Roger Clemens

William Roger Clemens, better 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. His career also included stints with the Toronto Blue Jays (two seasons) and Houston Astros (three seasons). Clemens ranks among the game’s most dominant arms, finishing with 354 wins, a 3.12 ERA, and 4,672 strikeouts—the third-highest total in history. A two-time World Series champion and 11-time All-Star, he holds the record for most Cy Young Awards (seven). His reputation was built on a fierce competitive streak and a hard-throwing style that rattled batters.

Clemens broke into the majors with the Red Sox in 1984 and anchored their pitching staff for 12 years. In 1986, he took home the AL Cy Young Award, AL MVP, and All-Star Game MVP, and famously struck out a record 20 batters in a single game. After the 1996 season—during which he notched a second 20-strikeout performance—he left Boston as a free agent for Toronto. With the Blue Jays, he won back-to-back Cy Young Awards and pitching triple crowns (leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts). Traded to the Yankees before the 1999 season, he captured two World Series titles. In 2001, he became the first pitcher to start a season with a 20–1 record. Three years later, he reached his 300th win and 4,000th strikeout in the same game. Clemens joined the Astros in 2004, winning his seventh Cy Young Award over three seasons, then returned to the Yankees for a final year in 2007 before retiring. He remains the only pitcher in MLB history with more than 350 wins and over 4,500 strikeouts.

Clemens faced allegations of using anabolic steroids late in his career, as detailed in the Mitchell Report, largely based on testimony from his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens denied the claims under oath before Congress, prompting leaders to refer the case to the Justice Department on suspicion of perjury. In August 2010, a federal grand jury indicted him on six felony counts for perjury, false statements, and contempt of Congress. He pleaded not guilty; the trial ended in a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct. In June 2012, a jury found him not guilty on all counts. The controversy hurt his Hall of Fame chances—he never reached the required 75% of votes in ten years of eligibility, peaking at 65.2% in 2022. Still, many regard him as one of baseball’s greatest pitchers.

Clemens was born in Dayton, Ohio, the fifth child of Bill and Bess Clemens, and is of German descent (his great-grandfather Joseph immigrated in the 1880s). His parents split when he was an infant; his mother soon married Woody Booher, whom Clemens considers his father. Booher died when Clemens was nine, and Clemens has said the only time he felt envious of 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 under coach Charles Maiorana, along with football and basketball. The Phillies and Twins scouted him as a senior, but he chose college.

He started his college career at San Jacinto College North in 1981, posting a 9–2 record, then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where he went 25–7 over two All-American seasons and pitched 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 that stood until 2001.

The New York Mets drafted Clemens in the 12th round in 1981, but he didn’t sign. The Red Sox selected him in the first round (19th overall) of the 1983 draft, and he quickly moved through the minors. That year, he pitched for two teams at two levels: 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 posted a 3–1 record, a 1.24 ERA, 36 strikeouts in 29 innings, and a 0.759 WHIP. With New Britain, he started seven games, tossed one complete-game shutout, allowed one home run, and finished with a 4–1 record, a 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, gave up just one homer, and had a 7–2 record, a 1.33 ERA, 95 strikeouts in 81 innings, and a 0.802 WHIP.