Clemens coming back
NEW YORK — On a big day for Texas, Roger Clemens decided to pitch for the Houston Astros once again and Carlos Delgado pondered an offer to join the Rangers.
Clemens put off retirement for the second straight season, agreeing to an $18 million, one-year contract with the Astros that gives him the highest salary for a pitcher in baseball history.
“I take a deep breath, and here we go again,” Clemens said. “I’m ready for the challenge.”
A seven-time Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star, the 42-year-old right-hander helped the Astros come within one win of their first World Series appearance. He got the largest one-year contract in major league history, topping Greg Maddux’s $14.75 million deal with Atlanta in 2003, and became the highest-paid pitcher for the fifth time. Pedro Martinez earned $17.5 million with Boston last season.
Clemens said sons Koby and Kory helped talk him into playing again.
“Just remember what it sounded like here, Dad, when you took the mound and what it sounded like during the playoffs when we were winning,” Clemens said they told him. “Baseball captured this city in a so-called football town.”
He chided himself for making “poor pitches” in wasting a 2-1 lead in Game 7 of last year’s N.L. Championship Series against St. Louis.
He also took a shot at the summertime performance of Carlos Beltran, who left to sign for the New York Mets.
“No knock to Carlos, but he didn’t do a whole lot — I mean, he was a tremendous player in September, we needed everybody. He was unbelievable in the playoffs, everybody saw it, the nation saw it,” Clemens said. “But who’s to say that we’re not going to have another one of those guys step up and do it for us again?”
While Clemens was discussing his deal at Minute Maid Park in Houston, the Rangers were talking about their big meeting with Delgado in Puerto Rico. Rangers owner Tom Hicks made an offer that got the attention of the free-agent first baseman.
“Tom Hicks said that he was going to come to Puerto Rico and give it his best shot,” Delgado’s agent, David Sloane, said in an e-mail. “He did all that and more.”
Texas, competing with the New York Mets, Florida and Baltimore, made progress during the four-hour session in Puerto Rico.
“I think they recognize it was a very strong offer, I think they recognize we went certainly farther … it was more aggressive than anything we talked about before,” Hicks said. “I think we made a very compelling offer.”
Hicks wouldn’t go into details about the offer. He expects Delgado will decide on the Rangers’ proposal by the end of the weekend.
Sloane said he expected to talk to Texas again this weekend “in an attempt to sustain the positive momentum we generated today.”
Also, Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry hopes the team and Sammy Sosa can patch up their differences once spring training begins next month. Sosa left the clubhouse early without permission before last season’s final game, disappointing teammates and drawing a fine from the team.
“He did a wrongful thing the last day of the season. He missed a game without an excuse and he made some comments publicly about Dusty,” Hendry said Friday, referring to manager Dusty Baker.
Speaking at the team’s winter convention, Hendry wants the Cubs to put any discord behind them. Sosa’s name has been linked to trade rumors throughout the off-season.
“Really there is no reason once camp starts and Sammy comes out with a good effort and we get off to a good start, there is no reason the story should continue,” Hendry said. “Professional athletes are like the rest of us, we all make mistakes and we live in a forgiving society. If handled the right way, with the right amount of contrition, you can put it behind you.”
Also, outfielder Casey Blake agreed to a $5.4 million, two-year contract with Cleveland, leaving 34 players in salary arbitration. Among free agents, reliever Steve Reed agreed to a $1.05 million, one-year contract with Baltimore and knuckleballer Steve Sparks agreed to a minor league contract with San Diego that would pay him $550,000 if he makes the big league roster.
Buck Showalter, the reigning A.L. Manager of the Year, received a three-year contract extension from the Texas Rangers.
Showalter’s new contract runs through the 2009 season, and includes a club option for 2010.
The Rangers also extended the contract of general manager John Hart through 2006. That contract then becomes renewable annually and continues until terminated by either party, after which time Hart will have a five-year deal to serve as senior adviser to Hicks.
After four straight last-place finishes in the A.L. West, the Rangers were 89-73 last season in Showalter’s second year and remained in contention until the final week. They finished third, but were just three games behind division champion Anaheim and won 18 more games than in 2003.
Showalter is already tied with Pat Corrales for the third-most wins (160) by a manager in club history. Only Bobby Valentine (581) and Johnny Oates (506) have more wins as the Rangers skipper.
Showalter is 723-668 in nine seasons as a major league manager. He previously led the New York Yankees (1992-95) and Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2000), who both went to the World Series the year after he left.
Hart is entering his fourth season with the Rangers and his 14th consecutive season as a major league general manager. Only Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz has a longer active tenure.