Roger Clemens Grounds His Son

We kind of like that final scene in The Natural, where Roy Hobbs is playing catch with his son in a wheat field. But when the subject is Roger Clemens playing baseball with his son, a couple of other films come to mind. • The Great Santini. Dad: Robert Duvall. Son: Michael O'Keefe. Quote: "You gonna cry? Huh? Come on, baby. Cry." • The Bad News Bears Dad: Vic Morrow. Son: Brandon Cruz. Quote: "What are you doing? Throw the ball! Throw it!" You've heard by now probably that Clemens was throwing to Astros minor leaguers during the first day of spring training at Kissimmee, Fla., on Monday — a group that included his 19-year-old son, Koby. And on his first pitch, the lad took dad deep over the fence in left. Roger, of course, did what any proud father would do: congratulate his son and brag about him later in the clubhouse buzz junior with some chin music on the next pitch. God, we can only imagine what growing up in that house was like. ("Ow, dad, stop throwing apples!") Yes, a couple more inches inside, and the kid could have been maimed. But who are we to judge a purpose pitch between father and son?

A 92 MPH missile toward the head — but a gentle 92 MPH, and a missile of love. Clemens Brushes Back Son After Giving Up HR [ MSNBC]