Clemens to visit Rangers on Thursday

03/08/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Free agent pitcher Roger Clemens, in town for the World Baseball Classic, is expected to visit the Rangers' Spring Training camp on Thursday.
Call it an unofficial recruiting visit, but it's part of owner Tom Hicks' efforts to persuade Clemens to pitch for the Rangers in 2006.
Clemens will be accompanied by shortstop Michael Young and first baseman Mark Teixeira, his teammates on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Clemens is expected to spend a couple of hours at the Rangers' Spring Training facility, talking with players and meeting with club officials. Hicks is flying in from Texas to be a part of the welcoming committee.
Clemens was asked on Wednesday at the Classic about meeting with the Rangers at some point. "We've talked about that," Clemens said. "It may happen. You know, again, [retirement has] been more difficult than I had expected it to be because I do love to compete.
"And, you know, just when you sit down and you have a talk with the different clubs and what they need and their needs that they feel they need, you know, I appreciate that they feel that I can still compete. I wouldn't be, again, here at the [Classic] if I didn't feel like I could compete and compete at a high level."
Hicks declined comment until after the visit is over.
This will be the second time Clemens has met face-to-face with the Rangers. Hicks, general manager Jon Daniels, manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Mark Connor met with Clemens, his wife Debbie and his agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks, at his home outside Houston in early February.
Clemens, 44, is scheduled to pitch for Team USA on Friday against South Africa at Chase Field in Phoenix. He is using the World Baseball Classic to decide if he'll pitch again in 2006.
He has spent the past two seasons pitching for the Astros but they did not offer arbitration to the righty last December. That means he can't sign with the Astros until May 1, although he was given special permission by Major League Baseball to work out in their Minor League camp earlier this month to prepare for the Classic.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, was 13-8 with a Major League-low 1.87 ERA for the Astros but also had a back problem during the season and a hamstring injury during the World Series. That left him concerned about how his body would hold up for another season.
The Astros, Red Sox and Yankees have all expressed interest in Clemens, who has indicated several times that he might just retire after the World Baseball Classic is over.
"I don't see myself starting this season unless something really really kicks in to where I get that edge," Clemens said. "I'm just trying to fade away a little bit.
"And like I said, maybe, I don't know, May, June, I don't know what's going to happen. I've tried to make the call a few times. It's just not working."
Clemens also may wait before he decides to pitch again and Rangers officials acknowledge that it might be as late as June 1 before he pitches for them. The Rangers are content to wait on Clemens, knowing he could be a terrific midseason addition and waiting a couple of months could make him stronger at the end of the season.
The Rangers want Clemens pitching for them in October. Hicks told him that in February. The topic will likely come up again Thursday.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/