Roger Clemens talked about his plight and laughed. "I'm failing at retirement," he said. "Let's just face it. I'm failing miserably at it." The 44-year-old right-hander, unsure whether to retire or return for a 24th major league season, was the keynote speaker for the St. John's winter baseball banquet on Wednesday night. If he does pitch -- and it sounds as if he will -- Clemens will choose among his hometown Astros, the Yankees and the Red Sox.