Friday. February 19, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 5
Yankees land Clemens in trade with Blue Jays
HOUSTON — The Roger Clemens blinding didn't end the way the Houston Astros wanted it to.
The New York Yankees acquired the five-time Cy Young Award winner from
Toronto today
for pitcher
David Wells,
infielder Homer
Bush and
reliever
Graeme Lloyd.
Houston general manager Gerry Hunsicker had talked with Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash as late as Wednesday.
Clemens: Has won the Cy Young Award five times.
"I had thought all along the deadline would be Thursday, Friday or this weekend," Astros owner Drayton
Mckane said. "We aggressively worked through Gord Ash. We thought we were getting awfully close Tuesday and Wednesday."
Ash had been trying to make a deal for Clemens since December. Hunsicker blasted Clemens' request for a $27.4 million, one-year extension, which essentially would have given him a $43.5 million, three-year contract.
While the salary issue appeared to be a major roadblock for the Astros, Clemens joined the Yankees without gaining an extension on his current deal, which has two years remaining at $16.1 million. He has the right to demand a trade following the World Series.
McLane said he was confident Clemens would have played for the Astros under the same terms if Houston and Toronto had worked out an agreement.
The Blue Jays reportedly wanted
Astros outfitter Richard Hidalgo and pitcher Scott Elarton, two promising player owners Drayton McLane was unwilling to give up.
Clemens appeared to take himself off the market Dec. 22 when he rescinded the Dec. 2 trade demand, which triggered talks with the Astros, Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers.
After Hunsicker criticized Clemens, the pitcher said he wouldn't play for the Astros as long as team president Tal Smith and Hunsicker remained. But Clemens later softened his stance.
Clemens, 36, won his second straight Cy Young Award last season after going 20-6 with a 2.65 ERA.
Rangers general manager Doug Melvin had said Texas still was interested, too, but declined to elaborate. The Rangers attempted to acquire Clemens throughout December, but they would not part with outfielder Rusty Greer.
NFL backup may get starting spot
The Associated Press
Doug Pederson, who never has started an NFL game and has been a third-string quarterback, parlayed that undistinguished resume into a $4.5 million contract and a possible starting job.
Pederson, 31, with only 32 regular-season passes in a career that began in 1992 — as a practice squad member in Miami — signed the three-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday. New Eagles coach Andy Reid believes Pederson could be his starter.
"He's a very smart individual who has size, and that helps," said Reid, Green Bay's quarterbacks coach before being hired by the Eagles. "He also has the physical ability to run and throw the ball. He's been able to study the west coast offense for the last three years, so he knows the system."
He also seems to have beaten the system. A perennial backup, Pederson spent the last four seasons as Brett Favre's backup, which meant rarely getting onto the field, never in tight games.
Still, the Eagles think he will be a vast improvement on Koy Detmer, Rodney Peete and Bobby Hoying, who led the team to a league-low offensive ranking.
"I've been around enough to know that it's a game about winning, and I want to win. That reaction is fine." Pederson said of those who question his credentials. "I guess that's part of the history of Doug Pederson. I've been a backup to Dan Marino. I've been a backup to Brett Favre. This is my time."
It's not Steve Atwater's time. Or Cornelius Bennett's.
Both veterans were released Wednesday.
Atwater, 32, who played safety in three Super Bowls and eight Pro Bowls, was not stunned by being cut — he sat out most passing downs last season.
"It's not like this is a big shock to me," said Atwater, one of the best tacklers at safety in the game. "When they were taking me out of games, that said something right there. They had needs to address.
"I have nothing but great things to say about my time in Denver. It was 10 great seasons."
Denver needed salary cap room, so Atwater was released one day after Denver signed cornerback Dale Carter to a six-year, $38 million contract with an $8 million bonus.
Bennett, a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills in all four of their Super Bowl defeats in the early 1990s, helped Atlanta get to the NFL title game in January. The Falcons lost to the Broncos 34-19.
The five-time Pro Bowler led the Falcons in tackles, but he is 33 and would earn $3.7 million for the final year of his contract.
The Falcons also want to make room for last year's top draft pick, Keith Brooking, who played regularly in passing situations at the end of the season.
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