Roger Clemens

From SoSH

"Rocket" Roger Clemens

Born:	August 4, 1962
Birthplace:	Dayton, Ohio
Hometown:	Houston, Texas
Height:	6'4"
Weight:	235 lbs
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Drafted:	1983: 1st Round (19th)
College:	University of Texas
High School:	Woods Sr. High School
Other Teams:	Toronto Blue Jays 1997-1998 NY Yankees 1999-2003, 2007 Houston Astros 2004-2006
Years with Boston:	1984 - 1996

William Roger Clemens Jr (born August 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio) is a former right-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, considered by many as the greatest pitcher in team history (others, in a very fair argument, will say Pedro Martinez is the best pitcher in team history). Roger Clemens wore #21 when he pitched for the Red Sox from 1984-1996, and is the primary bridge between the teams of the 1970's (he was teammates with Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, and Dennis Eckersley in his early years) and the World Champion team of 2004 (he was teammates with Tim Wakefield and Trot Nixon in his final year in Boston). Clemens has a career record of 354-184, while striking out 4,672 in 4916.7 innings.

Career Overview

Early Career

Following a vastly successful career on the University of Texas teams of the early 1980's, Clemens was selected by the Red Sox with their 1st selection (19th overall) in the 1983 amateur draft (June phase). Clemens signed and began his career in Winter Haven where he dominated players on that level, proving himself ready for double-A after just four starts. Clemens was then promoted to the New Britain, where he finished his final seven games of the season.

Following a successful 1984 Spring Training, the 21 year old Clemens was assigned to the Pawtucket Red Sox, at the triple-A level. Clemens made seven appearances (six starts) for Pawtucket, going 2-3 with a 1.93 ERA, before being promoted to the Red Sox. Clemens made his Major League debut on May 15, 1984. Starting for the Red Sox at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Roger pitched 5 2/3's innings, finishing with a no-decision. He allowed 11 hits and five runs (four earned). He struck out four and walked three.

Clemens earned his first big league win on May 20th, 1984 against the Minnesota Twins at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. In this game Clemens worked seven innings, striking out seven Twins and walking only one batter. His best outing in 1984 was on August 21st against the Kansas City Royals, where he pitched a complete game, striking out 15 and walking none. He started just two more games in 1984.

Clemens came back in 1985, but he was not quite as strong, and there was something wrong. His finest outing came on May 17th at Cleveland when he pitched a complete game 5-hitter, striking out 10 Indian batters. Clemens would struggle through his remaining outings in 1985, opting for shoulder surgery following an August 11th start vs the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

A Star is Born

With his career in doubt, a 22 year old Roger Clemens came back in 1986 looking like the Clemens that burst onto the scene in 1984, but little did anybody expect the season that would follow. After two stellar outings on April 11th at Chicago and April 17th vs Kansas City, Clemens took the mound at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and dominated the Tigers: striking out 10 in 6.2 innings. For his next start on April 29th at Fenway, Clemens faced the Seattle Mariners and he not only beat them; he flat out destroyed them. Clemens struck out a Major League record 20 batters in a nine inning game. He allowed three hits and one earned run (a home run to Gorman Thomas) on the way to his 4th win of the season.

Following his 10K performance at Detroit and his 20K performance against Seattle, he struck out 21 Oakland Athletics batters in five days over two starts. In this four game stretch, Clemens struck out 51 batters in 40 innings while allowing just nine earned runs and four walks. Thanks in part to these outings, Clemens was named to the 1986 All Star team. Clemens started the 1986 season 14-0 (15 starts) before being handed his first losses on July 7th vs Toronto and July 12th vs Oakland. Clemens would only lose twice more in 1986 and ended up 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA, earning him his first CY Young award and giving him his first and only American League MVP Award.

Bottle Rocket

From this point on, Clemens would be, simply put, the most lights-out pitcher any living Red Sox fan had ever seen, winning 20 games in 1987, 18 games in 1988, 17 games in 1989, 21 games in 1990, and 18 games in 1991. He won the AL Cy Young Award again in 1987, and also in 1991. If Clemens had one Achilles' heel however, it would be in the post season. Though he was very effective in his four post season series (1986 ALCS and World Series, 1988 ALCS, and 1990 ALCS), he was hardly the dominant ace Red Sox fans had come to expect, and was one of the reasons the Red Sox teams of those years failed to bring home a World Series title.

