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Roger Clemens (Official Thread)

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ABJ

6/17/06

Clemens struggles, then finishes strong

JIM VERTUNO

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->ROUND ROCK, Texas - It was a rough start and solid finish for The Rocket. Next stop: Houston. Pitching for the Triple-A Round Rock Express in the final tuneup before his return to the Astros, Roger Clemens gave up three runs on three hits in the first inning before settling into a big-league groove Friday night against the New Orleans Zephyrs.
The seven-time Cy Young Award winner also walked three and faced nine batters in the first, throwing 41 pitches before retiring the next eight hitters in a row.
Clemens finished the night with 5 2-3 innings of work with five strikeouts, five hits and three walks. Of his 91 total pitches, 57 went for strikes. He also picked up the win as the Express rallied for a 7-4 victory.
"I made it a little harder work than I would have liked to in the first inning, but I'm going to run into those situations throughout the season as I come back," Clemens said.
It was the third outing in the minors for the 43-year-old right-hander who signed a $22 million contract for the season on May 31.
His first start with the Astros is Thursday at home against the Minnesota Twins. It will start his 23rd major league season.
"I'm on target," Clemens said. "My body feels fine. That was the ultimate goal coming out of here, my body feeling healthy."
Clemens was 13-8 with an ERA of 1.87 as the Astros went to the World Series last season.
Friday night, he pitched for a team in which he is a minority shareholder. He flashed a "Hook'em Horns" sign and got a standing ovation from the Express-record 13,475 fans who came to watch the former Texas Longhorns star pitch about 15 miles from the campus where he won an NCAA championship in 1983.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and actor Matthew McConaughey got a front-row seat next to the Express dugout.
Clemens admitted he was distracted early in an unfamiliar environment.
"I have to get focused as quick as possible," he said. "Probably my first 10 pitches I was seeing and hearing people dugout to dugout and not in tune with what I was doing.
"The bottom line was I was still trying to throw strikes and my ball was moving all over the place so I had to harness that."
But unlike his two previous starts in Single-A Lexington, Ky., and Double-A Corpus Christi, where hitters might have been in awe of the burly right-hander, the Zephyrs were patient at the plate as Clemens struggled to find the strike zone.
It took a long time for Clemens to settle in as he missed inside and out with a two-seam fastball that hit 91 mph several times.
"You're going to get a little better test here. These kids are right on the door and knocking the door down to the big leagues," Clemens said.,
Leadoff hitter Bernie Castro singled over the mound, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice fly before scoring on Larry Broadway's single.
Two straight walks loaded the bases and forced in a run. Catcher Humberto Quintero and Express pitching coach Burt Hooton, who spent 15 seasons in the majors, both visited the mound to talk to Clemens, who has 341 career victories. Mike Vento's soft single to center made it 3-0.
Clemens said Hooton teased him about trying to get to his 90-pitch count quickly and leave early.
Clemens has 4,502 career strikeouts but didn't get his first against the Zephyrs until a called third strike on Alberto Castillo for the second out. Castillo was the eighth batter of the inning.
Mixing up fastballs and curves, Clemens found his groove when he came back out for the second and left with a 1-2-3 inning.
"I tested my legs as much as possible. My upper body is great. I think my back will be a little sore," he said. "I still hope I get a little more strength in my lower half. Being a power pitcher, it's very important for me, obviously."
The third ended when Tyrell Godwin tapped back to the mound and Clemens coolly scooped up the ball and tossed it to first for the final out of the inning.
After the rough start, Clemens needed just 27 pitches through the next three innings.
Clemens also had two at-bats. A .187 career hitter, he went 0-2 with two strikeouts.
Before the game, Nolan Ryan, who co-owns the Express and is the only man with more strikeouts (5,714) than Clemens, joked that the scouts were watching Clemens for a trip to the majors.
"If I had to tell you our (the Astros) next call up, I'd think it would be him," Ryan said.
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ABJ

6/23/06

Clemens outdueled by rookie in 2006 debut

CHRIS DUNCAN

Associated Press

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DAVID J. PHILLIP, AP
Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens yells towards the plate during the third inning vs. the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, June 22, 2006, in Houston.

