Roger Clemens

Dominant pitcher with record seven Cy Young Awards.

William Roger Clemens, known as "Rocket," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He ranks third all-time in strikeouts with 4,672 and won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher in history. Clemens was a two-time World Series champion and an 11-time MLB All-Star.

Quick Facts

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right
Born: 4 August 1962
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: May 15
Debut year: 1984
Debut team: Boston Red Sox

Facts from the source article.

Did You Know?

He pitched 35 consecutive scoreless innings at the University of Texas, an NCAA record that stood until 2001.
On August 25, 2012, at age 50, Clemens pitched for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Professional career

Clemens was selected by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1981 draft but did not sign. The Boston Red Sox chose him in the first round of the 1983 draft, and he advanced quickly through the minors. In 1983, he pitched for the A-ball Winter Haven Red Sox and the AA New Britain Red Sox, combining for a 7–2 record, a 1.33 ERA, and 95 strikeouts in 81 innings. He started the 1984 season with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox, posting a 1.93 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. Clemens made his major league debut on May 15, 1984, at Cleveland Stadium. An undiagnosed torn labrum threatened his career, but he underwent successful arthroscopic surgery by Dr. James Andrews.

Controversies

Clemens was known for pitching close to batters and led the league in hit batsmen once, in 1995, though he ranked among leaders in other seasons. After the 2000 ALCS, Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella called Clemens a "headhunter." His beaning of Mike Piazza and throwing a broken bat toward him in the 2000 World Series reinforced his surly image. Former manager Cito Gaston publicly called Clemens a "double-talker" and "a complete asshole" in 2009.

Clemens ranked 14th all-time in hit batsmen after the 2020 season, with a rate similar to Nolan Ryan, Justin Verlander, and Greg Maddux. He also drew criticism for outspoken comments, including complaints about carrying his own luggage and a remark about Japanese and South Korean fans during the 2006 World Baseball Classic. His late-career on-and-off retirements revived a reputation for diva-like behavior. Clemens received special treatment from teams, such as not traveling on road trips when not pitching, which was criticized by Yankee reliever Kyle Farnsworth, though many teammates supported the perks.

Filmography

Clemens appeared as himself in several movies and television episodes. He voiced his own clucking in a season three episode of The Simpsons ("Homer at the Bat") after being hypnotized into thinking he was a chicken. He made guest appearances on Hope & Faith, Spin City, Arli$$, and Saturday Night Live, and appeared in the films Anger Management and Kingpin (as Skidmark). He is shown playing a game with the Houston Astros in Boyhood.

Clemens played an unidentified pitcher in the 1994 film Cobb. He participated in an Armour hot dogs advertising campaign with Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, and Sammy Sosa in 2003. Since 2005, he has appeared in commercials for Texas-based H-E-B. He starred in a Cingular commercial parodying his return from retirement. Clemens released an autobiography, Rocket Man: The Roger Clemens Story, in 1987. An unauthorized biography by Jeff Pearlman, The Rocket that Fell to Earth, was published in April 2009.

Personal life

Clemens married Debra Lynn Godfrey on November 24, 1984. They have four sons: Koby Aaron, Kory Allen, Kacy Austin, and Kody Alec, all given "K" names to honor Clemens's strikeouts. Koby was a minor league prospect; Kacy played college baseball for Texas; Kody played for Texas and made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers on May 31, 2022. Debra once left a Red Sox game in tears from heckling when Clemens pitched for another team, as documented in an updated edition of Dan Shaughnessy's Curse of the Bambino.

Clemens is a member of the Republican Party and donated to U.S. representative Ted Poe in 2006. Debra posed with Roger in a bikini for the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. In a 2006 exhibition game, Clemens pitched against his son Koby, who hit a home run off him; Clemens later threw an inside pitch that nearly hit Koby. In April 2008, the New York Daily News reported on a possible long-term relationship between Clemens and country music singer Mindy McCready that began when she was 15.

Clemens's attorney denied the affair and stated Clemens would bring a defamation suit, but admitted a relationship existed, describing McCready as a "close family friend."