Roger's best performance in this era was July 15th, 1988, at Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals. In the first game of a day-night doubleheader many fans awaited a spectacular pitcher's duel between Clemens and Kansas City ace (and future Sox) Bret Saberhagen. While Saberhagen had a great outing in his own right (6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 6 K), Clemens launched into one of his signature outings, recording five K's in the first two innings. He would pitch a complete game, allowing five hits, walking one, allowing no earned runs and striking out 16 Royals batters. This game is also notable because it was Joe Morgan's first game as Red Sox manager, and Morgan Magic was underway.

Twilight of His Career?

The Red Sox from 1992-1996 were not of the most competitive teams on the field, going through many personnel changes, with new promising players not meeting expectations and overpaid players who never did enough. However, through all of this, Clemens remained consistent. Roger entered the 1992 season nearly 30 years old, but he was still lights-out. He went 18-11, with a 2.41 ERA, in 1992, while being named to his 4th All Star team.

However the constant changes in the Red Sox system and philosophy took its toll on The Rocket. In 1993, he went 11-14 which was his first losing season. 1994, 1995, and 1996 were not much better for Clemens as he went a combined 29-25 in this three year stretch. Though Roger showed some glimpses of his former self at times, he never seemed to be the Clemens of old. On September 18th, 1996 in Detroit, Clemens showed Sox fans both new and old that "The Rocket" was not ready to be grounded just yet. Walking into Tiger Stadium that night there were many questions about his future in Boston: Would he stay? Or would Dan Duquette go in another direction? Roger had many critics at this time, and he proved them all wrong as he again struck out 20 batters in 9 innings, tying his own Major League record from 10 years earlier. Clemens returned to Fenway Park to face friend Andy Pettitte and the rival New York Yankees on September 28th, 1996. While Clemens struck out 10 Yankees in 7.2 innings; he gave up four runs and took the loss for his last decision in team history. He is stuck on 192 wins: tied with Cy Young for most wins in Red Sox history.

Clemens' contract expired November 6, 1996, and for the first time in his career he was a free agent. Numerous teams went hard after Clemens, including his hometown Houston Astros, the up and coming Chicago White Sox, and of course the New York Yankees. The one team that appeared disinterested in the services of Clemens was the Boston Red Sox. Roger shocked the world and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on December 13, 1996. It was after this announcement that GM Dan Duquette made the famous "twilight of his career" comment. (The complete quote was, "The Red Sox and our fans were fortunate to see Roger Clemens play in his prime, and we had hoped to keep him in Boston during the twilight of his career," implying the "twilight" had yet to arrive, but has since been misinterpreted to mean the 1993-1996 period.)

The Rocket is Reborn

For Roger Clemens, 1997 was a year where he needed to prove something; and he did. Roger opened 1997 13-3 before heading into Boston on July 12, 1997 as a man on a mission to prove to the Red Sox brass that he was still a force not to be messed with. Roger pitched eight innings allowing four hits, one earned run, no walks, and he struck out 16 Red Sox batters including three K's each against the Sox top players Nomar Garciaparra and Mo Vaughn. Clemens finished 1997 with a 21-7 record, a 2.04 ERA, and the Cy Young Award. Clemens again won the Cy Young Award in 1998 after posting a 20-6 record and a 2.65 ERA.

Following 1998, Clemens forced his hand and got a trade to the New York Yankees for David Wells, Graeme Llyod, and Homer Bush. For this, many Red Sox fans grew to despise Clemens. During the period of 1999-2003, Clemens went a combined 77-48. He was named to the All Star Team in 2001 & 2003. Clemens would also win his 6th Cy Young in 2001. Roger Clemens retired following the 2003 season having won the 2000 World Series with the Yankees and having a record of 310-160 and over 4,000 Strikeouts.

Rocket Heads Home

As many theorized, Clemens would not be retired for long. Roger came out of retirement on January 19th, 2004, signing with his hometown Houston Astros joining longtime friend (lover?) Andy Pettitte. Now Yankees fans would have something in common with Red Sox fans. Clemens in the National League was more dominant then ever: going 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA, winning a record 7th Cy Young Award and bringing the Astros to the brink of their first-ever trip to the World Series.

Clemens would remain with the Astros in 2005, winning 13 games and posting a career-low 1.87 ERA. Although he did not win an 8th Cy Young award, he brought his hometown Astros to the World Series for the first time ever. Clemens pitched Game 1, but injuries forced him to leave the game. The White Sox rolled over the Astros, winning their first World Series since 1919. Roger retired again following the 2005 season; however, he came back again in 2006, signing with the Astros for one year for a prorated contract of $22,000,022.

Alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs

The Trentonian's headline for the Mitchell Report was a bit sarcastic about the allegations against Clemens.

