Clemens Says He Will Stay Out Until He Is Paid His ‘Worth’

Boston pitcher Roger Clemens said Wednesday he remains resolute in his 19-day contract holdout and accused Red Sox management of trying to use him as an example for the rest of the league.

“I want them to recognize what I did on the field last year, and they are not doing that,” Clemens said during a news conference at his agent’s office. “It seems like they don’t care what I did on the field; they are just using me as an example to keep salaries down.”

Asked if he was prepared to sit out the season, Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, answered, saying, “The question should be are the Red Sox ready to go through a full season without Roger Clemens.”

The American League Cy Young Award winner earned $340,000 last year on a base salary of $220,000 and an added $120,000 in incentives.

He sought a new contract for $1 million over one year or $2.4 million over two years.

Clemens has since lowered his demand to $950,000 for one year but the Red Sox have offered him a $500,000 base salary and $350,000 in incentive clauses.

Hendricks said he tried to work out a two-year contract with the Red Sox but received no response.

“If they would acknowledge what he’s done in year two of a contract, we might acknowledge that we don’t have that much bargaining power in the first year,” Hendricks said.

The agent said there have been no recent conversations with Red Sox management and added that for further negotiations, “They know our number.”

To earn the full $350,000 incentive portion of his contract, Clemens would have to be the AL playoff and World Series Most Valuable Player, repeat as the AL MVP, make the AL All-Star team and repeat as the league’s Cy Young Award winner.

Clemens said he does not want to be traded.

“I haven’t played anywhere else and I don’t want to,” he said. “I like the fans in Boston and I like playing there.”

Clemens said his decision to leave training camp was not made casually.

“I’m not the type that will let emotions get involved,” he said. “It’s just logic. I worked hard to get where I am and I deserve to be compensated for it.”

Clemens walked out of the Red Sox spring training camp at Winter Haven, Fla., March 6 after contract negotiations reached an impasse. The Red Sox have been levying a $1,000-per day fine on Clemens since March 11.