Clemens pitches, gives up HR to his son


KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) - Roger Clemens' son took dad deep on the Rocket's first pitch of spring training, crushing a trademark fastball over the left-field fence Monday.

"That was probably one of the harder fastballs I cut loose," Roger Clemens said after throwing to Koby and other Houston Astros minor-leaguers. "He got my attention."
Then the Rocket got Koby's. The next time his oldest son came to the plate, Roger buzzed him high and tight with another fastball. The younger Clemens dodged the pitch, then smiled at his father.

"He was like, 'Sorry about that pitch inside. I was trying to change the view of the ball for you a little bit,"' said Koby, a third baseman who was drafted by Houston last summer. "I said, 'I knew what you were doing."'

Clemens, 43, threw 66 pitches to Astros' minor-leaguers in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, then said he's no closer to deciding his future beyond the event. Baseball officials approved the appearance.

Clemens led the major leagues with a 1.87 ERA last season and became a free agent when the NL champions didn't offer him salary arbitration. He has said he'll decide after the tournament whether he'll play a 23rd season.

"If you asked me today, I'm doing the world baseball deal and (then) I'm going to go watch baseball," Clemens said.

But asked if he was retiring, Clemens shied away.

"I'm not even going to mention that word," Clemens said. "I've been trying to do that for a couple of years now and it's not working."

Clemens can't re-sign with the Astros until May 1. But he could sign with another team before that and Boston, the New York Yankees and Texas have told Clemens they're interested.

Clemens said he might put off a decision until midsummer.

"I don't know what will happen down the road," he said. "I might be sitting around in May, June, July and all of a sudden, I'm looking at three or four teams that came down to talk to me already and gave me their pitch."