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« on: November 03, 2006, 05:00:39 pm »
surprise! some cnnsi douchebag is masturbating at the thought of clemens and pettitte playing for "real" teams next year:
Clemens and Pettitte may re-sign with the hometown Houston Astros. Or they just might wind up on opposite ends of baseball's biggest rivalry. Whispers around baseball suggest Clemens might consider a Red Sox revival while Pettitte might think about a return to the Bronx...
Houston has invitations out to both pitchers to return. But neither has entered into negotiations yet, spurring speculation that they may have other plans in mind?
Word is, Clemens seriously entertained a move to the Red Sox at the trade deadline before Astros owner Drayton McLane squashed the idea. Clemens has never been opposed to taking advantage of marketing opportunities, and a re-launch with the Red Sox would present plenty?.
Pettitte jumped to Houston only after the Yankees' offer three years ago wasn't what he'd hoped (wary of an elbow MRI that revealed a larger-than-expected gap, their final bid was for two years, not three). At the same time, Pettitte resisted the temptation to practically double his pay with a four-year, $54 million offer from the Red Sox because he still has an affinity for his former Yankees teammates, such as Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams and Mariano Rivera, and he couldn't bear to pitch against them.
my head actually hurts at the notion of trying to dispel all the wrong-headed bullshit that permeates 9/10 of the article.
instead, my buddy works at the fort worth star telegram and clemens was apparently in town yesterday for something and he got some one-on-one time with the rocket. said there was no doubt in his mind (my buddy?s) that clemens would be back. a few of the highlights (verrrrrrrry long, but unlike the cnnsi piece, this is straight from the horse?s mouth, not conjured from thin air, baseless bullshit):
On coming back:
Right now I don?t have any thoughts on playing or not playing to be honest with you. I?ve heard comments from other teammates and I?m sure once after the new year hits I?ll start getting more emails and more pushes either way to find out what?s happening.
Last year it played a big part in it... I?m easily motivated.
On his current health:
I feel great. If we had been able to sneak in the side door, or whatever you want to call it, into the playoffs this year, physically I would have been much stronger, there?s no question about that. Mentally, I was not fatigued as I was in 2005. That season I was spent after the first part of June because I had to go a lot harder than I expected just to keep games close and it cost me July in the weight room. I really had to alter my schedule. It caught up with me at the end of the season. But this year, I felt great.
On 2007 expectations:
I?d like to see (the Astros) go out and get the best players they can? There?s no secret we need some bats. There?s some weakness in our lineup there. When it comes down to it, for me, it?s about pitching and when you have somebody like Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte, they?re not getting any younger, and you?re wasting those opportunities where you have two guys who I feel can go 15-5. There?s your 20 games over .500 and the rest of the team can be .500.
On 2006:
The end of this season was special just for the fact that St. Louis was wetting the bed and giving us a chance, bottom line. We started playing well, we had that little run, it was just too late.
On the World Series:
I picked the Cardinals. I told Brad Ausmus when we were finally eliminated in Atlanta I said I thought they?d take a deep breath and collect themselves. They went rolling from there. They were able to get it together.
On expectations for himself:
I expect to perform. I?m not worried about whether I can perform at that level but in the same sense it is my biggest concern. Each year as I get older I know I have the will power to do the work and then you get out there and you start doing it and you tear a calf muscle or something because you?re pushing yourself like you did when you were 30. Do I need to back off? It?s a really touchy subject with me because I?m a power pitcher and I?m asking my body to do things that I wouldn?t have to do if I was a control, finesse-type guy. I came in as a power pitcher and I?m going to go out as one. That?s my biggest concern.
Once all of you all leave my house when I do these come out of retirement deals and everybody is gone except maybe a few family members at the house and I sit down, finally, and I kind of wonder what I got myself into again. Can I do it again? I have the same questions you all have. That?s the last thing I want to see is somebody on TV telling me, ?Hey you should have left last year,? or something like that. A lot of the guys in the media now doing this stuff have played so they know a little bit about the game, but that?s the last thing you want someone to do when you are your own hardest critic. Especially people who don?t know you or they?ve never seen the work that goes into it and how much work is involved. Those are my biggest concerns. The people closest to me, Alan and Randy Hendricks, have seen the work that goes into it. I value their opinions the most.
On Bagwell:
For me, it?s more than a formality because of what he has meant to the city and what he has meant to the Astros? organization. I think we knew it was coming. I see Jeff working out almost every other day. He?s doing cardio; it?s incredible. He?s in that mode, like we all do at our age, (trying to) keep father time off of us. He works out extremely hard but from what I understand, the shoulder is just not going to allow him to play. He hasn?t officially retired. It?s going to be an unbelievable day when they have his special day for him with the organization. They?re going to do it up right and they should. When you think of the Houston Astros, I think of Jeff Bagwell. I watched him from afar even before I came down here and then to get to be his teammate was incredible ... he was one of the guys I respect the most. He played the game right. He was obviously one of the reasons why I?ve enjoyed these past three years, I thought it was going to be one year and it turned into three.
On Pettitte:
I?ve enjoyed working with him because I know I can win when I?m playing with another winner; it gives you a lot of confidence. Andy is not only the best lefthander I?ve ever had the opportunity to work with in my career - and I?ve played with the some great left-handed pitchers - but probably in the top 5 of pitchers who knows how to go and do his work when most guys would shut it down on you.
I know he?s tired and beat up and fatigued. Mentally, it?s draining. There?s a lot of pressure on our pitching staff to perform in Houston. We took those challenges head on and we put up some incredible numbers as a 1-2-3 starter the last two or three years, especially in that ballpark that is so hitter friendly.
On where he might play next year:
Every time I travel, I hear from the Red Sox fans, I hear from the Yankee point-of-view and obviously I know my hometown situation and everybody has great points because I have poured my heart out in every one of those cities I?ve played in so I?m really happy I?m associated with those teams because I felt I pushed myself hard and kept my end of the deal and it was great playing for those historic franchises. [Note: Poor Toronto? what a weird two years?]
I hear about Cy Young and how I?m tied with him in victories and one more victory, I?d pass him. Well, maybe I enjoy being tied with him and having my name linked with that man. It?s pretty special. I would never assumed this 23 years ago. The two rings, the Cy Young, the world series....I don?t see myself going outside that situation.
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