out the Angels this year too.

And the Yankees lost their 3 starters that accounted for what, 630 innings pitched and 53 wins?

Thats the worst loss in any rotation since the Marlins after 97 and probably one of the worst all time due to free agency

As for being Texas Con-man, hah, who wouldve thought Mets, Sox, and Yankee fans could all agree on a same thing (other than beer prices being too high).

archer2371 · 01-13-2004, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Dude
tom hicks

Hey, hey, hey, Tom Hicks can do no wrong, he put together a Stanley Cup Championship team in the Dallas Stars! *ducks*

Hrothgar · 01-13-2004, 06:11 PM

Wonder what the discussion at home plate will be like when Clemens bats against Piazza and the Mets.

The_Dude · 01-13-2004, 06:51 PM

I said Tom Hicks because he is a UT grad and also a big booster for the University, but has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Mack Brown.

He's happy as long as the games are sold out and we win 10 games a year.

thephuse · 01-13-2004, 07:36 PM

I'm just gonna say.. its gonna be UGLY when pettitte and clemens step up to bat.. *Shudder*

Zeld2.0 · 01-13-2004, 08:13 PM

oh man clemens might as well just ask to not pitch against the mets at all cause guess whose a foot behind him!

Hanxter · 01-14-2004, 08:03 AM

clemens to houston - "WHAT AN ASSTRO!!!"

01-12-2004, 12:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	As long as Clemens is back on the good side, I'm happy. __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

01-12-2004, 04:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
holtmate Flailing White Boy Location: Cincinnati	Well, now I might have to go see the Reds/Astros games, just to watch Petitte and Clemens pitch. I'm just wondering how the Astros will actually do this season now. They'll probably ruin it for the rest of the division, and get eliminated quickly, as usual. :P __________________ "Give her your coat" "Why me?" "Because you're perfect." "You have a point there."

01-12-2004, 07:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
JoeyB feeling tingly	I agree that their starting staff is strong and their offense is solid....who do they plan on having as a closer this year??? __________________ My mom is a Diamondbacks fan. She really likes the Big Unit

01-12-2004, 08:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
thephuse Psycho Location: NY	As a Yankee fan, this just makes me mad... because, last year, every yankee fan, and almost every ballpark he visited everyone gave him a goodbye cheer. Even in the frikkin World Series, the other team had a standing o for this guy. He ignores the Yankee fans that have been so nice to him, after parading around his fake farewell tour, and has stabbed the Yankees in the back This would have been surprising news to anyone except that the world hates the Yankees, and everyone thinks this is a good move.. Ugh... Clemens should have quit while he was ahead.. Minute Maid Park is not as friendly as Yankee Stadium, and comon.. why finish your HOF career in "Minute-Maid Park" when you can do it in "Yankee Stadium" blah. Ugh, and the YAnkees are also the bad guy for letting Pettitte go. his "I got no respect" whining. Believe me, when I say that he got TONS of respect from NY fans, had been my favorite pitcher for the last 5 years. Not to mention the offer the Yankees made to Pettitte. HE was the one hatin on the Yankees. Prolly thought he could make a lot more with money with his 4+ ERA but 20+ wins. __________________ b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!!

01-12-2004, 09:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
BigGov WoW or Class... Location: UWW	Clemens in the National League? This won't last very long. __________________ One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

01-12-2004, 09:05 PM	#8 (permalink)
bellzboy Crazy	As a Sox fan, I love it. Houston best be beating up on the Cubbies! Sounds more like hes gonna be a glorified pitching coach though. Only pitchign at home, going to his kid's games when he's not pitching, etc.

01-12-2004, 09:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
Kurant Junkie Location: Don't worry about it.	Aww, too bad, a Yankees fan getting upset that they're owner coulden't buy Clemens, boo fuggin hoo. The Yankees shot themselves right in the ass this off season, and I coulden't be happier. Do you realize a left handed pitcher hasen't lost a playoff game in Yankee stadium in 25 years? Letting the 2nd best pitching leftie in the game today, and maybe one of the best post season pitchers ever get away to the NL, well, Yankees depleated themselves. As for Clemens, that's bad news for me. I'm a Cubbies fan. But Maddux is meeting with Hendry this week, and Pudge is now a prospect of the Cubs as the O's have shut down talks with him.

01-12-2004, 11:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
Zeld2.0 Cherry-pickin' devil's advocate Location: Los Angeles	If anything Clemens in Houston and the NL means big bucks for teams - Clemens pitching regularly (or at least more often than before in interleague) against players like Sosa, Bonds, Pujols, and against other pitchers (Johnson, Wood, Prior, etc.) will be pretty damn interesting for sure - and he'll be a draw for hell every team IMO.

