HOUSTON -- As Koby Clemens addressed the media for the first time as a member of the Houston Astros organization on Thursday, his dad, Roger, and mom, Debbie, stood off to the side, beaming as their oldest son stood at Roger's locker in the home clubhouse at Minute Maid Park and spoke eloquently about beginning his professional career.

Koby Clemens, 18, signed his first professional contract on Thursday, five weeks after he was selected by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. Clemens received a $380,000 signing bonus and will begin his Minor League career with the Astros' rookie club in Greeneville, Tenn.

Clemens had to decide between the University of Texas, with whom he signed a letter of intent in November, or the Astros. Because his options involved his hometown Major League team, the decison was much more agonizing than it would have been had another team drafted him.

"I'm not sure it would have been that type of [tough] decision if it was another organization, but being my hometown, it kind of made it a great opportunity," Clemens said. "I was ready to go to Texas, but when the Astros drafted me, it threw a new bone in there."

Koby made the agonizing phone call that morning to Texas head baseball coach Augie Garrido, who Koby said was gracious when given the news.

"They're happy for me," he said. "I'm still going to be a Longhorn at heart. I'll be going down there to see a few of their games as well."

Roger and Debbie Clemens let Koby make his own decision and said they would have been supportive with either choice. Debbie, however, did admit that she let Koby know she was leaning toward the pros.

"I just felt like he kept leaning toward the Astros, and I really wanted him to do what was in his heart," Debbie said. "For whatever reason, this felt like the right thing to do. I hope it is. Koby's always been passionate about baseball, and there's a lot of young people that don't know what they want to do yet."

Laughing, she added, 'When he went to his advisor, [the advisor] said, 'What are you going to study?' And Koby said, '"I want to study hitting.'"

From the outside, it might look like the Astros signing Koby was part of some sort of favor to Roger, who will remain in the organization as an advisor after his playing career is over. Not so, said general manager Tim Purpura, who has insisted since draft day that Major League pedigree is a valuable commodity.

"He's hit here [at Minute Maid Park] before," Purpura said. "He's got very good raw power. He's got a plus arm. That's two tools. There are some guys that are playing in the big leagues you might say don't have any tools, but they have heart and desire. And he's got that, too.

"Here's an 18-year-old kid that knows about nutrition already, knows about conditioning already. We don't have to go through that."

Koby Clemens will play third base for the Greeneville Astros, who do not have a regular third baseman. He may eventually try his hand at catcher, although not right away.

"Two of his better tools are his power and his arm," Purpura said. "You're always trying to say, 'At what position can you best use your tools?' So [catcher] is a position you look at.

"But we also talk about the outfield, and I was explaining to him today, our approach is, move guys around and play different positions. Chris Burke's playing left field in the big leagues now, and he came up as a shortstop and second baseman. It's not a matter of where you play; it's a matter of that you play."

Roger Clemens, who may continue pitching beyond 2005, didn't talk about the notion of his oldest son possibly catching some of his bullpen sessions next year at Spring Training in Kissimmee. But he did admit that watching his son sign his first professional contract was an emotional time, and one that stirred memories from his own experiences.

"Watching him signing his contract today with his mother standing there, I have memories of my mom standing over my shoulder when I was doing it," Clemens said. "I'm excited for him. Ever since he was knee-high, he's been chasing these baseballs around and wanting to do this."

Clemens, noting Koby's work ethic, maturity and love for the game, has no doubt that his son will tackle new challenges with the same vigor that is naturally linked to the Clemens name.

"I've seen the time that he's put in," Roger said. "I've seen the time that he's had to carry the last name, and he carries it well. I continue to tell him, being Koby Clemens is good enough.

"I don't know what's going to happen; you can't predict the future. But I know he'll work hard at it. He'll give it his best. He's a great teammate. He's a fun-loving kid, but he takes it seriously."