The mood at Minute Maid Park is incredible. The place is packed, there’s literally no seats left. Full attendance, a media crowd not seen here since the World Series…

They are all here for one reason. Roger Clemens is returning. And so far, so good… I’ll be posting my definitive thoughts on the night after the game; but my good friend (indeed he is) Thomas at ‘Stros bro is liveblogging, so don’t miss it.

We got your Clemens covered right here.

We get dozens of emails with transactions every day; from all Major League clubs. Many of them are overlooked, but this one is certainly pretty special. It’s a formality of course, but it’s worth for keeps.

ASTROS PURCHASE CONTRACT OF CLEMENS

Seven-time Cy Young winner added to Astros roster; Sampson optioned to Round Rock

HOUSTON, TX ? The Houston Astros announced today that the club has purchased the contract of right-handed pitcher Roger Clemens from Triple A Round Rock, adding the seven-time Cy Young Award winner to the 40-man roster.  Clemens will start tonight for the Astros against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park.  Following last night?s game, the club optioned right-handed pitcher Chris Sampson to Round Rock, creating a spot on the 25-man roster for Clemens.  The announcement was made by General Manager Tim Purpura.

Sampson, 28, was 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA (6ER/15.1IP) in four games (one start) for the Astros this season.  He recorded his first Major League win with seven shutout innings on June 7 against the Chicago Cubs at Minute Maid Park.

Previously in the day yesterday (June 21), the Astros outrighted left-handed pitcher Philip Barzilla to Round Rock, opening a spot on the 40-man roster that has now been filled by Clemens.

Clemens, 43, returns for his 23rd Major League season. He is 341-172 with a 3.12 ERA (1632ER/4704.1IP) in 672 career games (671 starts), and his 341 wins rank ninth all-time, one away from eighth-place Tim Keefe (according to the Elias Sports Bureau). The winner of an unprecedented seven Cy Young Awards, Clemens was 13-8 with a career-best 1.87 ERA (44ER/211.1IP) for the National League champion Astros in 2005.  His 1.87 ERA led the Majors and he also earned his 11th career All-Star selection last year, pitching one scoreless inning in the Midsummer Classic in Detroit.

Clemens started three games in the minor leagues for the Astros, on June 16 for Triple A Round Rock (5.2 innings, allowed three runs and earned the win against New Orleans), on June 11 for Double A Corpus Christi (6.2 shutout innings, struck out 11 and earned the win), and June 6 for Class A Lexington (earned a no-decision in 3.0 innings, allowing one run).

In two seasons with Houston, Clemens is 31-12 with a 2.43 ERA (115ER/425.2IP) in 65 starts. He has appeared in eight playoff games during his two years with the Astros (seven starts) and is 4-2, including a win in the 18-inning NLDS Game 4 vs. Atlanta, in which Clemens pitched three scoreless innings in relief, his first relief outing since July 18, 1984 with Boston. 

Clemens earned his seventh Cy Young during his first season with the Astros, a 2004 campaign in which he finished 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA (71ER/214.1IP) in 33 starts.  His 18 wins ranked tied for second in the NL that season.  Clemens ranks second all-time with 4,502 strikeouts, trailing only Nolan Ryan on the career list.  In addition to being the active leader in strikeouts, he also leads all active pitchers in wins (341), innings (4704.1), complete games (118), shutouts (46), and starts (671). 

Clemens also earned the Cy Young in the American League in 1986, 1987 and 1991 with Boston, 1997 and 1998 with Toronto, and 2001 with New York.  He became the second Astro to win the Cy Young Award, joining Mike Scott in 1986.  According to the BBWAA, Clemens is the first player in history to capture eight BBWAA awards, as he won the American League Most Valuable Player in 1986 to go along with his seven Cy Youngs.  He is the oldest pitcher in history to earn the Cy Young and he is one of only four pitchers (Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Gaylord Perry) to win the Cy Young in both leagues.  Clemens is the only pitcher to win the Cy Young with as many as four different teams.

Additionally, Clemens joins Christy Mathewson and Lefty Grove as the only three pitchers in Major League history to have twice as many wins as losses at any point after recording their 250th win.  Clemens? .665 career winning percentage trails only Grove all-time among pitchers with 300 wins, and his 20 seasons with a winning record while starting at least 15 games in all are the most in baseball history.

Today promises to be a historic (and busy) day for us; Roger Clemens makes his return with the Houston Astros. We’ll give you all the details as the day goes along. So join us.

It feels so weird just to say it, doesn’t it? But that’s what happened tonight. The Astros shortstop, better known for his glove than for his bat, and unfairly ignored in All-Star voting, has left everything behind him and is living a hot June.
Everett has tied his career-best three hits in a game twice this month; the first one on June 17 against Kansas City, and now tonight, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, becoming key in his team’s victory over the Minnesota Twins 5-3. The Astros have won now 10 of their last 14 games.

After a mind-boggling game in which the Astros lost thanks to a decisive homer by Justin Morneau in extra innings (and to the miscues from the Houston pitching staff in the game’s second half); Everett and Jason Lane set the record straight with the lumber in a two-run eighth frame, sealing the Astros win.

What Everett is doing this June cannot be overlooked. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine game, and is batting .354. And he is still being ignored. Go figure.

