Those weren't team power rankings, it was rankings based on offseason moves. Meaning teams like Anaheim and Baltimore who have been the most active ranked very highly, while teams like Atlanta and Oakland are lower than should be expected. I don't agree with ESPN thinking the Mets or the Mariners have had a better offseason than the Astros either, but its just a ranking because there isn't much else to write about.
Here is the wire report: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1706359 HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens and the Astros have reached agreement on a one-year contract that will pay the six-time Cy Young Award winner about $5 million to play next season, Houston television station KRIV reported Monday. Astros owner Drayton McLane and agents for Clemens, Alan and Randy Hendricks, did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press on Monday. Astros spokesman Jimmy Stanton declined comment. Clemens announced his retirement from baseball at the end of last season but he had second thoughts when his New York Yankees teammate and friend Andy Pettitte signed with the Astros last month. Clemens had a 17-9 record and 3.91 ERA in 211 innings with the Yankees last season.
Glad it's finally done so we can end the seemingly endless "When will Roger sign?" talk. This season will be ridiculously cool...can't wait.
http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread.php?threadid=55471 They are already melting down: ------------------------ well Red Sox fans always said he was out for himself, A Texas Con man and a big phony and today we find out they are right about him. this guy is truely a big phony, the way we took him in and made him one of our own, gave him all those standing ovations, how important it was for him to be a Yankee...what a phony he is. ------------------------ heard it too. Totally cheapens all of the ovations/hoopla from last season. Roger, have fun looking at your monument in the HoF with a Boston cap on it. ------------------------ Just heard the same think on the Kornheiser show on ESPN radio. I am very disappointed in Roger, and he has lost credibility with me. Can't wait till the Asstrolles play the Mets. What a trader... -------------------------- Both Pettite and lamens are scumbags!! Godd Riddens to em both and I hope they lose every game they pitch! And Clemens just took himself out of the HOF as a Yankee. The phony that he is! --------------------------- can't believe that fact that people actually care. You guys actually thought he was a "stand-up" guy when he got here? I've never liked him, he was and always will be a Sox in my mind. I could never understand how people could swing from his jock like they did, especially seeing him play in the late 80's. ----------------------------- they didn't offer him arbitration becasue they took they phony's word for it that he was retiring...they should take back that hummer they gave to him. ----------------------------------- Yea heard it on wfan too. It seems like there could be something to the Andy and him planning this all along. I will never root for him again and is now my most hated x Yankee along with Andy. There is no way I want him in the hall with a Yankees cap or ever see him play on oldtimers day for the Yankees. Good bye and don't let the door hit you in the your you know what to them both. ----------------------------------- He better be careful when he steps up to the plate.
Astros to sign Clemens to one-year deal By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Astros owner Drayton McLane has done it again, persuading future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens to put off retirement for a year. McLane acknowledged the deal, but he preferred to withhold further comment. The deal will be announced at a press conference on the field today at 2 p.m. "Out of fairness to everybody, let's just wait until we make the announcement," McLane said. "The fairest way is to wait until the announcement." Asked if he was excited, McLane chuckled and decided to withhold comment until the official announcement. A month and a day after McLane signed Clemens' former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte, the Astro further fortified their starting rotation. McLane gave the hard-throwing righthander the parameters of a one-year contract offer on Dec. 23, and he worked out the rest of details on the deal with agents Randy and Alan Hendricks. After that, Clemens gave his decision to the Hendricks, who hammered out the deal. "He told me he had decided to play and to get a deal done, so we did on Sunday," Randy Hendricks said. "I think a big factor was the outpouring of affection from the Astros fans all over Texas. His family is supportive and the Astros have been terrific throughout the process. Ultimately, the desire to help the hometown team was what made the decision (and Andy being here was extremely important as well)." Clemens, 41, will now try to add to his 310 career victories. He will join Pettitte, Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller to throw at the National League Central champion Chicago Cubs' talented rotation of Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano. Clemens will also be a major box office hit, which is why McLane doesn't mind raising the payroll despite losing $15 million last year. The Astros received a major boost in ticket sales after signing Pettitte away from the Yankees last Dec. 11, prompting vice president of ticket sales John Sorrentino to hire two more employees to cope with the demand. As one president of a National League club predicted at the winter meetings last month, the Astros can expect mostly sellouts if Clemens joins the franchise. Clemens was 17-9 with a 3.91 ERA while throwing 211 2/3 innings last season, which he had said would be his last in the majors. Pettitte's signing with the Astros helped change Clemens' mind.
Here is another one. I especially love the emoticon after his post: I agree with you yanksrule69 and Rocket go join Pettite
i'm absolutely giddy right now! i had a client call me to tell me the news officially..before i got the confirmation in this thread. awesome! i can't freaking wait.
It's Official! Roger Clemens is an Astro! Breaking News!!! Roger Clemens has signed on with the Astros to come out of retirement, with a $5 million-one year deal! Press conference at 3pm ET. *jumping wildly around the living room* HE SIGNED! HE SIGNED!!!! I was pumped when I found out about Andy Pettite, thinking about how this would be great: an incremental addition to our showcase bullpen, propelling us to postseason games and possibly the WS. While I'm absolutely thrilled to get this powerhouse in here, I'm also a little worried that if we succeed this season, all of the credit will automatically go to the former Yankees. Our boys have worked too hard to be back-burners... I personally think that Robertson should be the no. 5 starting pitcher, and Redding will move to the bullpen, stepping up to start if we get any injuries. Not that Redding is bad, but that Robertson was very consistent last season. Dude! A bullpen with Redding, Lidge, Dotel, Saarloos and Stone! That gets me hot!
