Craig Daily Press

"The Rocket" can't seem to avoid the spotlight's red glare.

Roger Clemens, a lock for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with 300 wins and more than 4,000 strikeouts, was asked to leave a Triple Crown World Series tournament game at Loudy-Simpson Saturday after arguing a call with an umpire.

The Houston Astros' best pitcher with a 12-3 mark, Clemens was in Craig between starts to watch his son's team, the Katy Cowboys, take on the Bakersfield Curve in a Division 1 10-and-under game.

Clemens last pitched on Thursday -- a 6-1 home field victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was a spectator, not a coach, during the Triple Crown game in Craig and was seated on a bucket near the Katy dugout.

Although he sported sunglasses, fans had no trouble recognizing him. Some were brazen enough to ask him for an autograph and a few, though not all, were rewarded.

Clemens left the Loudy-Simpson fields followed by a swarm of fans, mainly young players. It wasn't until after Clemens had left the complex that a rumor began circulating that he'd been thrown out.

Jim Carpenter, a field supervisor with Triple Crown Sports, confirmed that Clemens was asked to leave the game.

Apparently, a close call at second base went against the Katy Cowboys, Carpenter said. Clemens allegedly spit sunflower seeds at the umpire's leg. The umpire told Clemens to leave, and Carpenter was asked to intervene.

"I supported the umpire's decision and he (Clemens) respectfully left," Carpenter said.

Clemens was at the game watching his son, Kacy Clemens.

"By the way, he's a good pitcher," Carpenter said. Katy lost the game 11-5.

Clemens is a hard-throwing right hander with an intimidating mound presence. Twice he has fanned 20 batters in a single game. He has made headlines and highlight reels throughout this 20-year Major League career, most recently in a pair of incidents involving New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza.

In 2000, when Clemens was with the New York Yankees, he hit Piazza in the head with a pitch during the regular season. Later, when they met in the World Series, Clemens flung a piece of Piazza's broken bat in Piazza's direction as he ran toward first base.

Clemens started this year's All-Star game in Houston. Piazza was the starting catcher.

Clemens isn't the only Major Leaguer to attend a Triple Crown World Series game. Ozzie Smith, the Hall-of-Fame shortstop who helped the St. Louis Cardinals go to three World Series in the 1980s, was in Steamboat Springs over the weekend. And former All-Stars Andre Dawson and Dale Murphy have come in years past.