Clemens Asks For $22 Million

[Subdude]

Clemens asks for record $22 million in arbitration

By JOEL ANDERSON, AP Sports Writer

January 18, 2005

HOUSTON (AP) -- Roger Clemens asked for a salary that matches his uniform number -- with a bunch of zeros added on.

Clemens filed for a record $22 million in arbitration on Tuesday, and the Houston Astros offered the seven-time Cy Young Award winner $13.5 million.

The Rocket, who helped lead the Astros within one win of their first World Series last season, still has not decided whether to pitch this year or retire.

Link to the rest of the story

[Lowbrow]

Would he take a jersey with the number 13.5?

[Subdude]

Would he take a jersey with the number 13.5?

[Talbot]

for $22 million, he better show us better pitching than the last game of the playoffs.

[HeightsGuy]

For 22 mil, he also needs to travel with the team even if his kid is pitching. We got a lot for his salary last year, but don't forget that we also gave him a lot too.

[debmartin]

several doctors i know are spending two weeks over in asia as part of the relief and rebuilding effort - none of them get close to 22 million a year and they are all worth millions more than roger clemens. he should be grateful that at his age he's being offered as much as he is. instead greedy old guys like him try and milk it for all its worth and then feel betrayed when they're put out to pasture. clemens forgets rules #1&2, that there's always a new kid on the block and time is not on his side.

he and his family are quite comfortable but no matter how much money he gets he'll always be a chump. he didn't bother showing up at the fan appreciation event at the end of last season, despite the fact that many fans took off from work UNPAID to pay him tribute. it's a shame he's not a better man to teach his sons how to be happy with what you have instead of being a jerk who never gets enough. time for the fans to say adios, roger clemens.

deb martin

[Lowbrow]

AP NewsBreak: Clemens to play, sets record salary for pitchers

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer

January 21, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens is coming back for one more year -- and is getting the highest salary for a pitcher in baseball history.

The Rocket and the Houston Astros agreed Friday to an $18 million, one-year contract, and the seven-time Cy Young Award winner made the commitment to play for his 22nd major league season.

Houston called a news conference but did not reveal the subject. A baseball source familiar with the arrangements said it was to announce an agreement with Clemens that would give him a record salary for a pitcher, topping the $17.5 million Pedro Martinez earned with Boston last year in the option year of his contract.

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Clemens first retired after pitching for the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series. But he changed his mind and agreed on Jan. 12 last year to join his hometown Astros, accepting a $5 million, one-year deal that was way below his market price.

The 42-year-old right-hander helped lead the Astros within one win of their first World Series appearance, earning $1,825,000 in bonuses based largely on Houston's home attendance, then said again that he was ``99 percent'' retired.

But momentum built after he returned earlier this month for a Hawaiian vacation, and he asked for $22 million salary -- matching his uniform number -- when proposed figures for salary arbitration were filed Tuesday. Houston offered $13.5 million, leaving the midpoint at $17.75 million.

His agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks, then negotiated the deal with the Astros on Wednesday and Thursday.

Clemens is agreeing to a contract that makes him the highest-paid pitcher for the fifth time, following deals with Boston in 1989 ($2.5 million average), with the Red Sox in 1991 ($5.38 million), with Toronto in December 1996 ($8.25 million) and the Yankees in August 2000 ($15.45 million). The two contracts with Boston and the one with New York made him the sport's highest-paid player overall.

Clemens also is getting the highest, one-year contract in baseball history, topping Greg Maddux's $14.75 million deal with Atlanta in 2003.

His decision to stay is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable offseason for the Astros. All-Star second baseman Jeff Kent left to sign with Los Angeles, All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran departed to sign with the New York Mets, center fielder Lance Berkman tore up a knee playing flag football at a church function and promising but injured pitcher Wade Miller was let go.

Clemens, a 10-time All-Star, is 10th on the career wins list with 328, one behind Steve Carlton. Clemens' 4,317 strikeouts are second to Nolan Ryan's 5,714.

His decision to sign with Houston last year was spurred by former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte, who left New York to sign with the Astros. Clemens went 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA and 218 strikeouts, winning his first Cy Young in the NL, but Pettitte hurt an elbow tendon while batting in his first start, was largely ineffective and had season-ending surgery in August.

At $18 million, Clemens tied Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds for the fourth-highest average salary in the major leagues, trailing only Alex Rodriguez ($25.2 million), Manny Ramirez ($20 million) and Derek Jeter ($18.9 million).

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Glad they kept Clemens, but they're still going to need more to make the playoffs. They probably figure that having Clemens will pay for itself in additional ticket sales, viewership, concessions, etc.