LITTLE ROCK — Mike, ask Mr. Miyagi for advice
Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza have a bit of history.
There was the time in 2000, when Clemens, pitching for the New York Yankees, beaned the New York Mets catcher with a pitch during a regular-season Subway Series game between the Mets and Yankees.
Later that season, in Game 2 of the World Series, Piazza broke his bat on a foul ball and Clemens chunked a piece at Piazza as he ran toward first base.
On Sunday, Clemens shrugged off comments made by Piazza in the catcher’s recently published autobiography, Long Shot, that Piazza took karate lessons after he was beaned by the pitcher, just in case they had another confrontation.
Clemens shot back.
“He needs to go get with Jesse Owens or somebody on his speed, I think,” Clemens said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “He chased some dude around the spring training site one time, didn’t he, or something?”
The altercation Clemens apparently was referring to came during an exhibition game when Piazza was with the Mets.
After getting hit by a pitch from Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota, Piazza tried to confront Mota after leaving the field.
Clemens said Piazza wasn’t the only player who had a problem with him - including some of his own teammates.
“I think there was about three guys on the Yankees that wanted a piece of me more than [he] did,” Clemens said, according to the Chronicle. “He’d probably have to get in line. But in all seriousness ... I’ve gotten to know him at golf events. Todd Zeile, another good guy, and Robin Ventura - I’ve been friends with him. Some of these guys, once you get to know some of them, they’re fine.”
Winged feet
Usain Bolt runs fast. Apparently, he can also fly.
The Jamaican sprinter, who’s won six Olympic gold medals, played for the East team in Friday’s NBA Celebrity All-Star game in Houston and provided some early entertainment.
Before the game, InsideHoops.com tweeted, “During each timeout, for fun, Usain Bolt will run around the entire arena 7,500 times.”
In true speedster fashion, it didn’t take Bolt long to prove he can handle himself on the court.
With just over 30 seconds left in the first quarter and the East down 13-7, Bolt, who is 6 feet, 5 inches, got loose in transition and sprinted down court before snagging a high pass in stride and throwing down a solid two-handed dunk.
“For me it was good,” Bolt told ESPN’s Stuart Scott in a courtside interview, “and I want to dunk some more.”
Jamaica does have a basketball team, and the next Olympics are still a few years off ...
“I’m more of a better soccer player than a basketball player, so I definitely want to try soccer,” Bolt said.
The West, led by 5-2 comedian Kevin Hart, won 58-38.
“We got beat bad, but their team was much more serious,” Bolt told the Associated Press.
Right.
“I could have went the NBA route, let’s just get that out of the way,” Hart said jokingly before the game. “I chose to do comedy just because it’s fun. I didn’t want to play basketball. But if I want to I can easily do the same thing these guys do on a daily basis. It’s not that serious.”
Quote of the day
“I think it would be great if we could start wearing our practice jerseys to the next game.” Missouri women’s basketball Coach Robin Pingeton on the Tigers’ 61-40 loss at Arkansas
Sports, Pages 18 on 02/18/2013