A son and father's relationship is always a unique one, maybe even more so when they are both professional athletes. And even more so when that father is seven-time Cy Young and colorful personality Roger Clemens. His son, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Kody Clemens, launched a home run 400 feet as part of a monster first inning against Jameson Taillon and the Chicago Cubs Saturday. Roger Clemens gave a bizarre seal of approval.

“Can’t sneak a piece of cheese by a rat! Swing it kid!” the retired right-hander tweeted.

Comparing your son to a rodent whose name evokes a negative connotation might not sound like a compliment to the average person, but remember this is the man who famously brushed his other son Koby with a pitch inside after being taken deep at Spring Training in 2006. Clemens shows love in his own way.

Kody Clemens is doing his best to carve out a path for himself in his first full MLB season. The 27-year-old now has four home runs, but is batting just .229 with a .288 on-base percentage. He has also pitched in three outings of clean-up duty this season.

The Phillies have yet to find their footing with a 21-24 record and are just two-and-a-half games clear of the last-place Washington Nationals. Bryce Harper has picked up where he left off before undergoing offseason Tommy John surgery, but the team has not played up to their 2022 postseason form.

They started slow last year as well and dismissed manager Joe Girardi in June. While Rob Thompson is probably safe for now, things need to change fast. Maybe Clemens the younger can be an unlikely catalyst for a resurgence.

An 11-3 victory is a good start.