What happened to controversial MLB Star Roger Clemens?

Simply put, Roger Clemens is one of the most accomplished pitchers in baseball history. His presence on the mound, coupled with his overpowering fastball made hitters sigh at the thought of facing him. Despite his remarkable career, Clemens’ resume has some black marks on it that make him a controversial figure.

Clemens’ story starts in 1962, as he was born in Dayton, Ohio. He never really knew his biological father, and his mother did her best to provide for her children. The future MLB star spent the early part of his childhood growing up in Ohio, before the family moved to Texas. It was there that Clemens’ right arm began to draw the attention of baseball scouts.

He was an immediate force for Spring Woods High School, and many were interested in bringing Clemens in for a workout. He was actually selected in the 12^th round of the 1981 MLB Draft by the New York Mets, but the high schooler felt like he wasn’t quite ready for the big leagues. The University of Texas would convince Clemens to attend their school for two seasons.

The Boston Red Sox would take Clemens in the first round of the 1983 Draft, and the Longhorn pitcher would start his professional career shortly thereafter. It didn’t take long for him to become one of the best pitchers in baseball. In 1986, Clemens became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to win an MVP and Cy Young award in the same season.

The Red Sox felt that Clemens was not going to maintain his superb performance heading into his age 34 season, which opened the door for the Toronto Blue Jays to acquire him. Boston was wrong in their evaluation, as Clements would win Cy Young awards in the following two seasons for their American League East rivals.

Clemens’ list of individual accolades was comparable to any pitcher in MLB history, but he had not yet won a World Series. He joined the New York Yankees in the 1999 season, hoping to check that box. The franchise won it all that year and again in 2000, giving Clemens two rings for his storied career.

Clemens would spend five years playing for the Yankees, and one more at the tail end of his career. He spent his age 41-43 seasons back in Texas with the Houston Astros, who made the World Series in 2005 with his notable contributions. Clemens would win his seventh and final Cy Young award in 2004 with Houston.

Despite his achievements, Clemens has had some less than endearing moments. One of those came in the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets. Mets catcher Mike Piazza’s bat shattered towards Clemens after a foul ball, and the pitcher fired the large shard of the bat back at Piazza. This was after Clemens had hit Piazza in the head area with a pitch in the summer of 2000.

Clemens’ former personal trainer Brian McNamee testified that he personally injected the pitcher with steroids and human growth hormone while he pitched for the Blue Jays and the Yankees. The striking detail with which McNamee described his interaction with Clemens smeared his image, and Clemens’ inconsistent testimony helped give those allegations some perceived credence.

Because of his presumed steroid use, Clemens has not yet been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite accomplishing what few pitchers ever have in baseball history. The belief that he cheated to enhance his level of performance during the twilight of his career is something that the baseball writers have yet to forgive him for.

Despite the controversy that continues to embroil Roger Clemens each time a Hall of Fame vote is cast, he can still watch MLB proudly as his son participates. Kody Clemens appeared in 47 regular season games for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2023 season. He hit four home runs in 47 games for the team.