<!-- begin body-content -->HOUSTON - Roger Clemens showed his age. Francisco Liriano showed his stuff. In The Rocket's return to the majors, the Minnesota rookie ace looked more like the Clemens of old, striking out seven in eight strong innings to lead the Twins to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.
"You take a lot of memories away from a game like this," the 22-year-old Liriano said. "You maybe will not ever be on the field with him again."
Liriano, 7 months old when Clemens started his big league career, improved to 7-1, allowing his only runs on Jason Lane's two-run homer in the seventh.
With a Minute Maid Park-record 43,769 fans on hand to see the 43-year-old Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young winner threw 100 pitches in five innings in his first start since leaving Game 1 of the World Series eight months ago with a strained hamstring.
He allowed two runs on six hits and had four strikeouts and two walks. He also made an error, struck out in his only at-bat and hustled to first to complete a double play.
"It was positive," Clemens said. "My body felt better than expected and I hope and expect to get stronger each time I get out there."
Clemens got a standing ovation as he walked from the dugout to the bullpen 20 minutes before the game. As he warmed up, a fan held up a fluorescent sign that read: "Clemens is Proof the 40s is the new 30s." Another fan wearing a helmet and a bright orange spacesuit had one that said, "That's a Roger, Houston, Our Rocket Has Landed."
Cameras flashed in every corner of the park as Clemens fired his first pitch, a 91-mph strike, to Luis Castillo.
"When I walked out, it was great," Clemens said. "After I came out of the game, I was hearing the numbers and the record crowd and the people turning out. It was very gratifying that they appreciate your hard work and that they're out here to support us."
On a 1-2 count, Castillo bounced a ball back to Clemens, who dropped the ball and couldn't scoop it up before Castillo reached first base safely. Clemens was charged with an error.
The next batter grounded into a double play before Joe Mauer, who leads the majors in hitting, struck out.
Clemens (0-1) glided through the first inning in 12 pitches, nine of them strikes.
"I was really excited about how my legs felt in my warmup session," he said. "I knew I was going to be fairly crisp."
Astros manager Phil Garner said Clemens would throw "around 100 pitches" in the game and he was more than halfway there after a withering third inning.
He gave up an RBI double to Jason Kubel and a run-scoring single to Michael Cuddyer, finally ending the 38-pitch inning by striking out Torii Hunter.
"I had that one long inning and I was trying to make a point to work fast and see how winded I could get and it worked out fine," Clemens said. "I really didn't feel like I was sitting on my back leg or collapsing. Overall, it was just good to get back out there."
In the fifth, Clemens lumbered over to cover first base on a 3-6-1 double play. He pointed at the umpire to make sure he got the call before slowly retreating to the mound.
Russ Springer relieved Clemens to open the sixth and the Twins extended their lead to 3-0 on Justin Morneau's homer.
Garner said Clemens may have rushed his return, but Clemens insisted he's ready for the grind of the remaining season.
"I'm excited about it, but I know the work that's involved," Clemens said. "I've got a lot of work in front of me. It's going to be a huge challenge."
Picking up a trend from last year, the Astros failed to give Clemens much run support. The Rocket was 13-8 with a career-best 1.87 ERA in 32 starts last season, but Houston was shut out in nine of his starts and scored three runs or fewer in 20 of them.
This time, it was mostly due to the left-handed Liriano, who baffled the Astros with a slider that made Clemens look bad when he struck out in the third.
"That machine I've been hitting off for two weeks didn't throw that slider," Clemens said.
Liriano faced the minimum through the first six innings, thanks to double plays in three of them. He walked Craig Biggio leading off the seventh before retiring three straight batters.
It was the longest outing of the season for Liriano, who struck out a career-high 11 batters in his last start.
"It was fun to watch Roger," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said, "but on our side, it was actually more fun to watch Francisco."
Clemens has the best record of any pitcher against the Twins (23-13), but he wasn't able to improve it. He did continue his domination of Hunter, though. Hunter faced Clemens twice, with a flyout and a strikeout, to fall to 0-for-22 with 13 strikeouts in his career against the right-hander.
Hunter thinks Clemens will get better as this season progresses.
"Roger's 43," Hunter said. "There's no way he's going to be like he used to. He's throwing 91, not 98 or 99 like he used to. You can't expect him to be that great.
"But he still looks good."
Notes: The Astros purchased Clemens' contract from Triple-A Round Rock before the game. ... Cuddyer extended his hitting streak to seven games. ... Astros 1B Lance Berkman extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
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ABJ

