Roger Clemens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roger Clemens |
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Clemens in 2012
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 4, 1962 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 15, 1984, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 16, 2007, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 354–184 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.12 | ||
| Strikeouts | 4,672 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), known as "Rocket", is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), mainly with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball history.
Clemens had 354 wins, a 3.12 earned run average (ERA), and 4,672 strikeouts. This is the third-most all time. He was an 11-time MLB All-Star and won two World Series titles. Clemens also won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher ever. He was known for his strong competitive spirit and powerful pitching.
Clemens started his MLB career in 1984 with the Red Sox. He was a key pitcher for them for 12 years. In 1986, he won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award and the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He also set an MLB record by striking out 20 batters in one game. After the 1996 season, Clemens joined the Toronto Blue Jays. He won a Cy Young Award in each of his two seasons with Toronto. He also won the pitching Triple Crown by leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
Before the 1999 season, Clemens was traded to the Yankees. He won his two World Series titles with them. In 2001, he became the first pitcher to start a season with a 20–1 win–loss record. In 2003, he reached his 300th win and 4,000th strikeout in the same game. Clemens then played for the Houston Astros from 2004 to 2006. He won his seventh Cy Young Award there. He returned to the Yankees in 2007 for one final season before retiring. He is the only pitcher in MLB history with over 350 wins and 4,500 strikeouts.
Clemens did not receive enough votes to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He never reached the 75% of votes needed in his ten years of eligibility. Despite this, many still consider Clemens one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
Contents
Early Life and College Baseball
Growing Up in Ohio and Texas
Roger Clemens was born on August 4, 1962, in Dayton, Ohio. He was the fifth child of Bill and Bess Clemens. His parents separated when he was a baby. His mother later married Woody Booher, who Roger considered his father. Woody Booher passed away when Roger was nine years old.
Clemens lived in Vandalia, Ohio, until 1977. He then spent most of his high school years in Houston, Texas. At Spring Woods High School, he played baseball, football, and basketball. Scouts from the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins watched him. But he chose to go to college instead of turning professional right away.
College Baseball Career
Clemens started his college baseball career at San Jacinto College North in 1981. He had a 9–2 win–loss record there. He then went to the University of Texas at Austin. He had a 25–7 record in two All-American seasons. He was pitching when the Longhorns won the 1983 College World Series.
Clemens was the first player to have his baseball uniform number retired at the University of Texas. In 2004, the Rotary Smith Award for America's best college baseball player was renamed the Roger Clemens Award. This honored him as the best pitcher. At Texas, Clemens pitched 35 innings in a row without giving up a run. This was an NCAA record until 2001.
Roger Clemens's Professional Baseball Journey
Drafted and Minor League Years
The New York Mets first picked Clemens in the 12th round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft. However, he did not sign with them. The Boston Red Sox then selected Clemens in the first round (19th overall) of the 1983 MLB draft. He quickly moved up through their minor league teams.
In 1983, Clemens played for two different minor league teams. He pitched for the A-ball Winter Haven Red Sox and the AA New Britain Red Sox. He had a combined record of 7–2 with a 1.33 earned run average. He also struck out 95 batters in 81 innings.
Clemens started the 1984 season with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox. He had a 1.93 ERA and struck out 50 batters in 46.2 innings.
Boston Red Sox Years (1984–1996)
Roger Clemens made his Major League debut on May 15, 1984, with the Boston Red Sox. Early in his career, an injury to his shoulder threatened to end his playing days. But he had successful surgery and was able to continue.
On April 29, 1986, Clemens made history at Fenway Park. He struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game against the Seattle Mariners. He was the first pitcher in MLB history to do this. After this amazing game, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Only Kerry Wood and Max Scherzer have matched this 20-strikeout performance in a nine-inning game.
Clemens started the 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in his hometown of Houston. He was named the game's MVP. He pitched three perfect innings and struck out two batters. In 1986, Clemens won his first of seven Cy Young Awards. He also won the American League MVP award. He finished the season with a 24–4 record, a 2.48 ERA, and 238 strikeouts. He was the only starting pitcher since 1971 to win a league MVP award until 2011.
The Red Sox had a tough 1987 season, but Clemens still won his second straight Cy Young Award. He had a 20–9 record, a 2.97 ERA, and 256 strikeouts. Boston found success again in 1988 and 1990. They won their division each year. However, they lost to the Oakland Athletics in the playoffs both times.
