I feel bad my first report was false http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3916966.html Astros seal deal with Clemens By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle ST. LOUIS - Roger Clemens and the Astros have officially reached an agreement, according to a person in the negotiations who told the Chronicle. A press conference will be announced shortly. Clemens, whose 341 career victories are more than any person alive, went 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 2004 while winning the National League Cy Young Award, extending his record Cy Young collection to seven. After helping the Astros to the National League Championship Series in 2004, he was 13-8 with a major-league best 1.87 ERA last season while helping the Astros reach the franchise’s first World Series. Although Clemens flirted with Boston and the Rangers, his former Astros teammates laughed and cautioned that he’d return to Houston. Clemens’ signing should bolster the club. “It will add a boost to the team,” ace Roy Oswalt said. “Any time you get a guy like that in the rotation, it would be great. We have to have a spark, and hopefully he will give it to us.” Catcher Brad Ausmus was pleased. “I think it’s a huge boost to our pitching staff,” Ausmus said. “Why? That’s a stupid question. He’s a horse. He’s probably the best pitcher in the history of the game. He’s the type of guy that for a full season you can count on for 200 innings. Astros owner Drayton McLane negotiated deep into Tuesday night with Roger Clemens’ agents, and he headed Houston early Wednesday morning. “We worked on it last night, so that’s why I’m going to Houston right now,” McLane said as he boarded his private airplane in Temple. “We’ve worked to try to get this thing done.” McLane has been optimistic for weeks, and he has made definite progress with Clemens’ agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks.
This is a good thing...Besides the arm, its the mentality of the club house...Yes, its been a rough May, but we are better off than we were last year at this point... Now, Roger was a non-factor in the WS, but he should be a great lift during the rest of the campaign... Go Stros!!!
He ran out of gas towards the end last year, being off the first few months will help and with his attitude he can light a fire under the Astros asses.
Adding Clemens to the starting rotation and moving Neive to the bullpen improve out staff bigtime. I wouldn't be surprised to see Neive turn into our best guy out of the pen.
it's sad that i'm almost more excited about neive moving to the bullpen than i am about clemens jumping in the starting rotation.
Steve Phillips: "Brad, why do you think Clemens addition will bolster your rotation?" Brad: "Why? That's a stupid question."
those guys are absolute idiots. if the red sox or yankees signed him they'd be on telling you how the greatest pitcher ever is in prime shape and ready to kick ass.
