Clemens returns as highest-paid pitcher (to Astros)

Houston Chronicle ^ | Jan. 21, 2005 | JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ

[bayourod]

Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens is returning to the mound for the Astros for one more year - and will be paid the highest salary for a pitcher in baseball history. The Astros agreed today to a record $18 million, one-year contract and Clemens will pitch his 22nd major league season

[Jaysun]

Just saw this on the boob-tube. $18 million! I like Roger, but good God! Houston could simply pay the opponents to strike out on purpose - it would be much cheaper.

[ProudVet77]

Astros will get their moneies worth. Clemens has always given 100% to any team he has played for. The only people that ever complained were the Red Sox, and if you look at his ERA and other stats when he was playing for the sox, he was much better than they were.

[bayourod]

Incredible. That's more money than most people make in their lifetimes. Fortunately he seems to be a good family man.

[bayourod]

It's good for morale after losing the others.

[NorCalRepub]

he is a good family man from what I see but he has kept saying he was thru to spend more time with his boys and family.........seems like money keeps getting in the way of his family......I"m only paraphrasing what he has been saying so it strikes me as funny that when the ante is raised he all of a sudden does not use that logic

[Jaysun]

unless houston is betting for fan fare, i believe they shouldv'e invested in 4 very good pitchers. clemens was not as dominating as he should have been late last year.

My guess is that filling up that dome HAS to be their motivation. That's not such a terrible thing - basically giving their customers what they want.

[bayourod]

Maybe it has to do with his boys enjoying seeing him play.

[Clemenza]

I hated Clemens when he pitched with the Yankees. Now I can start liking him again since he no longer plays for the spawn of satan.

I've always wondered what Mike Scott is doing these days.

[longhorn too]

Astros don't play in the dome anymore, its Minutemaid Park.

[Cagey]

Incredible. That's more money than most people make in their lifetimes.

True, but my family and the three families surrounding my home could only fill a couple of rows at a major league park. None of us can throw a 90+ mph fastball. I can get it over the plate, but maybe at 90kph, and not mph. In the majors I'd have an ERA of 123.

[Jaysun]

he is a good family man from what I see but he has kept saying he was thru to spend more time with his boys and family.........seems like money keeps getting in the way of his family......I"m only paraphrasing what he has been saying so it strikes me as funny that when the ante is raised he all of a sudden does not use that logic

For $18 million I'd completely abandon my family for a year.

[Cagey]

.....he no longer plays for the spawn of satan.

Come on, Clemenza. That's because you're from Long Island and you had to be a Mets fan when you lived there.

[Clemenza]

Used to go to one game a week out in Flushing Meadows when I was a kid. At least I know that my Mets will either succeed or s-ck evenly throughout the season. The Yank-offs will again make it to the division series, but will choke yet again, big time.

[Jaysun]

Astros don't play in the dome anymore, its Minutemaid Park.

My mistake, I shouldn't refer to it as the "dome" (but it does have a retractable roof). I was in Houston recently - it's a monstrosity.

[Cagey]

Hahahaha! I knew it.

[dwilli]

Dominating enough for Cy.