there's still time before the arbitration hearing for the two sides to work something out. clemens is more likely looking for a figure in the middle, around $17-18 million. when you add that to the $5 million he made last year, that's $22-23 million for 2 years, which isn't unreasonable for a pitcher of his quality.
rocketman: I didn't say my hatred for everything that prick is or represents was entirely rational. The list of athletes who I think have genuinely Hurt Sports (in the Jon-Stewartian sense) in North America in my lifetime is a short one: John Elway, Steve Francis, Randy Moss, Eric Lindros, maybe Kobe or Spree (actually, nah), there might be one or two more. But Clemens tops my personal fuck-you list. He has pulled the same me-first, team?-what-team? shit everywhere he's gone. Boston, Toronto, the Yankees, and now he's doing it to Houston. He's going through teams like Axl Rose goes through girlfriends, and in my opinion, the sport is worse off for his ugly pampered existence. But like I said, he'll get paid, because he can still strike people out.
(Yes, I just sympathized with the Yankees as an organization. Hush.)
Dont blame Clemens. It is the crap owners that have done this to the game. Roger will win the arbitration and then owners will complain. I would love to see an owner with the balls to tell him to take his arbitration figure and shove it up his ass
he can still strike people out Isn't that helping his team? I mean, aside from being kinda dorky (the 'K' thing with his kids, his wife's website), I don't understand what the big deal is. So he gives the batters some chin music from time-to-time, but so does Pedro, and he seems like way more of a jerk than Roger. Of course, I haven't been following baseball for terribly long. Did he do something while pitching for the Sox? Bet on the game? Beat up dogs? Make fun of crippled children? Gimme the goods!
I would love to see an owner with the balls to tell him to take his arbitration figure and shove it up his ass Exactly what Boston did in 96. Worked real well. Went from $5.5M to $8.4M in Toronto. That's when I started hating his greed and ego. And his fastball. McLaw is right, but you can't stop the machine.
A couple of good places to start, rocketman: The Google search for "Clemens jerk" Bill Simmons clues you in
Clemens left the Red Sox when the team didn't value his contribution as highly as other teams did, and his multiple Cy Youngs since then show the other GM was right. He may well be a prick for other reasons but not for this one.
Clemens left the Red Sox when the team didn't value his contribution as highly as other teams did Actually, if memory serves, he demanded a multi-year contract that would have made him the highest paid pitcher in baseball. This coming from a guy that had a 4 year record barely above .500 Clemens gave an emotional interview in which he claimed to long for status as a Red Sox all-time great, finishing his career with the team and joining Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski as iconic figures in Boston baseball history. Later the Rocket announced that if he couldn't get what he deserved from the Red Sox, then he would only sign with one of the two teams close to his home and family in Texas. "My family comes first," Roger said. Clemens then signed a multi-year contact with that well known Texas municipality, Toronto, Canada.
Sports Economist on the subject. Has some good info on arbitration offer calculations.
Dirk, how many CYs did he win after leaving Boston? And as for the interview, hey, a good negotiator uses the tools he has to reach the desired result.
I agree totally with his record since, but how many CYs had he won when making his demands? Why don't all pitchers in their 5th year with .500 records ask to be the highest payed pitchers in baseball? I can't argue with his ironman greatness. If I had a team he'd be #1 in the rotation, but don't tell me crying on TV, imploring the Boston fans to rally behind him as the future of the Red Sox is "negotiating". Once you have a net worth of $20 million or more ethics should help guide you a little. How many picup trucks with gunracks and big tires did he need?
Smithnyiu, $20M is nothing. How much were the top execs at MCI, Adelphia, Enron, AIG and so forth, just to name a recent crew, worth when they committed their dastardly deeds? BillG is worth billions yet he still drives the whip at MSFT's enemiescompetitors.
Oy gestalt. Not really germane.
Clemens to play for $18M.
Shaughnessy of the Globe must be sharpening his pencils as we speak for tomorrow's paper.
They have interns for that at the Globe. That and picking outcomes of games.
