Hey folks, it’s time for another edition of the Sports Insider. As this baseball season comes to a close, as always, we now ask, “What now?”
Well, I can tell you one team who is doing more asking than any team in the majors at the moment, the Houston Astros. What do we make of Roger Clemens? Will he play another season? Or will he hang up his uniform for good, closing his illustrious 23-year remarkable tenure as “The Rocket.”
What else does Clemens need to prove? Roger Clemens, who has pitched nearly 5000 innings, recorded 4604 strikeouts, and has a 348-178 record with a 3.10 ERA, is clearly a legend among pitchers. The only thing he has never done is hit a home run, but who cares, right?
Let’s look at this season in perspective: I mean, everyone wanted Roger Clemens. Who wouldn’t? Since joining the Houston Astros in early June, he recorded a 2.30 ERA and went 7-6 overall. Not too shabby, especially for a team who is well-known for giving horrible run support.
Let’s have a look at the “Clemens Sweepstakes,” which eventually led Roger Clemens to resigning with Astros for the rest of the 2006 season at the “bargain price” of $22 million. Along with the cash, Clemens did not have to travel with the team for away games unless he was scheduled to pitch.
The “Clemens Sweepstakes” was not without its twists. The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers all bid for Clemens’ services this past season, but it would be the Astros that would come away with Clemens yet again. The Red Sox were at the head of the race, even giving Clemens old photographs of when he had played for the Red Sox years ago.
The Yankees never had a chance. Why would someone voluntarily relive the worst seasons of their career? Even during his best year on the Yankees, his record paled in comparison to other years. And in 1999, Clemens hit his lowest point – finishing with a 4.60 ERA and a record of 14-10.
The Texas Rangers appeared to be a legitimate choice for Clemens. At the time, they were holding a comfortable first-place lead in the AL West, and offered Clemens the same luxuries that the Astros did. But all in all, the Houston Astros became home for Clemens.
So does Roger Clemens have anything left to prove? Will we see another edition of the “Clemens Sweepstakes?” The Astros sudden late-season surge was cut short, and the Astros failed the make the playoffs. What does this mean for Clemens? Well, now it’s time to sit back and watch. Who knows, maybe “The Rocket” will be whizzing into a city near you.