Roger Clemens

After yesterday's dramatic 18-inning win over the Braves, ESPN interviewed Leo Mazzone, probably the most-esteemed pitching coach in the major leagues.

Mazzone, the guy who always sits by Manager Bobby Cox, rocking back and forth, alluded to Clemens' "warrior mentality."

"I'm in awe of him," he said.

High praise indeed.

Over at Mouth of the Brazos, J.D. Allen also was in awe:

I believe that men like Roger Clemens, with attitudes like that, are a little more common in the United States of America than the rest of the world. That is why America has come through in our wars. In groups of people, like armies, we have a few more people endowed with a force of will that keeps them fighting beyond their own physical boundaries.
It is a truism spoken of in many histories of warfare that only a small percentage of a combat force does the actual fighting, the rest of the army, for the most part, are just there and firing in the general direction of the enemy. I think America may have three, where most other armies have two men like that. Two, where others have one. We have always had a slight edge, whether it is luck or our culture or that God is watching out for us, it has always seemed to work out that way.

So far.

[Mouth of the Brazos, "That Astros Playoff Game," scroll down]