Not just what Everett did tonight caught our attention. Wandy Rodriguez was efficient in 6.2 innings pitched; and you couldn’t ask for a better bullpen performance. Did you see how electric Brad Lidge was? Did you see how the audience at Minute Maid park responded? How did the crowd cheer him? Lidge took care of the ninth inning with three strikeouts. I don’t want to become a dreamer here, but it felt great to see, even if it was for just an occasion, the Lidge of old. That closer who got you looking with a filthy slider and a blazing fastball to boot.

It’s so great that the mood is set with such a game for Roger Clemens coming back, instead of a decaffeinated loss like Tuesday’s. And with Clemens returning, Fernando Nieve goes to the ‘pen. Phil Garner’s decision was based on the fact Nieve has proved he can handle the middle-relieving job quite well in Spring Training. That was also his role for most of the season in the Venezuelan Winter League. We’ll wait and see.

And you can fix it! I just finished a piece for astrosdehouston.com which will run later tomorrow (I’ll check if I can post it here in English), and I just cannot fathom how in the world we don’t see better numbers for Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, Brad Ausmus and most especially Adam Everett, who is not even on the top five.

Everett’s case is even more astonishing considering he has a better fielding percentage, doubleplay and assist number than all the top-five candidates, and he is not even in that position. That, as a baseball lover, not of the Astros but of the game in general, is something I cannot understand.

Please correct this. We still have time. Use your rights. Use them wisely. Vote Everett. Vote Biggio. Vote Berkman. And that goes to all of you.

My name is Rafael, and I’m a recovering Astros-gear shopaholic. Thing is, before being a writer with the Astros, I was an Astros fan. And well, if there’s one thing that fans love more than their team, it’s the gear. You can’t blame them for having such cool stuff for you. From nice hoodies up to t-shirts and jerseys. And of course, there’s the one and only, the quintessential baseball souvenir, the fitted hat. And why not do your own personal tribute to the jersey that started it all, the one which revolutionized baseball attire forever? That’s right, my friends.  Some people hate it, but many more love it. The rainbow jersey.

It’s always nice to display your team colors. Now it’s so much easier to get them. In the old-school days, you had to go to the store, choose them, pay for them, then come back home. All you have to do now, is get on your seat, choose them, pay for them, then wait for them to get to your place, all without ever leaving home. All while you listen to Milo and the new guys or JD and Greg Lucas. If you’re outside the US, this is the way to shop Astros. Isn’t that special?

Besides, a jersey is not only to be worn by Lance Berkman and recording artists. You can wear one too. You can even get your name on it.

And hey, if it isn’t enough for you to wear Astros on the street and in your home, you can also read about the two most wonderful years this franchise has experienced (coincidentally, the two seasons I’ve spent writing for them. Yay!); and relive all the great things 2005 had for Astros fans, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It will send shivers down your spine, trust me.

Here’s to the start of your Astros-gear addiction. Enjoy it.

Two totally different nights: On Friday, we had to run looking for information on Scott Elarton. The former Astro who ended up with the Kansas City Royals is now one of the worst starters in baseball, but you couldn’t tell that from his performance in that game.

Two runs and four hits in six innings? Yup. How odd. The Astros often make regular pitchers look on the mound like Cy Young. I’m not going to tell you it wasn’t frustrating to see Houston lose to KC 7-2, being the Royals one of the teams destined to linger forever in Major League Baseball purgatory.

24 hours later, it was a different outlook. Taylor Buchholz was great, granting two hits and two runs in six frames whiffing six, followed by outstanding relief from Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler and Russ Springer. The Astros beat the Royals, this time, with the same numbers: 7-2.

The intriguing thing about last night’s game was that the spark plug was none other than Adam Everett, always consistent with the leather but not with his bat; going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Lance Berkman also went 3-for-4, driving in three.

Astros rookie pitchers have accepted the challenged and upped the ante, with the possibility to see one of them demoted due to the fact Roger Clemens returns this week. And not just that: Brandon Backe says he is feeling a lot better and that his comeback is around the corner.

I am going full disclosure: I am subscribed to The Sporting News since last year, and I find it a very good read, and they, in my humble and very own opinion, treat the Astros fairly (Roger Clemens was in the cover, they named Willy Taveras their rookie of the year, they interviewed Morgan Ensberg). They have this email sent out every Tuesday to subscribers called "Tuesday Morning Stretch" and they discussed, among other topics, this subject:

CAN THE ROCKET SAVE THE ASTROS?

Here’s what they said.

Rob Hurtt

I wasn’t aware that the Astros (32-32) needed saving. At this point last year, the eventual National League champs were 12 games under .500 and 14 1/2 games back in the division. That team needed saving. This one is within reach of the Albert Pujols-less Cards (six games), and it would be in the playoff hunt in September even without Rocket. Having Clemens makes it more likely that playoff hunt will end well.

Brendan Roberts

I haven’t seen this much excitement about an old guy since Gerald Ford took over for Tricky ****. Clemens can’t save the Astros pitching six strong innings every fifth day. Heck, the team never won in his starts last year, anyway. If the Astros are to be saved, and I don’t believe they will, it’ll be because Roy Oswalt is healthy, Andy Pettitte remembers how to pitch and Jason Lane stops his Mario Mendoza impersonation.

What do you guys think?