Roger Clemens loses managerial debut, doesn't see himself as a full-time skipper
Much like softball legend Jennie Finch did earlier this season, seven-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens managed an independent-league (no MLB or MiLB affiliation) baseball team on Friday night. Like Finch before him, The Rocket managed the Bridgeport Bluefish, who lost to the Long Island Ducks, 6-2, on Friday.
Clemens threw out the first pitch as well.
He also served as the third-base coach for a few innings and waved home a run on former big-leaguer Endy Chavez’s RBI triple.
“It was a great time. It was what I expected and I got to see a couple of familiar faces on the team that I haven’t seen in a while,” Clemens said. “Sammy (Gervacio) played in Sugar Land and it was great seeing him throw again.”
The Sugar Land mention is fun. Clemens played for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters in 2012, teaming up with Scott Kazmir and several former MLB players as well. Speaking of which, Clemens was asked about any possible aspirations to manage in a full-time setting as opposed to a publicity stunt, and he again mentioned his time in Sugar Land.
“No … I love teaching, I do a lot of teaching now,” he said. “My title with Houston (Astros) is special assistant to the general manager and I enjoy doing that. I work closely with a lot of big-leaguers. Most of the guys I talk to that are in major leagues, it’s the mental part of the game where they lost their confidence a little bit. No different than a couple years again when I was playing for Sugar Land and Kazmir was there. Made a good little visit and it was nice seeing him work his way back to the major leagues.”
Expect to see Clemens back in the news in the next few days, too, because he’s playing in the National Baseball Congress World Series, beginning Saturday night, with a group of former big-leaguers like Adam LaRoche, Josh Beckett, Tim Hudson, J.D. Drew and Dan Uggla. Clemens is on his way to joining up with the team.
“When I get over to Wichita next week and kick my leg up in the air, hopefully that’ll work out and I don’t get too sore. The team that was put together will play (tonight) at 9:30; I won’t be at that one, but I’m pulling in there Sunday night to get ready to play Monday and Wednesday.”
Busy time for the former ace, huh?
Follow the National Baseball Congress World Series on the official website.
