On the Yankees beat

By ERIK BOLAND

WACO, Texas -- A headline from the Waco Tribune-Herald from Thursday read, "Will Circus Follow Clemens to Waco?"

The answer earlier today was no.

Roger Clemens spoke to members of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association for almost 90 minutes at the association's annual convention Saturday morning into the afternoon and, no, steroids were not mentioned. The media "throng" expected never materialized as the majority were Texas newspaper and television reporters, a smattering of New York representation [the YES Network did not make the trip] and, naturally, ESPN. It was about 15 reporters in all.

No media members were allowed in the Waco Convention Center but according to coaches interviewed afterward - which was confirmed upon seeing a recording of Clemens' talk - steroids, HGH, Mitchell and McNamee were not among the topics covered.

"It was all inside baseball stuff," one coach said. "Pitching grips, mechanics, delivery. Those things."

"We love him down here," another coach said. "He's from Texas. He's one of ours."

Much more of this will be in tomorrow's paper but that was the overall tenor. Don't mess with Texas.

One coach, in addressing a group of non-New Yorkers - but with one listening - blamed the New York media for "blowing this out of proportion."

Told later that the media didn't author the Mitchell report, he said, "Whatever."

Only one of the many coaches interviewed admitted to having a desire hear Clemens address the proverbial elephant in the room.

"It would be natural to have those questions," he said.

None of them were asked. Maybe at next year's convention.