Koby Clemens barred from winter ball after going AWOL

Friend-of-HBT Nick Collias just tipped us off to a report from Puerto Rico about how Koby Clemens -- son of Roger and property of the Houston Astros -- has been barred from international play after abandoning his winter ball team, the Mayagüez Indians, last Wednesday.

According to the report by Karla Pacheco Alvarez at the Puerto Rican paper Primera Hora, Clemens left the team without providing any reason. This led his team to file paperwork which bans him from playing for any other winter league team, be it in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Venezuela. Here’s team owner Daniel Aquino, translated by our friend Mr. Collias:

“The paperwork will explain that he didn’t give reasons for abandoning the team. With this document we’re meeting the rules of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation, which assert that no one who abandons a team without good reason can play in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Venezuela ... I’d like the fans and everyone else to know that we’re not looking to sanction Clemens. Even less do we wish to do him harm. We’re only following procedure.”

There are rumors floating around that Roger Clemens told Koby to bolt the team for safety reasons following Wilson Ramos’ kidnapping, but Mr. Aquino says that’s baloney, and that the Rocket tried to persuade Koby to stay.

Kids these days.