Roger Clemens was like the heavily recruited high school quarterback who really only wanted to play for the local college. Still, Clemens, whose local team is the Houston Astros, did not mind being wooed by other suitors along the way.
So, when Clemens finally had to make a decision about pitching in his 23rd season, he did Wednesday what had always been expected and returned to the Astros. The New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers were interested in Clemens, but several baseball executives long believed this was a one-team race.
Clemens signed a split contract with the Astros to avoid being subject to the waiver process when he makes three scheduled minor league starts. He will earn a prorated US$322,000 in the minors and a prorated US$22,000 million in the major leagues. Clemens, who wears No. 22, will receive close to US$13 million for roughly half a season.
PHOTO: AP
"Here we go again," Clemens said at a news conference in Houston. "I'm going to give it a shot. Not necessarily that I know that I need to or that I want to, but I'm committed."
While Clemens, who turns 44 in August, works his way toward a tentative debut against the Minnesota Twins on June 22 in Houston, he will begin with a start for Singe-A Lexington on Tuesday. Koby Clemens, his 19-year-old son, plays for Lexington and should be in the lineup with his father. Clemens will follow with tuneup starts at Double-A Corpus Christi on June 11 and Triple-A Round Rock on June 16.
Clemens is 31-12 with a 2.43 earned run average over the past two seasons, but he expressed uncertainty about how effective he will be this season. Other than the eight and two-thirds innings Clemens threw in the World Baseball Classic in March, he has not pitched since leaving Game 1 of the 2005 World Series with a hamstring injury.
PHOTO: AP
Since Clemens announced his retirement after pitching for the Yankees in 2003, he has now returned for three straight seasons. Because the Astros did not offer Clemens salary arbitration in December, they could not re-sign him until May 1. Houston has lost 18 of its last 26 games to stumble to 27-27, seven and a half games behind first-place St. Louis in the National League Central, and may need more than Clemens to resurrect this season.
Clemens, who called the decision very difficult and added that he seized upon the chance to remain home, could be helped by the delayed start. That should allow him to be fresher if the Astros have important games in September and October. After leading the major leagues with a 1.87 ERA in 2005, Clemens stressed that his latest return was not a stunt.
"I'm not riding around in the back of a convertible, waving my hat and selling tickets," said Clemens, whose career record is 341-172. "They expect me to get on the field and win ballgames and do it the way they're used to me doing it."
When rosters expand to 40 players on Sept. 1, there is a possibility the Astros would promote Koby, an infielder. That could enable Clemens to play in a major league game with his son, which has been done by only Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr.
American League
Carlos Guillen singled in the winning run to cap a ninth-inning rally for Detroit off Kyle Farnsworth and the Tigers beat the short-handed New York Yankees 7-6 on Thursday to avoid a four-game sweep.
The Yankees were without All-Star closer Mariano Rivera, who injured his back while putting on his spikes before the game.
Detroit trailed 6-5 going into the ninth, but rallied off former teammate Farnsworth (1-3).
With one out, Marcus Thames walked, and took second on Ivan Rodriguez's base hit.
Magglio Ordonez followed with a game-tying single, giving him four RBIs on the night, and Guillen lined Detroit's 13th hit of the game to right field as Rodriguez scored easily from second.
Fernando Rodney (4-1) got the win in relief as Detroit ended New York's five-game winning streak.
The Yankees placed Gary Sheffield (wrist) on the disabled list before the game and were also missing Derek Jeter (hand).
Indians 12, White Sox 8
At Cleveland, Ronnie Belliard hit a three-run homer to help Cleveland win their third straight over Chicago.
Jermaine Dye homered twice and drove in five runs, while Jim Thome had three RBIs for Chicago, which led 5-2, trailed 7-5 and went ahead 8-7.
But the defending World Series champions couldn't prevent the Indians from winning the final three games of the series after losing the opener 11-0.
Ben Broussard capped the scoring in the eighth with his seventh homer.
