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Roger Clemens (Official Thread)

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Cincy

3/16/06

Clemens Getting the Ball for Last Time?

By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Roger Clemens might be pitching in his last game Thursday night. And Team USA could be playing for the final time in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

Clemens, a winner of 341 games in a magnificent career that began with the Boston Red Sox in 1984, opposes Mexico to complete Round 2 at Angel Stadium.

A victory by Team USA would clinch a berth in the WBC semifinals Saturday in San Diego against South Korea, which beat Japan 2-1 on Wednesday night to help the U.S. avoid elimination.

"I'll tell you what, I don't know that I've ever been as nervous watching a baseball game as I was in this one," Team USA manager Buck Martinez said. "What a great game that was.

"It's a big relief, obviously. We were all very anxious for this game tonight. Japan is a very good baseball team."

Clemens has said he's leaning toward retirement after the Classic. As evidenced by his 13-8 record and NL-leading 1.87 ERA for Houston last season, the 43-year-old right-hander can still do the job as well as anyone around.

"I know my immediate plans are I'll go back to Florida," Clemens said earlier this week. "My children are on spring break, so I know immediately what I'm going to do.

"It doesn't matter when I step away. I will miss competing, but I won't be too far from the game."

"That's something you tell your grandkids about, especially if you do something to help get him a win," Team USA teammate Chipper Jones said Wednesday following a workout at nearby Cal State Fullerton. "Throwing the ball back to him after an out, having him look at me and say, `Let's go,' it's an experience.

"When Roger tells you, `Let's get it on,' I think everybody kicks it up a notch. Guys will be huddled around, talking smack in the clubhouse, and once Roger walks in, it's like the parting of the Red Sea. He's got worldwide respect."

Clemens gave up one hit in 4 1-3 shutout innings against South Africa last Friday, walking none and striking out six.

<!-- BEGIN MEDIA BOX NUMBER 4 --><!-- END MEDIA BOX NUMBER 4 -->The Americans bring a 1-1 second-round record into the game while Mexico is 0-2. South Korea finished Round 2 with a 3-0 record and Japan went 1-2.

"Our destiny is not in our hands," Jones said before South Korea's victory.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We hoped that we wouldn't be in that situation, but we've had two games where we haven't played particularly well.

"If you don't play particularly well with a bulls' eye on your chest, you're going to get beat."

That's what happened last week, when the United States lost to Canada 8-6, but it still advanced to the second round. And that's what occurred Monday night, when the Americans were beaten 7-3 by South Korea - another setback they just might manage to survive with help.

<!-- BEGIN MEDIA BOX NUMBER 5 --><!-- END MEDIA BOX NUMBER 5 -->Derrek Lee won't play against Mexico because of a sore left shoulder, and Johnny Damon won't play in the field because of tendinitis in his left shoulder. Whether Damon can hit will be determined before the game. He was cleared to pinch run.

Lee is 5-for-14 with three homers and eight RBIs in four games while Damon is 1-for-7 in four games.

Martinez said he planned to start Michael Barrett at catcher, Mark Teixiera at first base, Michael Young at second, Jones at third, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Jeff Francoeur in left field, Ken Griffey Jr., in center, Vernon Wells in right and Alex Rodriguez as the designated hitter.

Francoeur has only three WBC at-bats and Barrett just five - the lowest totals among Team USA position players who have played in the Classic.

Jeter has hit safely in each of his team's games, going 9-for-16. Griffey is 10-for-17 with three homers and 10 RBIs, and Rodriguez is 7-for-19.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
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Dispatch

