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Miller: Five things to know
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The specter of Roger Clemens hangs over this sad and gloomy camp here like ... well, perhaps it's best summarized by disconsolate catcher Brad Ausmus.
"We're done," he was saying Wednesday morning of the very real prospect of life without the Rocket Man, and the great thing about this bit of brutal honesty is that he was waving the white flag before all of Houston's players were even in camp.
Hundred-million man Carlos Lee? Not here yet.
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| In 2006, catcher Brad Ausmus won the third National League Gold Glove of his career. (AP) |
Lance Berkman and Morgan Ensberg? Just walked in Wednesday morning.
So anyway, as Ausmus was saying, "There's not a person here who wants Roger Clemens on this team."
Then came the pause, followed by the big, huge, devilish smile.
Get outta here.
Of course the Astros would like Clemens back.
But at the same time, understand: The only two things more overblown this spring than the will-he won't-he Clemens watch are the ongoing dissection of the Derek Jeter-Alex Rodriguez relationship and who gets custody of Anna Nicole Smith's body.
Whether the Astros, Yankees, Red Sox or Sunnyvale Retirement Home will gain custody of Clemens' body, well, that's a verdict that might not come until June.
Meantime, with Ausmus, Berkman, Ensberg, Biggio, Roy Oswalt and the rest of the collection, neither spring camp nor this clubhouse ever will be sad and gloomy. With or without the Rocket Man.
Why, there was Ensberg in a new red beard, telling everyone that his sole purpose for growing it was so he would have "common ground" with newly acquired starter Woody Williams.