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Roger Clemens received an emphatic apology on Thursday for "unjustly" being ejected from his 10-year-old son's baseball game last weekend in Colorado.
David King, president of tournament organizer Triple Crown Sports, said "Mr. Clemens was a non-aggressor and a victim of mistaken identity and confusion" by an upset umpire.
Clemens was asked to leave son Kacy's game on Saturday in Craig, Colorado, when a 22-year-old ump said the Houston Astros pitcher spit a sunflower seed at him. Moments earlier, Kacy was called out on a stolen base attempt -- the fielder later admitted he missed the tag -- and the Rocket watched the rest of the contest from a parking lot.
"Mr. Clemens never raised his voice, never physically confronted our official, nor was he ever on the field of play," King said in a written statement, underlining those words.
"Mr. Clemens was unjustly asked to leave the field of play," King said. "For all of this, we apologize to Mr. Clemens."
King spoke to the future Hall of Famer by telephone to apologize personally.
"I'm pleased with their statement," Clemens said through agent Alan Hendricks before Houston played Atlanta.
Earlier this week, Clemens became upset when discussing the episode, saying, "This is a shame and it's not even an issue."
Clemens was watching the Katy (Texas) Cowboys in a 10-and-under tournament, sitting on a bucket behind a fence near the first base dugout, when Kacy was called out at second base in a game the Bakersfield (California) Curve won 11-5.
The Katy coaches and fans complained about the call, but witnesses said Clemens never said a word. The umpire came over to quiet the ruckus, and said he was hit in the pants cuff by a sunflower seed spit by Clemens.
Clemens left without an argument and said "he didn't want to be distraction and to let the boys play ball," Katy manager Doug Hanson said.
King did not identify the young umpire, but said he was a schoolteacher and in his seventh year of calling games.
He also praised Clemens for talking to the young players, parents and coaches and signing lots of autographs.
Source: AP
David King, president of tournament organizer Triple Crown Sports, said "Mr. Clemens was a non-aggressor and a victim of mistaken identity and confusion" by an upset umpire.
Clemens was asked to leave son Kacy's game on Saturday in Craig, Colorado, when a 22-year-old ump said the Houston Astros pitcher spit a sunflower seed at him. Moments earlier, Kacy was called out on a stolen base attempt -- the fielder later admitted he missed the tag -- and the Rocket watched the rest of the contest from a parking lot.
"Mr. Clemens never raised his voice, never physically confronted our official, nor was he ever on the field of play," King said in a written statement, underlining those words.
"Mr. Clemens was unjustly asked to leave the field of play," King said. "For all of this, we apologize to Mr. Clemens."
King spoke to the future Hall of Famer by telephone to apologize personally.
"I'm pleased with their statement," Clemens said through agent Alan Hendricks before Houston played Atlanta.
Earlier this week, Clemens became upset when discussing the episode, saying, "This is a shame and it's not even an issue."
Clemens was watching the Katy (Texas) Cowboys in a 10-and-under tournament, sitting on a bucket behind a fence near the first base dugout, when Kacy was called out at second base in a game the Bakersfield (California) Curve won 11-5.
The Katy coaches and fans complained about the call, but witnesses said Clemens never said a word. The umpire came over to quiet the ruckus, and said he was hit in the pants cuff by a sunflower seed spit by Clemens.
Clemens left without an argument and said "he didn't want to be distraction and to let the boys play ball," Katy manager Doug Hanson said.
King did not identify the young umpire, but said he was a schoolteacher and in his seventh year of calling games.
He also praised Clemens for talking to the young players, parents and coaches and signing lots of autographs.
Source: AP
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