Clemens to Return to White House

[95mph]

I thought you all might enjoy this article!

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/02/sports/02PINS.html

MINNEAPOLIS, May 1 — Roger Clemens and the other Yankees will visit the White House on Friday, but unlike his teammates, he knows President Bush. Clemens knows his father better — played horseshoes with him — but sure, Clemens knows George W. Saw him last in Kennebunkport, Me., on the day a group of hardline Communists attempted a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev.

Clemens was pitching for the Red Sox in 1991, and he and a teammate were invited to visit the Bush family compound. Like the Bush sons, Clemens is a Texas transplant, his home near Houston. George W. Bush was there with his daughters, Clemens recalled. During the day, he remembered, word reached the president that Gorbachev had nearly been driven out of power in the Soviet Union, and there was a threat of a hurricane; windows were being boarded up.

"It was just a very eventful day, very interesting," said Clemens, smiling. "The phone rang, a call from the White House, and Brent Scowcroft was there. The White House was putting a call through, from a prime minister. I asked him if I should step away, and he said, `No, no, this will just take a minute.' And he went through the whole thing."

Clemens said: "I asked him if I should leave. We just played the game of horseshoes and had some lunch."

Clemens teamed with President George Bush in horseshoes, playing his teammate Danny Darwin and another friend. Did Clemens and the president win? "Oh, yeah," Clemens said.

He could have gone with the Yankees to the White House in the summer of 1999, but he felt that since he wasn't a part of the championship team the year before, he really didn't deserve to go. "I thought that was something the other guys should celebrate," Clemens said. "I was hoping I'd have the opportunity, like we're going to now. I'm looking forward to it."

Clemens is scheduled to pitch against the Orioles on Friday night in Baltimore. "I'm pretty active on the day I pitch, anyway," he said, "so this should be a great time for this."

The Yankees will presumably give the president a jersey and a cap, but Clemens doesn't know if he will present the mementos, given his connection to the Bush family and the fact that the president once served Clemens as governor of Texas.

"I'd love to do it," said Clemens, mentioning that the Yankees have a large contingent of Texans, including Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and Mike Stanton. "There are four or five of us from Texas, so we'll have the state well-represented."

Fans Spoiled Triumph for Kelly

Twins Manager Tom Kelly huddled with Yankees Manager Joe Torre during batting practice today. Kelly expressed his regret over how fans in left field had pelted the former Twin Chuck Knoblauch with debris during Monday's game, before showering the artificial surface with coins, bottles, sunglasses and other items as the game ended. The Twins won, 2-1, but Kelly said "he couldn't enjoy it," Torre said.

"He said he couldn't sleep," Torre said of Kelly. "He was embarrassed."

Torre Shuffles Lineup

Joe Torre juggled his lineup for tonight's game against the Twins left-hander Eric Milton, giving right fielder Paul O'Neill the night off, shifting struggling Bernie Williams to the No. 2 slot, moving Derek Jeter to No. 3 and having Tino Martinez hit cleanup. Switching Williams to second in the lineup has been an antidote from time to time, as he's fighting through slumps. Torre recalled that the first time he switched Williams, in 1996, it came at the suggestion of Don Mattingly.

Last night Williams was 2 for 5 with a run batted in in the Yankees' 4-0 victory.

Knoblauch Contract Talks Loom

Chuck Knoblauch is batting .333 with 13 walks, for a .406 on-base percentage, and has a league-high 11 stolen bases, the kind of production the Yankees' envisioned when they traded for him in February 1998, and when his agents reached an understanding with club officials on a two- year, $18 million extension. Only parameters were discussed at that time, without any details being made final, but with Knoblauch's contract set to expire after this season, it figures that sometime in the next three or four months, Knoblauch's agents will complete those negotiations.

Good news for knobby!

[NetShrine]

At least when Bush offers them a cigar, they won't have to worry where it's been.

[95mph]

[ChrisCary]

At least when this President opens his mouth you don't automatically bet the farm on the opposite of what he says.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by ChrisCary
At least when this President opens his mouth you don't automatically bet the farm on the opposite of what he says.

Nor are you afraid to leave him alone with the farmyard animals.

I can see Slick Willy now: "I never had relations with that sheep!"

Sorry guys, I digress - - back to the theme of the tread - please!

[Jen]

Back to the theme of the thread:
I bet Clemens never had any relations with sheep either.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Jen
Back to the theme of the thread:
I bet Clemens never had any relations with sheep either.

D'oh!