01-13-2004, 01:27 AM	#11 (permalink)
Spartak Bang bang Location: New Zealand	Aww... a Cubs fan thinks his team won't choke this season, thats admirable. Seriously, who the hell will the Yankees use as their starting pitchers ? They lose 3 of them so far, and as far as I know (prove me wrong!) haven't signed anybody to fill those spots. __________________ I can read your mind... looking at you... I can read your mind...

01-13-2004, 09:37 AM	#12 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	Well, they didn't sign anyone... They traded for Javier Vasquez from Montreal and Kevin Brown from LA. Of course, they only hav three decent starters now, because after Mussina, they only have Contraras and Lieber. And with the lack of a minor league system, if one (read: Brown) gets hurt, they are s-c-r-e-w-e-d. __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

01-13-2004, 11:59 AM	#13 (permalink)
BadForm Crazy Location: In an office with no windows	I like the signing for the Astros. Clemens should be pretty effective this season. Most NL batters have not seen him, so he should have an advantage for about the first half the season.

01-13-2004, 01:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
ebeye Tilted Location: South Korea	Why oh why can't my Rangers ever get any pitchers??? Sometimes it is tough being a fan. __________________ "I've never understood how God could expect His creatures to pick the one true religion by faith - it strikes me as a sloppy way to run a universe." - Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land

01-13-2004, 01:26 PM	#17 (permalink)
ebeye Tilted Location: South Korea	The way that man pays for people? Nah, he isn't the reason they don't come. What we need to do is get rid of Hart and let Fuson take over officially. Either way, don't mean to derail your thread. Grats to the 'Stro's on getting the Rocket. __________________ "I've never understood how God could expect His creatures to pick the one true religion by faith - it strikes me as a sloppy way to run a universe." - Jubal Harshaw in Stranger in a Strange Land

01-13-2004, 03:50 PM	#19 (permalink)
thephuse Psycho Location: NY	lol.. the sox fans and cubs fan keep dreaming.. If the curse was easy to beat, the sox woulda won in '86. Contreras isnt bad.. infact he's a very very good 4th starter (albeit a bit pricey) and Lieber's no pushover. We also have a Jorge De Paula from the minors who pitched a few good innings for us last year. besides.. Brown is better now than Clemens is this year, and Vasquez is better this year than Pettitte is. Pettitte had 4+ ERA in the most lefty friendly parks in the league, and Clemens doesnt last long in games.. around 6 ip a game. .. .. .. Arg.. wtf, who am I kidding, I miss Pettitte and Clemens.. ps = Texas has Chan Ho PArk~~ w00t.. go Korea. (he'll have a rebound yr.. pick him up in fantasy league undrafted ) __________________ b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!!

01-13-2004, 04:14 PM	#20 (permalink)
Zeld2.0 Cherry-pickin' devil's advocate Location: Los Angeles	Clemens can pitch 7 innings constantly if needed provided he's not having a bad day of course - hell i was there when he complete game shut out the Angels this year too. And the Yankees lost their 3 starters that accounted for what, 630 innings pitched and 53 wins? Thats the worst loss in any rotation since the Marlins after 97 and probably one of the worst all time due to free agency As for being Texas Con-man, hah, who wouldve thought Mets, Sox, and Yankee fans could all agree on a same thing (other than beer prices being too high).

01-14-2004, 08:03 AM	#26 (permalink)
Hanxter The Griffin	clemens to houston - *"WHAT AN ASSTRO!!!"* Last edited by Hanxter; 01-14-2004 at 08:17 AM..

01-13-2004, 06:11 PM	#22 (permalink)
Hrothgar He's My Girl Location: The Champagne Douche	Wonder what the discussion at home plate will be like when Clemens bats against Piazza and the Mets. __________________ The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar.

01-13-2004, 06:51 PM	#23 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	I said Tom Hicks because he is a UT grad and also a big booster for the University, but has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Mack Brown. He's happy as long as the games are sold out and we win 10 games a year. __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

01-13-2004, 07:36 PM	#24 (permalink)
thephuse Psycho Location: NY	I'm just gonna say.. its gonna be UGLY when pettitte and clemens step up to bat.. Shudder __________________ b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!!

01-13-2004, 08:13 PM	#25 (permalink)
Zeld2.0 Cherry-pickin' devil's advocate Location: Los Angeles	oh man clemens might as well just ask to not pitch against the mets at all cause guess whose a foot behind him!