In Roof Game, It’s Baseball 1, Astros 0

The Astros played with a Texas-sized chip on their collective shoulder Tuesday, after major league officials dictated that the team play with the retractable roof open at Minute Maid Park.

“It’s ridiculous that Major League Baseball has stuck their nose in somebody else’s face,” catcher Brad Ausmus said.

Under the Astros’ own guidelines, the roof is open unless the temperature tops 80 degrees, Commissioner Bud Selig said. The temperature was 61 degrees at game time, forecast to fall no lower than 58 during the game.

“Weather is the determining factor,” he said.

But these fall evenings could be unseasonably cool, at least by Houston standards, Astro General Manager Tim Purpura said.

The noise becomes more of a factor with the roof closed.

“If you were to poll our fans, they would want it closed,” third baseman Morgan Ensberg said.

The Astros went 36-17 with the roof closed this season, 15-11 with the roof open and 2-0 when they closed it during the game, and to the players that was the issue.

“We don’t do things to give teams competitive advantages,” Selig said.

“If we can’t use the home field to our advantage, why don’t we play in Arlington?” outfielder Jason Lane said, referring to the home of the Texas Rangers.

MLB executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon said he “never talked to anybody from Fox.” The television network pays billions in rights, and an open roof allows for skyline shots and blimp shots.

“If I see a blimp, I’ll know why it’s open,” Ensberg said..

Later, he said, “We want it closed. We feel like we have a distinct advantage with the roof closed. But I’m a 30-year-old man. I can handle this. Those guys didn’t steal my dog.”

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White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, on Minute Maid Park’s reputation for being long-ball friendly in parts: “We play at Cellular. When it’s warm out you can throw the ball out from home plate.”

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Roger Clemens is “50-50” to make his scheduled Game 5 start, Purpura said. Clemens left Game 1 after two innings because of a strained left hamstring, and the Astros plan to use rookie right-hander Ezequiel Astacio or rookie left-hander Wandy Rodriguez if Clemens cannot start Game 5 on Thursday.

The decision might not be made until after Clemens warms up Thursday, Purpura said, and Clemens will have a say.

“The man’s been in the league 22 years,” Purpura said. “He knows his body better than we do.”

Astro Manager Phil Garner might also have a problem with Game 2 starter Andy Pettitte, who has a sore left elbow. He is scheduled to start Game 6.

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Although the postseason has been marred by umpiring mistakes, Selig said baseball remains better off without instant replay.

“It would be an awkward device,” Selig said. “It would not be something I think would work.”

For one thing, he said, umpires generally do a fine job. For another, he said, a replay system could delay games beyond a reasonable length.

“Football games last interminably,” he said.

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When attractive free agents hit the market or become available by trade, White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams generally involves himself, whether he expects to acquire the player or not.

When reporters come to him to confirm rumors, Williams said, “I just tell them, ‘Yes to all of them,’ because somewhere along the line we probably did talk about him.”

Former White Sox Carlos Lee occasionally asked Williams about potential trades, particularly if they involved him.

“He used to come in all the time and say, ‘Would you trade me for this guy or that guy?’ ” Williams recalled. “If he was good, I’d go, ‘Heck yeah, I would.’ ”

Then, when Lee was traded -- to Milwaukee for Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino -- he asked Williams’ office for whom he’d been traded.

Lee’s response: “Who?”

Said Williams: “Don’t worry about it. Just get to Milwaukee.”

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Sign of the night: “Tickets: $125, Airfare: $450, Beltran Watching the World Series on TV: Priceless.”

Outfielder Carlos Beltran left the Astros last winter, spurning a reported $100-million offer from Houston to sign for $119 million with the New York Mets.