Clemens wants to retire but nobody will let him

by jbox on Feb 2, 2007 9:05 AM PST in News

Rocket boost? Clemens says he's 'failing at retirement'

Clemens doesn't seem to have a very good attitude about playing baseball. I think he's just trying to drive his price up by pretending that he really doesn't care if he plays or not. It will probably also save his pride if he doesn't get offered the $22 million he's expecting. He can just say "I didn't want to play anyway, just let me retire already". I doubt anybody is begging him to play on their team with this type of attitude, but I'm sure he'll end up with one of those teams from the North East.

"I think if it wasn't for more than a handful of phone calls from my teammates, not only my teammates here, but in Houston and the guys in Boston, I don't think I'd take it to heart as much," he said. "It would be real easy to step away and be done with it."

So a few friends call you and can't retire, even though you are dying to get out of the game?

"I probably threw 45 minutes of BP on Monday and again on Tuesday," he said. "It's supposed to be good for your heart. I'd rather have a glass of wine."

Seriously have a nice big glass of shutthehellup.

"None of the teams are interested in seeing me before May, and that's great," he said. "I don't have an interest in playing right now in May."

You know it's your choice. You don't have to play at all, if you are this lazy.

"You put your body through a lot of punishment and then you come up one game short, like we did last year, for me it was a waste of time," he said. "When you don't have the opportunity to go to the playoffs and have a chance to win, it's a waste of time for me. At this stage and point in my life and career, that's all you're looking for."

Waste of time? Why don't you just wait until the end of the season, see who makes the playoffs, and then sign with one of them. Then you don't have to waste your precious time.

"I'm sure they're going to be beating on me pretty hard," Clemens said.

...and if it wasn't for them, you'd be happy to retire, yeah, we've heard it.

"I hope that they all get off to a great start and I can just fade away and come and watch some ballgames up here," Clemens said. "I don't think that's going to happen."

It's obvious you don't have the desire to play, just retire already. Either that or stop complaining.

Tweet Comment 16 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Clemens

You know, I absolutely respect all of his accomplishments, but he is really a complete ass. And of all the things that irritate me about him, the one that absolutely drives me nuts is how he talks about "when he goes into the Hall." Look, Rog, we all know you're going in, but I've never heard another player talk about it as an absolute certainty. Go have your goddamn glass of wine and be gone.

And it is my fervent hope that when Rog does go into the Hall, they force him to go in as a Blue Jay. That would be so awesome.

by Winfield's Ghost on Feb 2, 2007 11:50 AM PST reply actions

Can the Hall force you?

Or does the player always have a choice?

by jbox on Feb 2, 2007 12:13 PM PST up reply actions

Unfortunately

I think its the player's choice, but I'm not positive - I just know he made a big deal of saying he wanted to go in as a Yankee when he "retired" the first time.

by Winfield's Ghost on Feb 2, 2007 12:58 PM PST up reply actions

I'm just glad

that Maddux is going in as a Padre. :)

by jbox on Feb 2, 2007 1:00 PM PST up reply actions

LOL

Right, right. No doubt.

by Winfield's Ghost on Feb 2, 2007 1:01 PM PST up reply actions

LOL too...

Greg is ending at the top!

by ABY on Feb 6, 2007 7:31 AM PST up reply actions

Used to be true, but no longer.

Tampa Bay promised cash
If Boggs would choose a Rays hat.
Now the Hall decides.

by haikuandrun on Feb 2, 2007 1:59 PM PST up reply actions

Jerk

Agreed. I have never liked this guy; complete ass.

by Enzo Hernandez on Feb 2, 2007 12:25 PM PST up reply actions

Glass of Whine...

Well he hasn't quite decided on that either; plus he has to find someone to open the bottle for him, then he has to wait while they do it... just more people wasting his time.

by ABY on Feb 6, 2007 7:34 AM PST up reply actions

anybody ever notice...

...how Roger Clemens goes to Canada for two years and discovers the miraculous cure for lame pitching and can suddenly throw more often and better even if his age is increasing? I mean, the guy won back to back ALCYs in Toronto. I wonder how close he is with the Canadian Vic Conte.

Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by TheRevRun on Feb 2, 2007 12:51 PM PST reply actions

That is such a great point

No one ever gets serious about including pitchers in the steroid discussion, but if you were going to start with one guy, it's Clemens.

by Winfield's Ghost on Feb 2, 2007 12:59 PM PST up reply actions

HGH

Agreed. HGH lets 40 year-olds throw away their eyeglasses and has been the favored muscle builder by bodybuilders for a long time. Definitely would help a fastballer keep bringing the heat.

by Enzo Hernandez on Feb 3, 2007 5:53 PM PST up reply actions

This guy represents

everything that I hate about baseball in this modern age. He's a great player and no one can blame him about being savvy with his contracts but I mean WTF??? If you can't make it through a full big league season its time to get your ass out of the game! End of story. This guy thinks he's at some level above the game where he can make his own rules. I bet you he ALWAYS double parks at the airport. On purpose.

by wait till next year on Feb 2, 2007 1:58 PM PST reply actions

You are all wrong

Every single one of you. Roger Clemens is the greatest pitcher in the history of the game, and I am truly excited about watching him pitch one more season, regardless of what team its for. Barry Bonds plays these same off-season media games; he is an ass. Clemens is a class act and we would be fortunate if he signed with Houston so he could possibly pitch one game in San Diego. You all need to give respect to the best pitcher ever. Case closed.

by RBS on Feb 3, 2007 10:00 AM PST reply actions

Makes no sense

"Barry Bonds plays these same off-season media games; he is an ass. Clemens is a class act..."

If they play the same games, how can one be an ass and the other not?

I don't dispute he's probably the greatest pitcher of all-time. His record is indisputable. All of the accolades he's received, he deserves. And if he pitches for another season, I'm pretty sure he'll be awesome. I absolutely respect all he's done. He's a pitching machine.

But none of that changes the fact that the guy is a Grade A prick. He's proved it over and over in his career. I've witnessed it in person and I've seen it in the media. Jackass of the highest order.

Fantastic pitcher. Crappy human being.

by Winfield's Ghost on Feb 3, 2007 3:16 PM PST up reply actions

Not Class; Not the Greatest

I especially liked when he threw that bat spike at Big Mike. Class act, that Clemens. He's had a long, succesful career but is not the greatest ever (Johnson, Matthewson, Grove, Koufax, Feller, Gibby, Spahn ....). Of his contemporaries, Pedro Martinez is ahead of Clemens, too.

by Enzo Hernandez on Feb 3, 2007 6:06 PM PST up reply actions