The Associated Press

HOUSTON - Roger Clemens throws quite a curveball, too. Clemens changed course Monday, ending his much-balleyhooed retirement after only 78 days and agreeing to pitch with close friend Andy Pettitte on their hometown Houston Astros.

At 41, the six-time Cy Young winner got a one-year deal for $5 million. Instead of finishing in Yankee pinstripes, the Rocket splashed down in Spacetown.

"I took to heart what Wayne Gretzky told me and Michael (Jordan) and Emmitt Smith and even Johnny Bench," Clemens said. "It's great to come home."

Once his wife and four boys approved, Clemens got the one final OK he needed to hear.

"My mother gave it her blessing," he said.

For more than a year, Clemens insisted 2003 would be his final season. But that changed after the Yankees lost the World Series and Pettitte left New York.

"It's a great thing for Houston and, frankly, Roger has earned the right to do whatever he wants to," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said.

Clemens is coming off a season in which he went 17-9 with a 3.91 ERA. He reached career milestones of 300 wins and 4,000 strikeouts in the same game in June.

After the season, Clemens filed for free agency as a formality. A month later, the United States was eliminated from Olympics qualifying - he had shown interest in pitching at Athens - and it seemed he was ready to settle down and spend time with his family.

"Roger Clemens was a great warrior for the Yankees - a teacher and a leader," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He told the world he was retiring, and we had no choice but to believe him."

Clemens hopes to help a talented Houston team reach the World Series for the first time in its history - the Astros began playing in 1962, about four months before Clemens was born.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think this team had a great chance of winning. That obviously figures into it," Clemens said.

The Astros finished second in the NL Central last season, one game behind the Chicago Cubs.

Clemens will pitch for much less than last year's $10.1 million salary. The Astros will defer $3.5 million of Clemens' pay.

His 310-160 record over 20 seasons puts him 17th on the career wins list, and his 4,099 strikeouts place him third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136).

PADRES: The long-rumored trade that would send catcher Jason Kendall home to San Diego and free the Pirates of millions of dollars in contract obligations is finally nearing completion.

The teams were working Monday to finalize a trade in which the Pirates would get third baseman Jeff Cirillo and catcher Ramon Hernandez for Kendall, the Associated Press learned.

Kendall, a .304 career hitter who has never hit for power, has a no-trade clause he is willing to waive to complete the deal. The three-time NL All-Star grew up in San Diego.

ANGELS: Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero passed his physical Monday and finalized his $70 million, five-year contract.

The four-time All-Star received the highest average salary among this offseason's free agents, $14 million per season. In total dollars, Guerrero's deal was behind only the $72 million, six-year agreement between shortstop Miguel Tejada and Baltimore.

SHORT HOPS: Umpire Steve Rippley retired Monday after working in the major leagues for 20 years. The 49-year-old Rippley worked one All-Star game, four division playoff series, three league championship series and World Series in 1996, 1999 and 2001.

• Doug Glanville, who was the Phillies center fielder from 1998 to 2002, agreed to a $550,000, one-year contract.