Ther just announced at Yankee Stadium that the Texas Con Man is returning to the Pigs.

Yup...he'll be on YES next inning apparently for this with EI.

You have to wonder how much $$ Sias is throwng his way.

Man, I hate it when I break the news, but someone goes and makes a new thread to steal my thunder a few minutes later...

Honestly, I never got all the hate for Raja in Boston, but I'm not going to lie, I'm a little pissed. I really think he just shot himself in the foot in regards to whatever legacy he was holding onto in Beantown.

I still feel sick to my stomach when I remember people at Fenway applauded this roid-munching chump during his phony retirement tour.

Yup, this will just about do it for Roger's Boston legacy. That beacon of hope was seemingly the only thing keeping it going. Even staying in Houston would have assured him of some form of respect in New England. I don't necessarily blame Clemens, but this has me heated nonetheless.

Am I thre only Red Sox fan thrilled with this news? I hate the Yankees and I hate Clemens. This makes it easier because I can direct it all in one place.

Too bad Marty Miller isn't still The Director of Male Enhancement for the Yankees. I'd sure like for him to take care of Rahjah like he did the rest of the Yankees the past month...

In fact, I think it's time to dig out my old Rahjah Voodoo doll from the garage sale box. I should have realized I'd need it.

Oops....forgot the .... Some people....scratch that, some Yankee fans hanging around here have no sense of humor.

Well that was unexpected and disapointing. I'm interested to see the contract since it hasn't really been in the news that he was close to signing. The Yankees need him badly though so its not a huge surprise. I hope he gouged the Yankees at least.

A five inning pitcher and THAT bullpen... Good luck, Raja!

So much for wanting to go to a winner.

I'm just going to hope that he has a very rude adjustment to the AL East. And that he cries like a sissy baby girly man.

Does this mean we can finally put to rest this fairy tale that (some) Sox fans have longed for, Clemens in a Red Sox uniform again? I hope so, because Ricky Henderson and Jose Canseco would seem like Youk and Papi compared to having Fat Bastard back in town.

Pretty surprised he made a decision this quick.

$1 million a start will do that to you.

(Not actual numbers, I have no clue what the contract is before anyone quotes me!)

Douchebag. I can't say I'm totally surprised, but I bet you he knew all along where he was going. It just annoys me that he waited and waited and three major league teams were at his virtual beck and call. This may be petty, but God, I hope Big Papi smashes one right up the middle the first time we tee off on him. I guess the bright side is we aren't overpaying him.

This sucks. I was really hoping he would go back to Houston or retire. I don't like the guy and I think we are good enough to win without him here, but I didn't want him going back to MY where he undoubtedly makes them a better team. Oh well.

Lots of Green and white can make stupid people do stupid things. Does anyone feel a groin pull in the 5th inning coming down the pipe for the MFY's. I do
This will makeit more sweet when they don't even make the post season.
Go Twins win all you can starting tomorrow.

I had hoped against hope that if winning a world series was his motivation he'd leave Houston and join an elite pitching staff. IMHO he couldn't handle not being the prime star on a pitching staff and he must have a Messiah complex because it'd just about take a Messiah to save their pitching.

This cranks the rivalry up a notch for me. Thanks Roger. (I refuse to write Rogah, ever again.)

Well, so goes the detente between Clemens and Boston...

Yeah, but you know where we might be doing out hating from? Second place.

If he puts up a league average ERA and keeps them out of the pen for six innings every five days he'll be a big upgrade over the Igawas, Ranzers (though he's pitching well today) and other stiffs they've been running out there.

This ain't good.

Well, talk about absolutely killing your legacy in Boston.

If his mom thought we treated him worse than Hitler before, just friggin' wait. She'll turn over in her grave.

The part that really gets me worked up is that the Yankees were in full panic mode and probably about one second from Big Stein doing something stupid like trading some of their bluechippers for some hasbeen starter. That part really kills me because I really saw it coming and now this allows them to bide some time, and get a quality starter for something they always have an abundance of and their greatest asset. MONEY! It kills me.

You can tell we're in a new day and age, salaries the last couple of years (except 2006) were in decline, at least for the mediocre to good players, from the rediculous days. Teams have more money to spend due to increased revenue sharing and can therefore stomach higher salaries, which has also lead to teams not having these huge salary dumps which NY used to try and capitolize on. NOW THIS.

Call me petty but I freaking can't stand this guy now. Yeah, when he went to Toronto I disliked him, but in fairness they gave him a ton of money at a time when noone else (including the Sox) gave him the time of day. Even though he did say he'd never be able to pitch in the AL East for another team. I really didn't like him when he went to NY. But in fairness he did get traded there even though he did more or less engineer that trade, and even though he said he could'nt pitch in th AL East for another teams. This is the worst! He has clearly chosen sides, and that's it for him in Boston. I'd say we'd light him up in the playoffs but no way NY gets to the playoffs anyway, with or with the Texas Co-Man (had to revive that). Let's see how he does at 44 in the AL East. Seven words he should probably get used to, "Where is that ball going to land?"

ESPN.com

I am disappointed though, I've always been a Clemens fan and hoped he would end his HOF career in Boston. Now, I hope his arm falls off.

Yup, and I was there....anyone want a now worthless (sedimental wise) ticket stub?
My fav non-Sox Clemens memory will always remain game 3 of the 99' ALCS. (bleacher chant: 'Where is Rooogeerrr......In the Shoooower!).


