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Clemens to the Astros?
Reportedly Rocket will consider options this weekend
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com



NEW ORLEANS -- Only an athlete as prestigious as Roger Clemens could steal some of Andy Pettitte's thunder the day after the left-hander became one of the biggest free agent acquisitions in Houston Astros history.
According to a report on ESPN.com, Clemens told Houston morning crew duo Dean and Rog of KKRW on Friday that he is "taking the weekend" to decide if he wants to come out of retirement and pitch alongside Pettitte, his former Yankee teammate who is also a close friend, workout buddy and fellow Houstonian.

But here's the catch: Clemens, perhaps tongue in cheek, mentioned that he was concerned that if he un-retired, he would have to return his farewell gift from the Yankees -- a Hummer, the trendy vehicle of choice by Major Leaguers everywhere.

So Dean and Rog made a plea on Friday morning's show to anyone who might have a Hummer to give it Clemens. Only a few moments passed before Hummer dealer and regular Dean and Rog listener Lee DeMontrond called in with an offer.


An hour later, Dean, Rog and DeMontrond hopped in the Hummer and headed to Clemens' home, where Roger and his wife, Debbie, were waiting at the door.

According to the ESPN.com report, Clemens was handed the keys and he responded, "This is getting very interesting ... I didn't know making a comment like that, you guys would show up in my front driveway with a burnt orange H2."

The burnt orange color is probably not a coincidence considering that's the primary color of the University of Texas, where Clemens had a 25-7 record in two All-American seasons.

The radio station has given Clemens until Monday to make up his mind. Un-retire and keep the Hummer. Or remain retired and hand back the keys.

This story, of course, would border on ridiculous and seem somewhat brazen on Clemens' behalf if the Astros weren't interested in the idea of the "Rocket" pitching in Houston. But the organization is indeed intrigued. To what degree is uncertain.

General manager Gerry Hunsicker had little to say about the Hummer saga but did address the notion of Clemens un-retiring and joining the Astros' rotation.

"Only Roger knows what Roger's going to do and I would guess that even Roger doesn't know the answer to that question," Hunsicker said. "You have to respect the fact that he said he's retired. We let him know that if he changes his mind, we'd certainly be interested in exploring the situation. Until that situation changes, it's a non-issue."

But ...

"It's certainly exciting to dream and fantasize about him possibly un-retiring," Hunsicker added. "But I think the worst thing we could do is try to put pressure on him.

"The fans are excited and I'd be less than honest if I said we haven't talked about it with excitement within this organization. But we have to respect Roger's decision to retire. We let his representatives know that if he does change his mind, we certainly want to explore the opportunity to pitch here."

The desire to come out of retirement isn't a foreign notion. Plenty of players from all professional sports probably have felt that urge in the months and years after they hang it up. But only a few can come back and be successful. Clemens, a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer, likely falls into that category.

"How many times did Michael Jordan retire?" Hunsicker said. "Great athletes are great because they are driven by competition. Most great athletes will tell you, especially that first year, it's tough when you still have the competitive juices flowing. Every individual is different."

So, apparently Clemens will take the weekend to decide whether to keep the burnt orange Hummer. The Astros, in the meantime, will use the weekend to gather in Hunsicker's suite at the New Orleans Marriott, headquarters of this year's Winter Meetings, to discuss more pressing issues.

At some point during their daily sessions, however, a club official or two might just doodle this on his notepad: Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt, Miller, Redding.

Now, that's intriguing.


Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.