7/4/06

Clemens ties for 8th on career wins list

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->All it took for Roger Clemens to get his first win since returning to the Astros was a little run support. After failing to score in Clemens' previous two starts since he re-signed with the team May 31, Houston's offense backed up the seven-time Cy Young Award winner in a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.
Clemens (1-2) allowed two runs, including a homer to Jacque Jones, four hits and struck out five in five innings. The Rocket allowed two runs or fewer for the 19th time in his last 23 starts, and left after throwing 115 pitches.
"I know I'm on the fast track," Clemens said, "but I still expect certain results. I think that's the hardest thing I've got going right now."
The victory was the 342nd of Clemens' career and moved him into a tie with Tim Keefe for eighth place on the career list.
Houston was shut out nine times in 2005 when Clemens started. For a change, the Astros' bats bailed him out.
"He was good, but he wasn't Roger," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "I can't ever recall him throwing over 100 pitches in five innings. So he was not as sharp, but he made the pitches when he needed them."
The Astros still can't pinpoint why they struggle to score when Clemens pitches.
"It's not like we're trying to get shut out," said Lance Berkman, who hit two homers. "I guarantee you, if you take a poll of all the players in here, we don't care who's on the mound. We want to score runs every night."
In other NL games, it was: Pittsburgh 11, New York 1; San Francisco 9, Colorado 6; Washington 9, Florida 1; Atlanta 6, St. Louis 3; Milwaukee 8, Reds 7; and Los Angeles 10, Arizona 4.
Craig Biggio ended the threat of another blanking in his first at-bat, driving the first pitch from Cubs rookie Carlos Marmol (1-3) into the seats in left. It was Biggio's 48th leadoff homer, which trails only Rickey Henderson (80) on the career list. Berkman added a solo homer in the first.
"It's always nice to get a good start like that for someone we have had trouble scoring runs for," Biggio said. "It's hard to explain. It's not from lack of trying. It's just part of the game."
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Here we go again.....every year...

Cincy

Clemens Undecided on Pitching in 2007
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) -- A no-decision for Roger Clemens. Clemens will file for free agency, but the seven-time Cy Young Award winner insists he hasn't decided whether he will pitch for the Houston Astros or anyone else next year.
"Full season, half season or at all, I haven't even thought about it," Clemens said Thursday. "I just think it's too early to think about it. ... Right now, I don't have any thoughts of playing or not playing."
The 44-year-old Clemens didn't say when he will make up his mind about a 23rd season in the majors.
If Clemens does come back, it will likely to be for Houston, the New York Yankees, Boston or Texas. Any team outside that quartet is unlikely.
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"Probably not," he said. "I don't see myself going outside that situation."
The Rocket went 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 starts last season with his hometown Astros, delaying the start of his season until late June.
Clemens was plagued by hamstring and groin injuries in 2005 and left Game 1 of the World Series after only two innings. Clemens said the abbreviated season this year made a huge difference.
"I feel great. If we were able to sneak in the side door into the playoffs this year, physically, I would have been much stronger. There's no question about it," Clemens said. "Mentally, I was not fatigued."
Houston won 10 of its last 12 games to finish 82-80 and almost caught NL Central winner and World Series champion St. Louis.
Clemens is 348-178 lifetime with a 3.10 ERA. He ranks eighth all-time in career victories and his 4,604 strikeouts are second only behind Nolan Ryan.
Clemens, who spoke Thursday at an SMU athletic forum, said he has appeared at events this offseason with Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. The right-hander talked to both of them about retirement.
"Like my mother said, moss is never going to grow under my feet. I'm going to be moving around quite a bit," he said. "If this past year was my final season, I'll probably miss the competition. I'll look for other ways to really get that competitive desire out in some shape or form. I don't know how that would be."
The Astros have provided Clemens the opportunity to be at home, and come and go as he pleases between starts. Clemens won his two World Series rings with the Yankees and started his career with the Red Sox, and both have remained interested in having him back.
"Every time I travel, I hear from the Red Sox fans, I hear from the Yankees' point of view, and obviously I know my hometown situation," Clemens said. "I have poured my heart out in every one of those cities I've played in. I'm really happy that I'm still being mentioned with those teams and associated with those teams."
? 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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ABJ

