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Roger Clemens, Open Championship Preview With Shane Bacon, Spain To The WC Final, MLB All Star Week + Mt Rushmore Of Stores/Restaurants You Could Live In
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Shane Bacon Open Championship Preview
At 2:47:27 · chapter starts 2:07:33
Shane Bacon joins to preview the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, starting with a fun hook: the course has a 'donut bunker' on the seventh hole. He breaks down the course — flat for a links track, 108 bunkers positioned around green approaches, firm and fast conditions with minimal wind forecast, and par-fives coming only at holes 14 and 17. Past champions include Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and Jordan Spieth. Shane outlines five key storylines: a strangely random 2026 major season, a 12-consecutive first-time Open winner streak dating to Phil Mickelson in 2013, the potential missed-cut slam for Bryson DeChambeau, the 'year of the comeback' in professional golf, and which big name finally saves a lost season. The Tommy Fleetwood revelation — that he grew up three miles from Birkdale and used to sneak on with his father — nearly derails the hosts, who immediately begin placing sentimental bets [1] — Big Cat "Tommy Fleetwood grew up three miles from Royal Birkdale and used to sneak onto the course during twilight with his father to practice. He's…" 2:47:24 . Shane's actual pick is Victor Hovland, citing his recovered driving, confidence from beating Scheffler, and three top-15 finishes in five prior Open starts [2] — Shane Bacon "Hovland spent months trying to gain distance off the tee and somehow lost distance instead. But his driver has returned in the last two wee…" 2:44:42 . The segment ends with Shane learning about Hank's righty-driver/lefty-everything-else golf setup and declaring it genuinely baffling.
In the 2005 season, Roger Clemens never finished a game with an ERA higher than 1.89, his last Cy Young year with Houston.
Roger Clemens played professionally for 24 years, facing hitters from Dom Baylor to Pujols across multiple generations.
Clemens called approximately 95% of his own pitches from the mound using subtle visual cues, not from the catcher's signs.
Clemens called 95% of his pitches himself — and his tell for the splitter was simply hitching his pants. Nobody ever cracked it. He also caught opponents tipping their pitches through sleeve lengths, glove fans, and facial expressions, with pitch-tipping turning a .250 hitter into a .350 hitter.
Clemens idolized Reggie Jackson growing up and dreamed of facing him. When it finally happened, Clemens was sitting at 93-94 mph — then Reggie stepped into the box, pulled out his handkerchief to clean his glasses, and Clemens suddenly found 98. He struck him out. Reggie pulling out the handkerchief told Clemens he couldn't see his pitches.