In 1988, Clemens led the American League with 291 strikeouts. On September 10, 1988, he threw a one-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. On April 13, 1989, Clemens got his 1,000th career strikeout. He won his third Cy Young Award in 1991. On September 18, 1996, Clemens had his second 20-strikeout game against the Detroit Tigers. This happened in one of his last games as a Red Sox player.
The Red Sox did not re-sign Clemens after the 1996 season. He then signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Clemens had 192 wins and 38 shutouts for the Red Sox. Both are tied for the franchise record with Cy Young. He is also their all-time strikeout leader with 2,590. No Red Sox player has worn his uniform number 21 since he left the team.
Toronto Blue Jays (1997–1998)
Clemens signed a large contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 1996 season. In his first game back at Fenway Park as a Blue Jay, he pitched very well. He allowed only 4 hits and 1 run in eight innings.
Clemens was outstanding in his two seasons with the Blue Jays. He won the pitching Triple Crown and the Cy Young Award in both years. In 1997, he had a 21–7 record, a 2.05 ERA, and 292 strikeouts. In 1998, he had a 20–6 record, a 2.65 ERA, and 271 strikeouts. After the 1998 season, Clemens asked to be traded. He wanted to play for a team that he felt could win a championship.
New York Yankees (1999–2003)
Before the 1999 season, the Blue Jays traded Clemens to the New York Yankees. His longtime uniform number 21 was already taken by teammate Paul O'Neill. So, Clemens first wore number 12 before switching to number 22.
In the 1999 regular season, Clemens had a 14–10 record. He won two games in the playoffs. In 2000, he had a strong season with a 13–8 record. In the playoffs against Seattle, Clemens set a record for strikeouts in a game. He struck out 15 batters in a one-hit shutout. He also pitched eight scoreless innings in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.
In 2001, Clemens became the first pitcher in MLB history to start a season with a 20–1 record. He finished 20–3 and won his sixth Cy Young Award. Clemens started Game 7 of the 2001 World Series for the Yankees. The Diamondbacks won the game in the 9th inning.
Clemens announced he would retire after the 2003 season. On June 13, 2003, he made history. Pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals, he recorded his 300th career win and 4,000th career strikeout in the same game. He was the only player ever to reach both milestones in one game. He became the 21st pitcher to get 300 wins and the third to get 4,000 strikeouts. Clemens finished the season with a 17–9 record.
His final games in 2003 were met with cheers from fans. Even Red Sox fans gave him a standing ovation in his last game at Fenway Park.
Houston Astros (2004–2006)
Clemens decided not to retire and signed with his hometown Houston Astros on January 12, 2004. He joined his friend and former Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte. On May 5, 2004, Clemens got his 4,137th career strikeout. This placed him second on the all-time list behind Nolan Ryan.
Clemens finished the 2004 season with an 18–4 record. He won his seventh Cy Young Award. This made him the oldest player ever to win the Cy Young at age 42. He also became one of only six pitchers to win the award in both leagues.
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Clemens decided to play again in 2005. He signed a contract that gave him the highest yearly salary for a pitcher in MLB history at the time. His 2005 season was one of his best. His 1.87 ERA was the lowest in the major leagues. He finished with a 13–8 record. The Astros often did not score many runs when he pitched. They were shut out nine times in his 32 starts.
On October 9, 2005, Clemens made his first relief appearance since 1984. He pitched three innings to get the win as the Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves. This was the longest playoff game in MLB history at 18 innings. The Astros made it to their first World Series in 2005 but were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
Clemens said he would retire again after the World Series. But he wanted to play for the United States in the first 2006 World Baseball Classic in March 2006. He then decided to return to the Astros for the rest of the 2006 season. He signed another large contract. Clemens finished the 2006 season with a 7–6 record and a 2.30 ERA.
Return to the Yankees (2007)
Clemens surprisingly rejoined the Yankees roster on May 6, 2007. He agreed to a contract worth about $4.7 million per month. This meant he would make over $1 million for each start that season.
Clemens made his 2007 return on June 9. He defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates. On July 2, Clemens got his 350th win against the Minnesota Twins. He is one of only three pitchers in the modern era to reach 350 wins. Clemens finished the 2007 regular season with a record of 6–6.
