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Roger Clemens, Houston Astro
R. Alex Whitlock
I'm pretty excited about the Astros signing Roger Clemens. New York fans, as has been
noted elsewhere, are crying
bloody murder.
In all honesty, I can understand New Yorkers' frustration. Clemens did make a really big show out of retiring as a Yankee. But isn't it pretty obvious that he did, actually, plan to retire? With a paltry $5m contract (most of it deferred until 2006), it's obviously not about the money. On top of that, the Astros really
bent over backwards to work with him:
Clemens was also given permission to leave the team to watch his sons participate in their baseball games. Clemens stressed that he would not miss much time, but that one of the reasons he decided to retire was to have the opportunity to see more of his sons and be a bigger part of their lives.
"I'm going to blink, and that time in their lives is going to be gone," he said.
Does anyone think for a New York minute that the George Steinbrenner's Yankees would accept this arrangement?
Kudos to McLane for finding what Clemens wanted more than money and giving it to him.
Observations
I loathe Roger Clemens. Loathe him. I lost any respect I had for him when he intentionally threw at Piazza's head.
I don't think Yankee fans have much of a beef, but I sure as hell think BoSox fans do.
I hate the Red Sox, so I am psychologically incapable of having any sympathy for them.
There's a lesson here for any employer who wants to hire, or keep, someone really valuable.
Lex,
I was thinking the same thing when I read (and posted) that.
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