How the Rocket Landed in the Bronx

May 7, 2007— -- The Yankees' charter touched down in Texas last Monday evening, and general manager Brian Cashman sent a text message to Randy Hendricks, the agent for Roger Clemens. "I just landed in your wonderful state."

Hendricks responded: "I'm out of town." And a couple of hours later, as Cashman dined with manager Joe Torre, he said, "I wonder if he's at Fenway Park."

This was just one more anxious moment, in the Yankees' months-long pursuit of Clemens. They had lost out on the bidding for the future Hall of Famer last year, but Clemens had remained close friends with a lot of the Yankees -- Derek Jeter, Torre and Cashman. And his very good friend Andy Pettitte re-signed with the team in January.

And when the Yankees traded Randy Johnson to the Diamondbacks, they felt as if they were setting themselves up in two ways to lure Clemens: First, by clearing Johnson's $16 million salary from their books, they would have the cash to bid aggressively on Clemens, and secondly, they would no longer have second thoughts about giving Clemens special treatment, like leaving the team on days between his starts. They would not have wanted to create that precedent if Johnson was still on the team.

But the Big Unit was now gone and from the beginning of spring training, the Yankees -- like the Astros and the Red Sox -- were in contact with Hendricks, monitoring Clemens' thinking, making it clear they were interested. The Yankees upped the ante quickly, though, in March, floating the notion that they were prepared to pay Clemens significantly beyond what his prorated salary was last season with Houston, about $3.6 million per month, a prorated $22 million salary.

The Yankees' first trial balloon in March: $25.5 million. Clemens also met with owner George Steinbrenner, who made a personal plea to the pitcher, reiterating how much he wanted Clemens to come back.

Clemens and Hendricks made it clear to everyone, even into late April, that he wouldn't make his decision until late May. But as Mike Mussina got hurt and then Carl Pavano, the Yankees felt they could and should become more aggressive. After landing in Texas, Cashman wanted to set up a meeting with Hendricks --