Fernando Cabrera (1-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win.
Devil Rays 8, Orioles 6
At Baltimore, Jonny Gomes homered, Carl Crawford tripled in two runs and scored twice as Tampa Bay beat Baltimore to end a six-game losing streak.
Ty Wigginton had two hits and two RBIs for the Devil Rays, who averted a three-game sweep and salvaged the finale of a 2-8 road trip.
Kevin Millar homered for the Orioles, who were denied their season-high fourth straight win.
After rain delayed the game for 1 hour, 32 minutes, the Devil Rays jumped on Baltimore starter Erik Bedard (5-5) for three runs in the third inning to take a 5-3 lead.
Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir allowed three runs, two hits and three walks in two innings.
Athletics 4, Twins 0
At Oakland, California, Barry Zito allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings in another strong start at the Coliseum as Oakland blanked Minnesota.
Frank Thomas hit his 460th career homer, while Mark Kotsay and Dan Johnson also connected in the A's second straight victory after losing 10 of their previous 11 games.
Zito (5-3) was pounded in his first two home starts this season, but has allowed just two runs in 28 innings during his last four appearances at home. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter in his third straight victory, giving way to Kiko Calero before the eighth.
Boof Bonser (1-1), making his third major league start for Minnesota, yielded five hits and struck out five in seven innings. The Twins failed to get a runner to third base in their seventh shutout loss of the season.
National League
Ryan Doumit hit a game-winning single in the ninth inning after the umpires took away what looked to be a game-winning home run by Pittsburgh's Jose Castillo and called both teams back onto the field, and the Pirates finished off a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a bizarre 4-3 victory.
The Pirates trailed 3-2 entering the ninth, but Jeromy Burnitz doubled for the second time, off Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow (2-2). One batter later, Castillo hit a long drive to right that bounced off the padding atop the right field wall and was first called a home run. It would have the sixth straight game that Castillo had homered.
After conferring behind second base, the umpires decided Castillo's drive did not clear the wall and put him back at second -- after some Pirates had headed to the clubhouse and fireworks were being shot off. Doumit then worked the count to 3-1 before grounding a ball down the right-field line, scoring Castillo easily and allowing the Pirates to celebrate for a second time.
Castillo also drove in two runs with sacrifice flies and made one of the Pirates' best defensive plays all season with a sliding catch in right field of Chad Moeller's popup in the fourth.
John Grabow (1-1) got the final out of the ninth for the victory.
Diamondbacks 2, Braves 1
At Atlanta, Juan Cruz pitched seven shutout innings and Arizona broke a 24-inning scoreless streak with two unearned runs in the eighth to beat Atlanta.
Shawn Green lined a two-out, two-run single off Mike Remlinger after the Braves' bullpen almost got out of a bases-loaded jam set up by starting pitcher Horacio Ramirez's throwing error.
Cruz (3-3) gave up five hits in his career-long outing.
Ramirez (1-1) held the Diamondbacks to three hits over seven innings, but his defensive miscue in the eighth was costly.
Pinch-hitter Jeff DaVanon started the inning with a walk and Ramirez's underhanded toss on a sacrifice bunt sailed over the head of second baseman Marcus Giles, who was covering first, putting runners at second and third. Ramirez left after an intentional walk. Two relievers got two outs before Green's single to left-center.
Dodgers 7, Phillies 2
At Los Angeles, Derek Lowe threw six shutout innings and Matt Kemp and J.D. Drew each had three-run homers as Los Angeles beat the Phillies for its seventh straight home win.
The streak equals the Dodgers' longest since May 14-22, 2003. They have won 19 of their last 24 overall.
Lowe (4-3) gave up five hits, struck out three and walked two. He doubled in the second inning and scored on Kemp's first major league homer. Drew's homer in the fourth made it 7-0.
Gavin Floyd (4-3) allowed seven runs and seven hits in four innings, struck out three and walked four in his first loss since April 25 against Colorado.
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