Roger Clemens

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Clemens was born in Dayton, Ohio, the fifth child of Bill and Bess (Lee) Clemens. He is of German descent, his great-grandfather Joseph Clemens having immigrated in the 1880s. Clemens’ parents separated when he was an infant. His mother soon married Woody Booher, whom Clemens considers his father. Booher died when Clemens was nine years old, and Clemens has said that the only time he ever felt envious of other players was when he saw them in the clubhouse with their fathers. Clemens lived in Vandalia, Ohio, until 1977, and then spent most of his high school years in Houston, Texas. At Spring Woods High School, Clemens played baseball for longtime head coach Charles Maiorana and also played football and basketball. He was scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins during his senior year, but opted to go to college. He began his college career pitching for San Jacinto College North in 1981, where he posted a 9–2 win–loss record. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin, compiling a 25–7 record in two All-American seasons, and was on the mound when the Longhorns won the 1983 College World Series. He became the first player to have his baseball uniform number retired at the University of Texas. At Texas, Clemens pitched 35 consecutive scoreless innings, an NCAA record that stood until Justin Pope broke it in 2001. 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 Cy Young Award, the AL Most Valuable Player 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 by leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. 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. He is the only pitcher in Major League history to record more than 350 wins and strike out more than 4,500 batters.

Reader's Guide

Roger Clemens is a central figure in baseball history due to his extraordinary pitching achievements and the controversies that shadowed his later career. His seven Cy Young Awards are unmatched, and his 4,672 strikeouts rank third all time. He is the only pitcher to record more than 350 wins and strike out more than 4,500 batters. Clemens was known for his fierce competitive nature and hard-throwing style, which he used to intimidate batters. However, his legacy is complicated by allegations of anabolic steroid use, detailed in the Mitchell Report based on testimony from his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens denied these allegations under oath before Congress, leading to a federal indictment on six felony counts involving perjury, false statements, and contempt of Congress. After a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct, he was found not guilty on all six counts in June 2012. These controversies hurt his chances for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame; he never received the required 75% of votes in his ten years of eligibility, ending with 65.2% in 2022. Despite the steroid controversies, Clemens is still considered by many as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Did You Know?

• Clemens struck out an MLB-record 20 batters in a single game on April 29, 1986, becoming the first pitcher to do so in a nine-inning game.
• He is the only pitcher in Major League history to record more than 350 wins and strike out more than 4,500 batters.
• In 2001, Clemens became the first pitcher in major league history to start a season with a win–loss record of 20–1.
• Clemens pitched 35 consecutive scoreless innings at the University of Texas, an NCAA record that stood until 2001.
• He was found not guilty on all six counts of lying to Congress in June 2012 after a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct.