LFR Sports

There's no tangible evidence for this, but, didn't it seem like Houston's Roger Clemens feigned his leg injury during Game 1 of the World Series.?

To further some sort of conspiracy, you couldn't find any baseball talking head that wasn't sidestepping the reason Clemens left the game in the 2nd inning.

Many were using a leg injury sustained by Clemens way back on September 4th as proof that Clemens was, indeed, battling an ailment as crucial for a power pitcher as his legs.

In fact, after that start Clemens was lit up in two successive starts before handling the Cubs on the final weekend and pitching well in the postseason. Where was this injury when everybody in the media was lauding the great Texan for his amazing performance in the 18 inning epic against Atlanta in the Division Series?

Clemens is truly one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, but his performances in the spotlight has been, well, spotty.

Nobody seems to want to recollect his infamous meltdown in the 1988 ALCS versus Oakland when he picked a fight with the home-plate umpire for little cause and wound up getting tossed. It smacked of a player smelling fear and searching for an easy way out. That same lack of courage cropped up tonight.

Clemens' velocity was normal, which would seem odd for a power pitcher who would leave the game early with tightness. If Clemens did tank his injury tonight sensing he was going to be hit heavily, we'll never know because the media will not mess with the legend they've been complicite in created.

He's tough. He's no-nonsense and, more importantly, he's white.

Biggio and Bagwell Given Immunity
Who's the latest incarnation of the untouchable white athlete? Houston's long-time duo of Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell. Do not dare speak any ill will towards these two loyal and perceived hard-hat workers who have bid their time patiently for a chance at the World Series.

Once Guillen puts his faith back in his well-rested, not rusty, bullpen he looked relieved. He summoned former A's farmhand, Neal Cotts, who initially surrendered a single to left before heroically striking out the next two hitters and then handing the ball to closer, Bobby Jenks.

Big Bobby Jenks was throwing major heat in the eighth and ninth innings, no doubt, but his pitch placement may be a concern later in the series. Even though Jenks was hitting 100 mph on nearly every pitch, they were also very straight and exclusively dead red in the middle of the plate. A power pitcher can get away with throwing hard, but if their fastball is without movement, Major League hitters will easily adjust.

It wasn't necesarily at bad play, but Chicago's Scott Podsednik's was dead at thirdbase on his RBI triple in the eighth inning, except Houston's shortstop, Adam Everett, ran in the relay throw from center instead of risking a bad throw. Podsednik was barely halfway to third when Everett caught the ball.

Anyone catch Fox Sports' Chris Myers interview Cotts and Jenks after Game 1? All I remember is finally seeing conclusive evidence that Myers is sporting a floppy toupee....If I see one more "Houston, We have a problem..." sign I'm going to pluck my eyeballs out with chopsticks and make scary Halloween decorations....I would rather take a gritty Joe Crede with his clutch defense at thirdbase over Oakland's Gold Glover, Eric Chavez, and his all too familiar grimace to the dugout after striking out with runners in scoring postition