Write On Sports LLC - "Roger Clemens: A $28 Million Mercenary" by Troy Somero

Roger Clemens: A $28 Million Mercenary

2007-05-07 00:13:46 | By: Troy Somero

Mercenary: working or acting merely for money or other reward: venal.

On Sunday Roger Clemens once again proved why he is one of the most disliked superstars in sports. From the luxury box of the most hated owner in sports (George Steinbrenner), who owns the most hated team in sports (the New York Yankees), Clemens announced to the entire country that he will be pitching for the Yankees this season. The announcement ended months of speculation as to which team, if any, Clemens would pitch for in 2007. While there were three likely candidates in the mix for Clemens' services this season, anyone who is educated about the career of Clemens knew it was a no-brainer that he would return to New York, because the Yankees offer Clemens more fame and money than any other team in baseball.

One option was the Boston Red Sox. As of Sunday the Red Sox were the second-best team in baseball with a 20-10 record. In addition, the Red Sox have the second highest payroll in baseball and an ownership group that has demonstrated over the past few years that it is willing to go above and beyond expectations to lock up key players (see Diasuke Matsuzaka). Also, Clemens started his career with the Red Sox and owes much of his wealth and fame to the franchise that allowed him to develop into the pitcher that he still is today. When Clemens pitched his last game at Fenway Park in the 2003 ALCS, the Red Sox fans who have grown to hate Clemens over the past decade gave him a standing ovation in recognition of his terrific career. Despite all of the animosity between Clemens and the city of Boston, there is no doubt that the pitcher still has deep ties to the city and the Red Sox organization.

Another option was the Houston Astros. Clemens has pitched for the Astros since 2004, a decision that has allowed him to stay close to his family, especially his son, Koby, who is in the Astros' minor league organization. The Astros have welcomed Clemens with open arms each season, negotiating pro-rated salary increases each season and allowing him to return to the organization on his own schedule. For someone who claims to have retired before for the sake of his family, playing for the Astros this season would allow Clemens to play baseball *and* be home as much as possible.

A third option was the New York Yankees. The Yankees are currently 14-15, depleted with injuries, and struggling to stay above .500 in the American League East. The Boston Red Sox, in contrast, are in first place in the division and are extremely healthy as of today. New York is 2,000 miles from Houston, so deciding to play for the Yankees would keep him far from the family that he claims to care so much about. Clemens did win two World Series titles with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000, but he spent no more time with the Yankees than any of the other franchises he has pitched for in his career: the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Astros.

With the Yankees seemingly being the least appetizing choice for Clemens based on what he claims is important to him as a person, why would The Rocket choose to play in New York this season? The answer to this question is simple: Roger Clemens in a mercenary, a person with extraordinary talent who pitches when he wants to as long as he can obtain the two things he values most: money and attention. Quite simply, Roger Clemens is a selfish, self-centered athlete who embodies everything that is contemptible about professional sports today.

When he played for the Red Sox, Roger Clemens won three Cy Young Awards and the 1986 MVP Award. He also complained about the Fenway facilities and about having to carry his own luggage through the airport. In addition, he essentially worked himself out of a future with the team in 1996 by falling out of shape and subsequently collecting the worst statistics of his career. Clemens then went to the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of the 1996 season, working himself back into shape to the tune of winning two more Cy Young Awards.

In 1999, after complaining about being in an organization that was not competing for the World Series, Clemens was traded to the New York Yankees. After winning two World Series in his first two seasons in New York, Clemens' new team could not win him a third ring during his tenure. At the start of the 2003 season (likely because he wanted to garner as much attention as possible), Clemens announced his retirement as of the end of the season. He came out of retirement to pitch for the Astros in 2004. In 2005, Clemens put off retirement because the Astros made him the highest paid pitcher in history, only to retire at the end of 2005 and subsequently return to baseball midway through the 2006 season as a result of an even higher contract being offered to him.

All of these past incidents paved the way for Clemens' announcement on Sunday. Clemens claims that he chose the Yankees this season because, "Let's face it -- these guys know how to win." He also stated the combination of Derek Jeter's eagerness for Clemens to pitch for the Yankees, his friendship with pitcher Andy Pettitte, and the fact that the Yankees' pitching staff is in dire straits all contributed to his decision to pitch in New York. However, as Clemens would say, let's face it: the major reason why Clemens signed with the Yankees this season is the $28 million pro-rated contract that the franchise offered him.

Roger Clemens does not concern himself with something as trivial as loyalty, and he has exhibited this throughout his years in Boston, Toronto, New Yorkand Houston. Roger Clemens does not care about team success, because if he did he would have signed with the Red Sox, as the Red Sox offer any pitcher the best chance to win a World Series as of today. Roger Clemens does not care about his family, as he has demonstrated by his desire to pitch in New Yorkrather then Houston. Roger Clemens only cares about one thing and one thing only: Roger Clemens.

Clemens loves baseball, but he loves baseball even more when it involves opportunities for grandstanding, fame and more money in his already humungous bankroll. He snuck into Yankee Stadium on Sunday in order to announce his return in the gaudiest way possible. One wonders if he even consulted his family before he made the decision.

In short, Roger Clemens is the most selfish professional athlete in sports. He may have disguised his decisions throughout his career as having been made based on his families needs and his desire to win. The fact is that Clemens always acts in a way to better the life of Roger Clemens. The more he sees his name on ESPN, the happier he will be, regardless of how well he pitches and how well his tam does. He has ignored the personal needs of his family and his teammates time after time over the last decade in order to make more money and earn more fame.

In a sport that desperately needs a salary cap, Roger Clemens exemplifies the ailment of excess that has infected the sport over the last decade more so than any other time in the game's history. Today every baseball-loving American fan that truly cares about the spirit of the game has 28 million more reasons to hate Roger Clemens…as if they needed even one more reason to hate him.

Good luck this season, Roger. You will need it in order to garner that $35 million contract that the Yankees will have you sign on top of the Empire State Building in May 2008.

Comments

Joel Sanders commented,
Hey Troy, Can you believe the preferential treatment Clemens gets too as part of the deal? Must be good to live like Roger Clemens; 28 mil a year while only pitching the home games and attending to his family while the Yankees are on the road. I don't care how many credentials an athlete carries with them, they absolutely unequivocally do not deserve that type of treatment. As a veteran leader, he needs to be with his team and as a true teammate, he needs to be with his team every game. Also, have you read the book "Yankees Suck" by Jim Gerard? A phenomenal book for any Yankee hater. Nice job on the article.
May 23, 2007 8:47 p.m.

Comments

Post a comment