Giants of the mound: Clemens and Pettitte in the halls of Congress
I like baseball, though I don't follow it like I used to. I watch the occasional game, but mostly I watch the ALCS and the World Series. I am as disappointed as the next guy about the steroids scandal, and am curious about the outcome, now that Congress is involved. But I am struck by one salient thing, seeing Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte on TV in the halls of Congress: these guys are huge! They both tower over their entourage of lawyers, often by at least a head or more. You don't really notice, watching them in a game, but Clemens is 6'4", and Pettitte is 6'5". Did they play basketball as youths? Add to that the 10 inches of the pitcher's mound, and they must have a commanding view during games. Is there an advantage to being a tall pitcher? Anyone know?
I've always thought that settling in against The Big Unit would be like preparing to have the ball shot straight down your throat. 6'10"?! I suspect the advantage comes not so much from being tall, per se, but in having longer appendages overall. If you've ever cracked a whip, you can begin to appreciate the velocity involved in a ball coming out of Randy Johnson's hand. Clemens has always struck me more as a guy who powers his pitches in, but I guess we now know from whence that impression arises....