4/4/06

Clemens isn’t itching to resume his career

Tuesday, April 04, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Roger Clemens made it to opening day — as a spectator — and the seventime Cy Young Award winner said he still is leaning toward retirement.
"That’s where I am right now," Clemens said yesterday before watching the Texas Rangers play host to the Boston Red Sox. "Obviously, it’s opening day and I’m about to put a golf visor on and I’m going to enjoy a ballgame."
Wearing jeans and gray cowboy boots, Clemens sat in a fieldlevel box as a guest of Rangers owner Tom Hicks, a fellow University of Texas alumnus who sat immediately to his left.
In the middle of the first inning, Clemens was introduced and shown on the big screen. He waved and tipped his cap to the cheers, leading to more cheers. It turned into a standing ovation, prompting Clemens to tip his hat again and wave several more times.
"I’m going to kick back and watch some baseball. I’m not ready to commit," said Clemens, adding he hoped to also visit Fenway Park as a spectator. "Even being at home and pitching in Houston was a tough grind. . . . Right now, I’m not interested in getting in there and locking in on this.
"If it works out and I can just fade away, that’s what’s going to happen."
Clemens, 43, said his arm feels great, but he’s not sure he wants to go through a 23 rd major-league season.
"I don’t think I would miss it a lot," he said. Before the game, Clemens spoke with general manager Theo Epstein and other officials from the Red Sox, the team he started his career with. Clemens said they told him the door was open if he wanted to return.
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[ROGER CLEMENS] Slip of the tongue?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2397288

HOUSTON -- Even Roger Clemens' sons want an answer.

Clemens watched on television Monday night as the Houston Astros beat the Florida Marlins in their season opener.

"My little ones, they're putting their two cents in every night," Clemens said, referring to some of his four sons. "I'm sitting there watching the game last night and they're looking over at me saying, 'What are you doing? Who are you going to play for?'

"I said, 'I'm playing for the home team right now. We're going to go out and hit in the cage do the things we love to do around the house,'" he said.

The Clemens speculation tour came to Minute Maid Park on Tuesday as the Rocket and the rest of last year's Astros got their NL championship rings.

Clemens shook hands with owner Drayton McLane and pumped his fist to the crowd during a pregame ceremony before the Astros played the Marlins at Minute Maid Park. Then Clemens repeated what he's been saying for months: He hasn't decided if he'll play a 23rd season.

"If I'm going to get out here and decide to do this again, I'd have to really commit to it," Clemens said. "That's as far as I'm thinking about right now."

The Astros, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees are interested in signing Clemens if he decides to come back. The Astros can't re-sign him May 1.

Clemens certainly seems to be listening to every offer.

He was in Arlington on Opening Day as a guest of Rangers owner Tom Hicks. The Rangers played Boston and Clemens also met with Red Sox owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and other team officials. Clemens and his agents have also spoken to the Yankees.

"It's all about, do I want to challenge myself and help somebody win?" he said. "At this point, I don't have any feelings either way."

Clemens and his wife, Debbie, sat with McLane behind home plate on Tuesday night.

Houston would seem to be the logical place for Clemens to end his career. He grew up in Texas, lives in Houston and his oldest son, Koby, plays for the Astros' Class-A affiliate in Lexington, Ky. Clemens was flying to Kentucky on Wednesday to see his son play.

Clemens pitched to minor-leaguers at Astros' spring training camp, fueling speculation that he would return. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic and got questions from players from several teams.

"It's very flattering," he said. "But there's a lot that goes into it. If I just worked to go back, get a paycheck and be very average, I could do that.

"If I come back, it's not necessarily a team that's winning its division, either. It's a team I still think can win and a team I can help in a big way. That's my approach," he said.

Clemens led the majors with his career-best 1.87 ERA last season but broke down with hamstring and groin injuries late in the year.
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I think he'll end up back with the Astros. Too bad he doesn't mention anything about where he's going to end up next year...but he did have this to say:

Clemens makes insensitive remark
Roger Clemens was discussing his future Tuesday at the Astros season opener when he responded to a question about his health after the World Baseball Classic with a comment that some might consider racially insensitive.

Clemens, who broke down late last season with injuries, said he felt fine after the WBC and left the tournament impressed by the quality of the international teams.

But he made a questionable comment when speaking about the devotion of the Japanese and South Korean fans.

"None of the dry cleaners were open, they were all at the game, Japan and Korea," Clemens said. "So we couldn't get any dry cleaning done out there, but I guess the neatest thing is that 50,000 of them were at Anaheim Stadium."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Is this racially charged, an innocent slip of the tongue, or something that should be just ignored? (You can discuss where he'll end up too)...
 
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jlb1705 said:
Blah, blah, blah...

If Dave Chappelle or Carlos Mencia said it, everyone would be laughing.

Who cares?
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Chapelle and Mencia are professional comedians and use those remarks as part of their act, so it's not the same thing. It was a bit "insensitive", but no real biggie.

Now if I made the remark, then tibor would jump in with his predictable "racial slur" comment. :roll1:
 
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