KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) -Roger Clemens’ oldest son says his father will work with minor leaguers at Houston Astros spring training, but didn’t say when he would arrive.
“He’ll be down here eventually,” said Koby Clemens, a catcher in the Astros’ farm system.
The Rocket has a personal services contract with the Astros, similar those offered to Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, that kicks in when he officially retires. The Astros have said Clemens is still welcome despite the steroid controversy surrounding him.
“He was always coming down here,” Koby said. “No matter what happens, he’s always going to want to help out with anything he can do. He’ll come down here and throw 700 pitches eventually.”
The Astros’ minor leaguers opened a minicamp Monday, and the 21-year-old Clemens was there by 8 a.m. He was glad to finally concentrate on baseball after a stressful three months since his father was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs in the Mitchell Report.
Clemens has strongly denied the allegations, brought by former personal trainer Brian McNamee. The two told widely different stories to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in a nationally televised hearing Feb. 13.
Koby said he only watched the start of the hearing, then turned off the TV as members of Congress picked apart Clemens’ testimony.
“They started hammering him and I couldn’t watch it,” Koby said. “I was getting so ticked off. Apparently, right when I turned it off, it kind of went better for my dad. So I’m kind of mad I missed that. I saw some good things, I saw some bad things.”
At the hearing, Clemens testified that his wife, Debbie, was injected with human growth hormone by McNamee. Koby said his parents “looked exhausted” when they returned home after the hearings.
“It can’t all go your way with everything, (they) came out of there pretty good,” Koby said. “I was proud of my mom and my dad and everybody that was there.”
A few days after the hearing, the New York Daily News reported that Koby Clemens was seen working out at the same gym in a Houston suburb where Andy Pettitte’s father, Tom, allegedly received HGH. The gym is about a 30-minute drive from the Clemens’ home and Koby said he doesn’t remember ever working out there.
“I don’t know what to say. It doesn’t make sense a little bit,” Koby said. “The only reason I’d go down there is if my dad was going down there. He wasn’t with me, apparently. Why would I drive all the way down to Pasadena to go work out, when I’ve got everything at the house? It’s just kind of funny.
“You’ve just got to kind of deal with what people say and know what the truth is and that’s it.”
Koby said his parents seem to be in good spirits lately, relaxing playing golf in recent days. He said the whole family also understands that the draining controversy isn’t going away any time soon.
“We’re not out of the doghouse yet,” he said. “It’s going to be a long process, but once we get through it, all will be back in order.”
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