Pettitte, the picture of composure and concentration on the mound, hollers at the replay he's watching on a monitor, questioning the location of one pitch or the choice of another. He will oppose the St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter tonight in the opener of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium.
Clemens, still a fireball of intensity at 43, yells just as loudly in front of the TV set. With a BlackBerry full of information about hitters on hand, he searches for clues, patterns, anything that will help him through the next inning, all the while beseeching pitchers who wander by to share any tidbit they have picked up.
"Those guys, they're like a caged bull down there," said Oswalt, the least renowned of the Houston Astros' three outstanding starters. "They just want to come running out on the field and it seems like fight somebody, the way their mentality is. Every start, even in spring training, they're crazy."
The understated Oswalt probably wouldn't mind a bit more peace and quiet, but he knows that competitive spirit is what has made his teammates so successful. It's a major reason the Astros stand a decent chance of reaching the first World Series in their history.
Although Carpenter and the Florida Marlins' Dontrelle Willis are regarded as front-runners for the league's Cy Young Award, all three Houston aces figure to garner votes after finishing in the NL's top seven in earned-run average.
Clemens (13-8, 1.87) posted the NL's lowest ERA since Greg Maddux 's 1.63 in 1995; Pettitte (17-9, 2.39) was second. Oswalt (20-12, 2.94) registered his second 20-win season in a row.
With the breakup of the A's big three last offseason —Tim Hudson to Atlanta, Mark Mulder to St. Louis, Barry Zito staying in Oakland — and Pettitte's return to health this year, Houston's threesome emerged as the most formidable triple threat in baseball.
"There's something different about each one of them," catcher Brad Ausmus said. "Roger is different in his preparation and experience. Andy separates himself with his concentration on the mound. And I think Roy probably has the best pure stuff."
That's hard to tell from his size — 6 feet, 185 pounds — but Oswalt can bring in Texas heat at 98 mph, then buckle hitters' knees with a curveball that ranges between 68 and 78, essentially working as two pitches.
Even after Clemens and Pettitte joined the staff before the 2004 season, two managers — Jimy Williams first, Phil Garner this year — gave Oswalt the nod as opening day starter.
"I don't know if this is a word, but he is unintimidatable, and he's been that way since he got here as a rookie" in 2001, Ausmus said. "If Babe Ruth is reincarnated at the batter's box, Roy would know he can get him out."
As a product of the Mississippi town of Weir (population roughly 550), Oswalt likes to say everywhere he goes is bigger, so he's used to the feeling. He was already an accomplished pitcher with a 19-win season in 2002, when Clemens and Pettitte brought their big résumés into Houston from New York.
"Once they got over here, it took a lot of pressure off us as far as having to be perfect every time we went out," he said. "The thing with these guys is there's so much competitiveness with us three that you don't want to be the one to give it up. You feel like the other guys will laugh at you."
That carries over to their hitting — Clemens' .207 average was tops among the three — as well as their golf outings. Much like the Braves' celebrated trio of Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz in the '90s and early this century, Houston's big three measure their skills on the links almost as much as on the mound.
Clemens, when he unretired before the 2004 season, reached an agreement with the Astros that allows him to leave the team to spend time with his family when he's not pitching.
The unique arrangement has resulted in the 22-year veteran catching some good-natured grief from his younger staffmates, and it has curtailed the time he can pal around with Pettitte, who grew up idolizing him.
Much was made of Pettitte recruiting Clemens, his good friend and Yankees teammate for five seasons, to join him in Houston after the left-hander signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Astros in December 2003.
Pettitte has a different recollection of the events that led to their reunion only months after Clemens had hung up his spikes, largely out of devotion to his wife and four sons.
"I never had to ask him one time to come. It was all his," Pettitte said. "When I signed, Roger called me and said, 'I think I want to play, man.' "
The return of the hometown heroes had the desired effect. Not only did Clemens claim his record seventh Cy Young last season but also after 42 years of failing to win a playoff series, Houston edged the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in the 2004 Division Series.
Pettitte, however, remained on the sidelines after elbow surgery ended his season in August. This year he got the Astros going with a Game 1 victory against Atlanta, and Clemens helped complete the 3-1 series win with his three-inning relief stint in Sunday's epic 18-inning victory.
"Just having him back and having this opportunity now to come to postseason play again with Andy and our guns loaded ... that's nice to have," Clemens said.
Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, who as a Braves broadcaster watched Pettitte, Oswalt and Clemens each pick up a victory in the Division Series, was impressed with what he saw.
He also saw Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz rack up a total of six Cy Youngs in the 1990s. So he knows the benefits of having outstanding pitchers constantly push each other to succeed.
"I think you form a bond of different personalities where even without saying a word you challenge each other to be good. You don't want to be the weak link in the chain."
Garner said before the playoffs that a closer and effective setup pitchers have become an essential part of winning. Still, he liked his chances with such a dominant top of the rotation.
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