Clemens Retires?

Clemens, the pitcher, may now really be done

For the first time since he signed with the Astros in January 2004, future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens will inform the Astros today that he intends to start a season working under his post-retirement, personal services agreement. Through his agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks of Houston, the 11-time All-Star will inform Astros owner Drayton McLane the news today.

That's good news for Astros prospects because Clemens truly is one of the best teachers in baseball. Roy Halladay and Curt Schilling as just two great pitchers who credit Clemens with helping their careers.

"Roger has said several times that he has failed at retirement, so I am not announcing his retirement," Hendricks said. "The plan for 2008 is this: Roger plans to start the new year as the first year of his post-playing career contract as a consultant to the Houston Astros.

"Roger really enjoys the teaching aspects of baseball and loves his interaction with the young players. I have often said, 'Roger can retire in May' as a way of dealing with the possibility of his pitching a shortened season or retirement. If one of the clubs Roger has played for calls me in April or May and says they have a need for Roger, and Roger feels like he would like to play another year, then we would try to work out a contract. If none of these teams has a need, or if Roger does not want to play, or if we cannot work out a contract, then he will retire from active play and continue working with the kids. I will declare him as a free agent soon, but this is the plan."

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman predicts Clemens' impact as a teacher will be just as big as the impact the 11-time All-Star and seven-time Cy Young Award winner made on the mound.

"He loves giving to the kids," Cashman said. "He absolutely loves it. I'll tell you this, as good as Roger Clemens' career as the pitcher is, which is arguably the greatest of all time, he might be better at teaching than he is at pitching, which is a remarkable statement because he takes it seriously.

"He without question is trying to have the positive impact on the people he's speaking to. It's an amazing statement to make, but it's a real statement nonetheless. That's how much he cares about giving back and doing what's right and having a positive impact on people's careers, much like he had on Curt Schilling."

Clemens has a 10-year, personal services contract with the Astros, and he finally is telling the Astros he plans to start his post-playing career as a consultant for them.

With Clemens and Nolan Ryan stopping to visit and give tips at spring training, Astros pitching prospects will be blessed with two of the greatest pitchers of all-time at Osceola County Stadium next spring.

You suck Roger! I hope he retires. That way Randy Johnson can get more K's this year (he needs like 70) to pass him on the all-time list and Maddux can pick up I believe 7 more wins to tie him on that list.

Roger Clemens won't be Yankee in 2008

BY ANTHONY McCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Is there a chance for the Rocket's third stage in pinstripes? Not likely, says Hank Steinbrenner.

So if embattled righthander Roger Clemens, who is fighting to restore his reputation after the allegations about him in the Mitchell Report, pitches a 25th season, it is probably not going to be in the Bronx.

"I'm not signing Clemens," Steinbrenner, the Yankees' senior vice president, said in a telephone interview yesterday. He said the Yanks are not looking for rotation stopgaps - like they were last season - because they are so enamored of their young starting pitchers. And Steinbrenner feels the Yanks already have a strong mentor to the young arms in Andy Pettitte, whom Steinbrenner praised for his "veteran leadership.

"Andy is (signed) for one year and he's only 35 and he knows how to pitch in the big games," Steinbrenner said. "Roger does, too, but let's face it, he's going to be 46 (in August).

"Pettitte is just as good with the young pitchers, though Clemens was great with the young kids last year. I don't think Roger is going to come back anyway."

The Yankees, like many teams, take very seriously the idea of veterans mentoring young pitchers. Last year, they put Joba Chamberlain's locker next to Clemens' in the clubhouse when Chamberlain was called up.

Clemens' personal trainer, Brian McNamee, accused him of using steroids and human growth hormone in the Mitchell Report, but the seven-time Cy Young Award winner has denied it. He is scheduled to address McNamee's claims in an interview with Mike Wallace on "60 Minutes," slated to air Sunday.

Joe Householder, a spokesman for Clemens' lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said in an e-mail yesterday that Clemens will hold a press conference Monday afternoon "in or near downtown Houston."

Steinbrenner said he had not spoken to Clemens since the release of the Mitchell Report, but there's a reason for that. "I don't know him, really," Steinbrenner said. "Our paths didn't really cross. Never did."

Clemens has been "unretiring" since 2003, when most thought he waved goodbye to baseball when he came out of his Game4 start in the World Series against the Marlins. It is unclear whether Clemens will attempt to play next season, although there have been reports that say the Rocket will consider it. One of Clemens' agents, Randy Hendricks, did not return an e-mail yesterday seeking comment on his client's playing plans.

Since that 2003 Series start, Clemens pitched three seasons for the Astros and was 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA last year for the Yankees, who after being desperate for starting pitching, gave him a prorated $28million contract last season. He signed May 6 and made his first start in the majors on June9.

But he proved fragile, too. He lasted 2-1/3 innings in his Game3 start in the division series against the Indians because his left hamstring locked up. Groin issues delayed his first big-league outing and he started only twice in September because of an elbow problem, blisters on his right foot and a strained left hamstring.

Asked after his playoff start if he took a moment to consider that it might be his last game, Clemens curtly said, "No."