Roger Clemens

William Roger Clemens, known as "Rocket," is a retired American pitcher who spent 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros. Clemens ranks among the most dominant hurlers ever, with 354 wins, a 3.12 ERA, and 4,672 strikeouts—the third-highest total in history. He was an 11-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champion, and won a record seven Cy Young Awards. His reputation was built on a fierce, intimidating style and a blazing fastball.

Clemens debuted in 1984 with the Red Sox, anchoring their staff for 12 years. In 1986, he won the AL Cy Young, MVP, and All-Star Game MVP, and set an MLB record by striking out 20 batters in one game. After the 1996 season, he left Boston as a free agent for Toronto, where he won Cy Young Awards and pitching triple crowns in both seasons. Traded to the Yankees before 1999, he won two World Series rings. In 2001, he became the first pitcher to start a season 20–1. In 2003, he reached 300 wins and 4,000 strikeouts in the same game. He joined the Astros in 2004, winning his seventh Cy Young, and returned to the Yankees for a final season in 2007. He is the only pitcher with over 350 wins and 4,500 strikeouts.

The Mitchell Report alleged Clemens used anabolic steroids late in his career, based on testimony from his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens denied this under oath before Congress, leading to a referral for perjury. In 2010, a federal grand jury indicted him on six felony counts of perjury, false statements, and contempt of Congress. He pleaded not guilty; a mistrial followed due to prosecutorial misconduct. In 2012, he was found not guilty on all counts. These controversies hurt his Hall of Fame chances; he never reached the 75% vote threshold in ten years of eligibility, peaking at 65.2% in 2022. Still, many consider him one of baseball’s greatest pitchers.

Clemens was born in Dayton, Ohio, the fifth child of Bill and Bess Clemens. His great-grandfather Joseph Clemens immigrated from Germany in the 1880s. His parents separated when he was an infant; his mother soon married Woody Booher, whom Clemens considers his father. Booher died when Clemens was nine, and Clemens said the only time he envied other players was seeing them with their fathers in the clubhouse. He lived in Vandalia, Ohio, until 1977, then spent most of high school in Houston, Texas. At Spring Woods High School, he played baseball, football, and basketball. The Phillies and Twins scouted him, but he chose college.

He began college at San Jacinto College North in 1981, posting a 9–2 record. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin, going 25–7 in two All-American seasons and pitching the Longhorns to the 1983 College World Series title. He was the first player to have his uniform number retired at Texas. In 2004, the Rotary Smith Award was renamed the Roger Clemens Award, given to the nation’s top college pitcher. At Texas, he threw 35 consecutive scoreless innings, an NCAA record until 2001.

The Mets drafted him in the 12th round in 1981, but he didn’t sign. The Red Sox selected him 19th overall in 1983, and he quickly moved through the minors. That year, he pitched for the A-ball Winter Haven Red Sox and the AA New Britain Red Sox. With Winter Haven, he started four games, threw three complete games and one shutout, allowed no home runs, and had a 3–1 record, 1.24 ERA, 36 strikeouts in 29 innings, and a 0.759 WHIP. With New Britain, he started seven games, threw one complete-game shutout, allowed one home run, and had a 4–1 record, 1.38 ERA, 59 strikeouts in 52 innings, and a 0.827 WHIP. Combined, he started all 11 games, threw four complete games and two shutouts, allowed one home run, and had a 7–2 record, 1.33 ERA, 95 strikeouts in 81 innings, and a 0.802 WHIP.