Clemens had to leave a playoff game early due to a hamstring injury. This was his final appearance in a Major League Baseball game.
Pitching After Retirement
On August 20, 2012, Clemens signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters. This was a team in an independent baseball league. He made his debut for the Skeeters on August 25, 2012. It was his first time pitching in almost five years at age 50. Clemens pitched 3.1 scoreless innings and struck out two batters. He allowed only one hit.
Clemens made his second start for the Skeeters on September 7. His son, Koby, was his catcher. He pitched 4.2 scoreless innings. His fastball was clocked as high as 88 miles per hour.
In 2016, Roger Clemens joined the Kansas Stars. This team was made up of retired major league players. He pitched for them just six days after his 54th birthday. On August 22, 2019, Clemens pitched in a charity baseball game in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He wore his Red Sox uniform and pitched two shutout innings.
Pitching Style and Legacy
How Roger Clemens Pitched
Clemens was known as a power pitcher. This means he threw the ball very hard. Early in his career, he threw a 98-mph fastball and a hard breaking ball. Later, he developed a split-finger fastball, which he jokingly called "Mr. Splitty."
By the time he retired in 2007, his four-seam fastball was usually between 91–94 miles per hour. He also threw a two-seam fastball, a slider, and sometimes a curveball. Clemens was a very durable pitcher. He led the American League in complete games three times and innings pitched twice. He threw 18 complete games in 1987, a number no pitcher has matched since. Clemens was also known for striking out many batters. He led the AL in strikeouts five times. He is the only pitcher in Major League history to have two games with 20 strikeouts.
Awards and Recognition
In 1999, Roger Clemens was ranked number 53 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. Fans also elected him to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2005, an updated list moved Clemens up to #15.
By the end of the 2005 season, Clemens had won seven Cy Young Awards. He won the AL award in 1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, and 2001. He won the National League award in 2004. He also won an MVP award and two pitching Triple Crowns. With his 2004 win, he became the oldest pitcher to ever win the Cy Young. He was also named an All-Star 11 times.
In October 2006, Clemens was named to Sports Illustrated's "all-time" team. On August 18, 2007, Clemens got his 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee. He is one of only nine players in major league history to have 1,000 or more strikeouts with two different teams. He had 2,590 strikeouts with the Red Sox, 1,014 with the Yankees, 563 with Toronto, and 505 with Houston.
Clemens was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also inducted into the Pawtucket Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2019.
Roger Clemens in Movies and TV
Clemens has appeared as himself in several movies and TV shows. He has also acted in some films. He was in an episode of The Simpsons called "Homer at the Bat". In it, he was recruited to the Springfield nuclear plant's softball team. Clemens also made guest appearances on TV shows like Hope & Faith and Spin City. He was in the movie Anger Management and had a small part in Kingpin. He also appeared in the film Boyhood, playing in an actual game with the Houston Astros.
In 1994, he played a pitcher in the movie Cobb. He was also in commercials for Armour hot dogs with other MLB players. Since 2005, Clemens has appeared in many commercials for the Texas supermarket chain H-E-B. In 2007, he was on a baseball-themed episode of MythBusters. He also starred in a commercial for Cingular that made fun of his return from retirement.
Clemens released an early autobiography called Rocket Man: The Roger Clemens Story in 1987.
Roger Clemens's Family Life
Roger Clemens married Debra Lynn Godfrey on November 24, 1984. They have four sons: Koby Aaron, Kory Allen, Kacy Austin, and Kody Alec. All their sons' names start with "K" to honor Clemens's strikeouts, which are often shown as "K" on scoreboards.
Koby was a minor league baseball player. Kacy played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns. Kody also played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns. He made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers on May 31, 2022.
On February 27, 2006, Roger pitched in an exhibition game against his son Koby's minor league team. In his first turn at bat, Koby hit a home run off his father! In his next turn, Roger threw a pitch close to Koby. Koby laughed about it later.
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
- List of Boston Red Sox award winners
- List of Boston Red Sox team records
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders
- List of people from Dayton, Ohio
- List of Toronto Blue Jays team records
- List of University of Texas at Austin alumni
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
- Toronto Blue Jays award winners and league leaders