In the Mitchell Report, Brian McNamee stated that, from 1998 through 2001, he injected Clemens with Winstrol, an anabolic steroid. He also claims to have injected human growth hormone (HGH) into Clemens. McNamee claims he injected Clemens no fewer than 16 times. McNamee also stated that he briefly injected Andy Pettitte with HGH in the 2000-01 offseason, but only two times, and after trying to dissuade Pettitte from using it. Pettitte admitted his own use of HGH, and claimed he had knowledge of Clemens' own use. The allegations of steroid and HGH use made front-page news nationwide.

Clemens, McNamee and Pettitte all took depositions before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Clemens and McNamee then came before the Committee for a hearing on February 13, 2008. During the hearing, it was revealed that Pettitte's deposition followed McNamee's side of the story. A large part of the hearing was also spent discussing Clemens making contact with a nanny he had during the late 1990s. Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman wanted the identity of the nanny, but specifically told Clemens not to contact her prior to the hearing.

Part of McNamee's allegations against Clemens in the Mitchell Report is that he was at a party thrown in Miami by Jose Canseco in 1998, after which Clemens approached McNamee and began his regimen. Although Canseco denied Clemens was even at the party in question, McNamee claims that he has a photograph from that party placing Clemens there. [1]

On February 26, reports began to circulate that Congress was going to ask the Department of Justice to launch a perjury investigation against Clemens. [2] The FBI launched an investigation of Clemens on February 28. [3]

Awards & Recognitions

• 1986 American League MVP
• 1986 Major League Baseball Player of the Year
• 1986 Major League All-Star Game MVP
• 7-time CY Young Award (1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004)
• 2-time Pitcher's Triple Crown (1997 & 1998)
• 5-time Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (1986, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001)
• 11-time All-Star (1986, 1988, 1990 - 1992, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003 - 2005)

Other Records

• 348 wins (8th all time)

• 4,604 Strikeouts (2nd all time)

• 192 wins as a Red Sox (Tied 1st all time with Cy Young)

Trivia

• Wore #12 briefly as a Yankee due to Paul O'Neill not being willing to give his #21 to Clemens.
• Has an almost identical win-loss record for the Red Sox as Cy Young does.
• Clemens has played in six World Series (1986, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005); 2 of them were against the New York Mets.
• Was originally drafted by the New York Mets but he decided to attend Texas instead.
• Owner of his own eatery in Houston, cleverly called the Rocket Sports Grill.
• College teammates with 1986 Red Sox Spike Owen, & Calvin Schiraldi.
• The annual Roger Clemens Award was created in 2004 to recognize the top pitcher in NCAA Division I.
• Wears Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shoelaces when he's about to blow a game.
• Nearly drilled his own son for hitting a home run off him in a simulated game.
• Has four sons: Koby Aaron, Kory Allen, Kacy Austin, and Kody Alec - all given "K" names to honor Clemens' strikeouts ("K's").

Quotes

By Roger

"I am intense, no question about it. Every time I toe the rubber, it's no different for me than it was in the World Series. That might be somebody's only chance to see me pitch. They might have driven four hours to get there. I'm going to be out there if I can help it." (Sport Magazine - 5/00)

"Everybody kind of perceives me as being angry. It's not anger, it's motivation."

"It's never in the past. This town (Boston), this ballpark (Fenway Park), are a part of me. I worked here. I gave my all here. That's the bottom line. That will never change."

"I wish he (Hank Aaron) were still playing. I'd probably crack his head open to show him how valuable I was." (this was in light of Aaron commenting that pitchers should not win the MVP)

"I wish there was a bar I could send opposing teams to and get them hammered or something — I could tell my buddies in New York to leave their places open or something. Playing for the Yankees, guys come at you extremely hard. I have to be ready or I'll be embarrassed."

"I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, my entire life, Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take.

I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand that Senator Mitchell's report has raised many serious questions. I plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. I only ask that in the meantime people not rush to judgment."

About Roger

"I believe that Roger Clemens might be the best pitcher since World War II. But I'm not sure. I'm not at all sure. With Clemens still going out there every fifth day and throwing thunderbolts, we simply don't have enough perspective on his career to precisely measure his place among the greats. We know that he wasn't as good as Walter Johnson, and we know that he was better than Bob Gibson. But do we really know, in May 2003, that Clemens was better than (Tom) Seaver? No, I don't think we do. We need a few years to put Clemens into perspective. And until we've got that perspective, I have to consider Roger Clemens only the second greatest pitcher since World War II. I might change my mind in a few years, but right now Tom Seaver still takes the imaginary trophy." - Rob Neyer [4]

More Quotes @ Baseball Almanac

Schedule of upcoming starts

Who knows

External Resources

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• TheBaseballCube.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• "Is Clemens the Antichrist" by Bill Simmons , Page 2 espn.com