Yanks mid-season rotation should look something like this: Clemens, Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, Hughes

Now cashman can wheel & deal for cheaper (cheaper than SP) bullpen help by the trading deadline. They'll need it too with these guys & at their age, e.g. Clemens will never get you beyond the 6th inning & more likely 5 on most starts.

I really feel this is more of an emotional boost for the Yanks value wise than actual value based upon on the field contributions. (edit) He's a year older, nobody has seen him pitch this year and I think the change from NL to AL will have a big impact on his stats from yrs. past & in a negative way (neg. from his perspective). Time will see if I'm right.

Now I'd prefer he remained in Houston but as a Sox fan I'm glad he's not coming here. It'll be more satisfying seeing the Sox win the pennent without him. I look forward to throwing venom at him in his next visit to Fenway.

(dbl edit): if his number were to ever be retired at Fenway (I know, he has to retire a Sox under current rules), it better hang from the wall upside down.

Anyone have projections for Clemens as an AL pitcher? PECOTA? Zips?

If that's the contract, it's a down right bargain compared to Pavano.

That's not exactly going out on a limb since Pavano's unlikely to pitch again this season and thus unlikely to provide any value.

Obviously, he never intended to come to Boston, and never will. He's an asshole, and always was. For some reason, some people thought his 300th win changed that fact in some way.

The Red Sox should do themselves a favor and the next five times Clemens comes out of retirement, save themselves and us the nausea-inducing public woo-fest.

Exactly what I just said to a buddy of mine, 'It's still 1 million less per start than we paid Pavano.'

Just looking objectively (ignoring Clemens track record - not to mention that your rotation is presently far and away the best in the league)I wouldn't even think you guys had room for him. As far as I know you've used up all your options on almost everyone, you can't even get Lester up right now. That Buckholtz (SP) kid looks like he could start on some teams as well. Would Clemens even fit on the Sox right now?

You can never have enough good pitchers, I say.

What's the over/under on his ERA now that he's in the AL East vs NL Central? My guess is that Vegas will put it in the neighborhood of 5.00

As you well know, part of The Rivalry is also doing your best so the other team doesn't get better by having a particular player. We would have found room but now you can have him!

True and I agree. Was just curious about how well he'd fit.



Again, agreed. This was truly a surprise, I don't think anyone outside of his inner circle and Cashman knew. Would have been tough to prevent. I have no idea about this but I would be willing to bet some calls were made while the Yanks were in Arlington last week.

They would have slotted him in the rotation, and either moved Lester to the bullpen, or back to AAA. Tavarez would have become nice trade bait (and may still be).

The Red Sox would have made room for Clemens.

His agent just said that the Yankees needed him now and that Boston and Houston wanted him at the end of June. So that is why he went to the Yankees?

YES is reporting this as a $28 million contract!!!!!

Well, Im bitter, but let me say he will certainly help a lot, not dominant at all, but he IS what they needed. I dont think it will be enough to save their season though, as they have a lot of holes, but they will be there all year Im sure.

He will be plenty successful in the AL. I dont know how anyone can doubt him at this point.

God bless capitalism and I hope he does so poorly it's clear this will be his last season.

Yabbut...."now"? Rahjah himself said in the YES booth interview he'd not be in a Yankee uniform until either the end of May or the 1st week in June.

WTH difference is 3 weeks going to make?

Nah... I think it's this ménage à trois thing he's got going with Pettitte and Jeter. I hope the reunion with those two makes Rahjah so weak in the knees he leaves everything he's got in the bullpen. Sorta like David Cone.

God...Cash is such a great GM!

Seriously, though...props to Little Big Sheff on NoMaas, probably the only Yankee fan with any sense of realty. Wouldn't you agree, BBtB/Primitive Screwhead?

Put me in the camp that says this one was in the bag since Pettitte signed.

Yup, that's pro-rated amount, per ESPN:

'Clemens will make about $4.5 million per month for June, July, August and September.'


Link:
ESPN - Clemens salary

The funniest part about him was that now the Houston fans know exactly what it is like to get the Clemens-con treatment.

I tolerated Clemens when he was with the Astros, now I want to see him get his arse lit up every time he takes the ball.

I also remember the NY papers during the 2002 playoffs complaining that the Yankee pitching staff was too old when they got exposed by the Angels. Five years later, 3 of those 4 guys are back.

Now all they have to do is trade for Wells and call Cone out of retirement and they'll have the oldest rotation ever.

I agree. I just hope, finally, we don't have people around here hoping he comes back here next season after he pretends to retire again. The people who were naive enough to think he would come back to Boston are just a little less naive then those he actually thought he would retire.

Well, he's pissed off another fan-base (Houston) and has cemented his anti-christ status in Boston by choosing the Pigs again. Time to issue #21 on the Sox to the next call-up from Pawtucket.

For the life of me I can't remember my username and password for NoMaas. What'd Little Big Sheff say?

----------------

(hey, where did BBtB go? Snicker...)

I swear to god you beat me by 1 minute on this.

Yah, seems the Yankee PR machine rhetoric about getting younger with the Johnson & Sheffield trades got thrown out the window after the Yankees were in last place in the AL East after a month of baseball.

Just to bad they didn't have to give up any talent to acquire him.

So he really is the rat bastard we thought he was
oh well american league hitters are going to feast another great investment for the bottomless pit in NY
pettite must have cried on the phone to get him back..