Roger Clemens

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Clemens debuted in the MLB in 1984 with the Red Sox, whose pitching staff he anchored for 12 years. In 1986, he won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award, the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and the All-Star Game MVP Award, and he struck out an MLB-record 20 batters in a single game. After the 1996 season, in which he achieved his second 20-strikeout performance, Clemens left Boston via free agency and joined the Toronto Blue Jays. In each of his two seasons with Toronto, Clemens won a Cy Young Award, as well as the pitching triple crown. Before the 1999 season, Clemens was traded to the Yankees where he won his two World Series titles. In 2001, Clemens became the first pitcher in major league history to start a season with a win–loss record of 20–1. In 2003, he reached his 300th win and 4,000th strikeout in the same game. Clemens left for the Houston Astros in 2004, where he spent three seasons and won his seventh Cy Young Award. He rejoined the Yankees in 2007 for one last season before retiring.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Clemens in Boston is steeped in both triumph and heartbreak. In 1986, he led the Red Sox to the World Series, but his Game 6 start at Shea Stadium ended in controversy. Despite striking out eight batters and throwing a no-hitter through four innings, manager John McNamara removed him in the eighth inning with the score 3–2. While initial reports blamed a blister on Clemens' finger, both he and McNamara later disputed this; Clemens claimed he wanted to stay in, while McNamara insisted Clemens 'begged out.' The Mets rallied to win that game and the Series. Despite such pain, Clemens returned to form, winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award in 1987 with a 20–9 record and seven shutouts, becoming the first AL pitcher with back-to-back 20-win seasons since Tommy John.

Reader's Guide

Clemens was alleged by the Mitchell Report to have used anabolic steroids during his late career, mainly based on testimony given by his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens denied these allegations under oath before the United States Congress, leading congressional leaders to refer his case to the Justice Department on suspicions of perjury. On August 19, 2010, a federal grand jury indicted Clemens on six felony counts involving perjury, false statements, and contempt of Congress. Clemens pleaded not guilty, but proceedings were complicated by prosecutorial misconduct, leading to a mistrial. In June 2012, Clemens was found not guilty on all six counts of lying to Congress. These controversies hurt his chances for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He never received the 75% of votes required in his ten years of eligibility, ending with 65.2% in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Clemens struck out 20 batters in a single game twice, first in 1986 and again in 1996.
• He is the only pitcher in MLB history to record more than 350 wins and strike out more than 4,500 batters.
• Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher in history.
• He was the first pitcher in major league history to start a season with a 20–1 win–loss record.