Posted on 01/18/2005 3:15:05 PM PST by F16Fighter
NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens filed for a record $22 million in salary arbitration on Tuesday, and the Houston Astros offered the seven-time Cy Young Award winner $13.5 million.
The Rocket, who helped lead the Astros within one win of their first World Series appearance, still has not decided whether to pitch this year or retire.
Until now, the highest figure ever submitted for arbitration was $18.5 million in 2001 by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who then agreed to a $189 million, 10-year deal.
The highest salary ever earned by a pitcher in a single season was $17.5 million, last year by Boston's Pedro Martinez.
Clemens, 42, left the Yankees after the 2003 season and intended to retire. But after former teammate Andy Pettitte signed with the Astros, Clemens was persuaded to sign with his hometown club.
He took an undermarket deal that guaranteed him $5 million, of which $3.5 million was deferred without interest until July 1, 2006. Clemens earned an additional $1,825,000 in bonuses based on his selection to the NL All-Star team and Houston's home attendance, which was more than 3.3 million, including the postseason.
The $8.5 million spread between his figure and the Astros' was exactly double the previous high in salary arbitration -- the Yankees filed at $14.25 million with Jeter in 2001. The midpoint of $17.75 million is just above the highest listed salary for a pitcher this season -- Randy Johnson's salary with the New York Yankees is calculated at $16.5 million, including a prorated share of the $1 million personal-services contract he agreed to with the Arizona Diamondbacks before he was traded.
(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
Is Clemens signaling selling himself off to the highest bidder?
Why am I not surprised?
Baseball owners are stupid, period. Any owner who wants to pay washed-up pitchers in their 40s millions of Benjamins(see also Randy Johnson) have an IQ on par with bread mold.
Biggio and Bagwell call the shots on player futures. Berkman will get his money, but Clemens will retire.
Biggio and Bagwell call the shots on player futures. Berkman will get his money, but Clemens will retire.
Clemens hung around Stienbrenner with the yankees too long.
Ops4 God Bless America!
Uhh, didn't Clemens win his seventh Cy Young last year? That doesn't sound like washed up to me.
And turn down $14-17 million somebody will gladly give him?
No way.
It's good work (and money) if you can get it. Capitalism rocks!
Like Latrell Sprewell, he probably can't feed his family on what he's making now.
Randy Johnson I can understand. IIRC he threw a perfect game within days of his 40th birthday. But I don't see Clemens putting up numbers like that.
After hearing this on the news today, I decided to ask my boss for a raise. See he wanted to offer me 13.5 million and I couldn't live without 22 million.
I'll keep you posted....
//sarcasm....
PS... can the team get their money back if he doesn't perform?
22 Million does seem like a bit much, but still Clemens is a great pitcher (one of the greatest of all-time) and is hardly washed up. After having an 18-4 W-L record with a 2.98 ERA and a Cy Young Award last year, I can't say that he isn't worth at least 15 million if he has another season like that next year.
IF he's willing to work for $15m, there are quite a few teams willing to ante up -- I suspect even Houston.
I thought it odd that he said he left the Yankees to be with his "family" before last year, and here he is...willing to be away from the family at a price.
And speaking of "prices," the phony oughta give back all the gifts Steinbrenner gave him upon his "retirement" as a Yankee.
P.S. -- He STILL has problems winning the "Big One."
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