Roger Clemens Has Had Enough of Phil Garner's Lip

When I say everyone outside of New York hates Roger Clemens, that apparently even includes his old manager in Houston, Phil Garner. Garner was on Mike & Mike on Tuesday and had this to say about the Rocket:

"What sort of happened was we'd turn on the TV, and he's playing a golf tournament, so it evolved to be more than just seeing family," Garner said on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike Show during a long interview that was otherwise complimentary.

Clemens responded today with this:

"Phil makes the comment that they turn the TV on and I'm in Hollywood golfing. There's not one time that I was away from my ballclub, my team, that during the game I was out on the damn golf course. Then you make a comment like that publicly, and then it just takes a life of its own. ... That's the situation I'm talking about. It's embarrassing for me to sit here to defend that when somebody makes a comment like that. I don't appreciate that."

Garner went on to more or less retract his statement, which makes sense. Garner can't be pissed about Clemens "personal services clause" with the Astros because Clemens probably had the three best seasons ever by a pitcher over 40 in Houston and his 2005 season was probably one of the best ever by anyone of any age, even though he didn't win one of his seven Cy Young Awards that year.

What Garner is probably pissed about is the way Clemens held the Astros out for ransom last year last year, keeping them from signing anyone else in the off-season, then taking his good old time to come back to Houston and maybe costing them a playoff spot in the process. I think if Garner would've said that, Clemens would've sounded a lot stupider when he reacted indignantly to it. In this situation, I think I have to agree with Clemens, and that makes me want to go take a shower.