By Randy Whitehouse,Staff Writer
When looking for pitching advice, Monmouth’s Tip Fairchild has found himself a pretty good teacher – Roger Clemens.

The sun and the glare of the national spotlight had set almost simultaneously over Applebee’s Park, and Tip Fairchild was sitting in the Lexington Legends dugout deep in conversation with his idol, Roger Clemens.

Clemens had just completed the first start of his comeback for the Houston Astros’ Class A affiliate and left the field to a standing ovation.

ESPN, which was broadcasting his outing to a national audience, had moved on to other things. Yet the future Hall of Famer was still the center of the former Monmouth Academy and University of Southern Maine star’s attention.

“As soon as he came out of the game, I sat down at the end of the bench with him and talked for two innings straight. I didn’t even know what was going on in the game,” Fairchild said. “At first, when you talk to him one-on-one, you’re kind of awestruck, but I’m kind of past that now. It’s like having another coach to talk to.”

It was more like a conversation between a former All-Star and a current All-Star. This past week, Fairchild was named a South Atlantic League All-Star after posting some very Clemens-like numbers in the first half (7-2, 2.08 ERA, 64 Ks in 73 2/3 innings going into Sunday’s scheduled start) in the first half of the season.

“It’s a real big thrill,” he said. “It means I’m one of the top pitchers in low-A.”

It also means a lot more recognition from the Astros’ brass, which drafted him in the 12th round of last year’s amateur draft. Fairchild faded into the background last year after struggling with the Tri-City Valley Cats of the short-season A New York-Penn League. During the off-season, he worked on getting better command of his fastball, and now he’s the ace of the Legends’ staff.

“I always threw a two-seam, but this year I kind of changed the grip a little in spring training and I just went with it,” he said.

“My confidence has been the big thing,” he added. “Last year, I was going up against guys from all these big Division I college programs and I was a little intimidated. This year, I could really care less, because I’m in the same spot they are.”

The 22-year-old right-hander credits Legends pitching coach Charley Taylor with helping him make the transition.

“I told my dad (Oak Hill athletic director Bill Fairchild) that if I make it to the big leagues, it’s going to be because of this coach,” he said.

He said he feels a lot more comfortable with the minor league lifestyle this year, too. Last year, because of all the long bus rides and road trips, he said he was doing everything late – “eating, sleeping, everything,” he said.

Now, he wakes up early (around 8 a.m.), plays 18 holes of golf, then heads for the ballpark. On days he’s scheduled to pitch, he follows a strict routine right up to game time.

“I go out and stretch at the same time, do the same amount of throws, same everything,” he said. “It’s been the same for all 11 starts. It just locks me in. When you get in a groove like that, you just want to stay with things.”

Fairchild said he wouldn’t mind staying in Lexington for the rest of the summer, even though his great start may force the Astros to promote him.

“I wouldn’t turn down a promotion, but honestly, I’d almost rather pitch the whole year here, put up a huge year and then go to spring training and start out at Double-A (next year),” he said.

Clemens is being “promoted” to Double-A Corpus Christi for his next start, but Fairchild hopes his idol will be able to critique one of his starts in the near future. Even when he moves up to the Astros, Clemens plans on spending a lot of time between starts with his son, Koby, the Legends’ third baseman.

“He’s going to be around plenty,” Fairchild said, “but it won’t be such a circus. I’m used to having him around now. He’s not Roger Clemens to me now like he is to everyone else.”