Yankees' Clemens may pitch by end of May

Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. - Roger Clemens could pitch for the New York Yankees as early as May 28 in Toronto. "I think anything is possible," said Clemens, who's expected to make the first of two minor league starts Friday. "If I come out of the first two decent, they'll pull me aside, and we'll all visit about that for sure. I don't think it's out of the question."
Just two starts in the minors would pit the 44-year-old against the Blue Jays on May 28 or 29. The next time through the rotation would have Clemens pitching at AL East-leading Boston on June 2 or 3.
On Tuesday, Clemens threw 71 pitches during his first bullpen session at the Yankees' minor league complex. He'll likely throw 45-to-60 pitches Friday during his first minor league start for Class-A Tampa. He also will work in the bullpen afterward to get his pitch count up to around 90.
"I think I'm right where I need to be to get this under way on Friday," Clemens said. "Endurance and conditioning, I think I'm very close. I've got to get in a game as quick as possible, and I'll have a good telltale sign of what happens on Saturday morning."

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Same song and dance every year. Just store all these articles away for next season Junkie, you'll be posting the same thing...
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I totally agree....but I find it funny he gets so much attention....

Dispatch

Clemens' first outing

Saturday, May 19, 2007 3:27 AM




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Roger Clemens


Roger Clemens allowed only a solo homer and threw 58 pitches in four innings for Class A Tampa last night, his first minor-league start as he prepares to rejoin the Yankees.
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mooktarr;844956; said:
Do you realize that the guy you are talking about is the all time world record holder in retirements and comebacks. He is a shoe in into the hall on that basis alone. :biggrin:
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I think Sugar Ray Leonard may still be slightly ahead in that department, but Clemens is certainly closing in.
 
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ABJ

Clemens scratched from Monday start

JIMMY GOLEN

Associated Press

BOSTON - Roger Clemens was scratched from Monday's start against the Chicago White Sox because of a fatigued right groin.
Clemens first experienced the pain during his last minor league outing, for Triple-A Scranton on Monday. Rather than risk additional injury, he decided to be cautious, the Yankees confirmed during Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox.
"Well, we're going to need a starter for Monday," manager Joe Torre said. "We didn't know until today that he wasn't going to make the start."
It is not clear when Clemens will pitch, but he will miss the four-game series at Chicago. Kei Igawa is likely to start against the White Sox on Monday.

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Clemens is now skipping a start due to a "fatiqued groin". :lol:

Hell, I've had that condition a few times, but I've always managed to perform anyway - you've gotta have some balls, suck it up, and keep banging away for the sake of the team.

And by 'team' in this case, I'm definitely referring only to the wife and me. Despite what several of you bastards will say. :wink2:

newsday

Fatigued groin erases start in Chicago; he may make debut vs. Pirates

The risky nature of signing a 44-year-old pitcher was revealed when the Yankees announced during yesterday's 11-6 loss to the Red Sox that Roger Clemens has been scratched from his scheduled 2007 major-league debut tomorrow because of fatigue in his right groin.

Instead of joining the team in Chicago and pitching against the White Sox, Clemens will head from his Houston-area home to Tampa, Fla., to get an examination and treatment for the injury, which he apparently suffered during his last minor-league tune-up Monday. Clemens pitched six shutout innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, took himself out after 89 pitches and pronounced himself ready to go.

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Yahoo!


Clemens set to debut Saturday
td.yspwidearticlebody { font-size: 13.5px; }June 6, 2007


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Roger Clemens is set to make his 2007 major league debut Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates after throwing 55 pitches during batting practice at the New York Yankees' minor league complex. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner made 21 throws in the outfield and eight warmup tosses Wednesday before his 20-minute batting practice session against players from the Yankees' extended spring training team. "Everything today went well," Clemens said. "I have a short downhill training session tomorrow and then I should be locked in and ready to go. The weakness that came from the scar tissue has so far dispersed. Today's bullpen session was a little more intense than a regular side session. Normally, I would throw about 60 percent, but today I threw closer to 80 percent."

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