Roger Clemens was brought up this morning in our daily “This
Day in Yankees History” post as he started the 2001 season with a 20-1 record
(or 20-01 record in 2001 if you want to be clever). Roger was an integral part
of the “Dynasty Years” in New York as he added a ferocity unmatched by any
pitcher in the game, also known as roid rage. Clemens spent the 1999-2003 and
the 2007 season with the Yankees after spending 1984-1996 with the Red Sox and
1997 and 1998 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Clemens also spent the
2004-2006 seasons down in Houston with Andy Pettitte and the Astros but we as
Yankee fans like to conveniently forget that. Today we will remember another
Yankee of the past, Mr. William Roger Clemens.
As we all remember vividly Clemens did not sign a contract
with the Boston Red Sox after the 1996 season even though he was reportedly
offered “by far the most money ever offered to a player in the history of the
Red Sox franchise.” General Manager Dan Duquette mentioned that Clemens was in
the “twilight” of his career when he left for Toronto and two pitching triple
crown’s and Cy Young Awards later the New York Yankees acquired Clemens before
the 1999 season for David Wells, Homer Bush, and Graeme Lloyd. Clemens
immediate impact was huge as he helped New York win the 1999 and 2000 World
Series before ultimately reaching the 2001 and 2003 World Series’ before losing
in both.
As we mentioned Clemens best season in pinstripes was by far
the 2001 season when he started 20-1 and finished the season 20-3 winning his
sixth Cy Young Award of his career. Clemens is the last New York Yankees
pitcher to win the Cy Young Award as it stands today. Clemens was on the mound
in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series where he out pitched Curt Schilling for six
innings before Mariano Rivera blew the save in the 9th inning to
give Arizona their first World Series Championship. Clemens would retire after
the 2003 campaign with the Yankees after a season in which Clemens won his 300th
game and achieved his 4,000th strikeout against the St. Louis
Cardinals in Yankee Stadium. Clemens “went out” on top after 2003 finishing
with a 17-9 record with a 3.91 ERA and a career 310-160 record with 4,099
strikeouts in his career.
As we all remember Clemens came out of his quick retirement
for the 2004 season to join his friend Andy Pettitte in Houston with the
Astros. While we could talk about him starting the All Star Game that season,
him winning his seventh Cy Young Award, his record breaking $18,000,022 in
salary arbitration for the 2005 season, his 1.87 ERA in 2005, his return to the
World Series in 2005, or him coming out of retirement for a second time in 2006
but this is YANKEES of the past, so we won’t.
Instead we will focus on Clemens unexpectedly showing up in the owner’s
box at Yankee Stadium on May 6, 2007 as he announced he was coming out of
retirement for a third time. Clemens would win his 350th game of his
career on July 2 against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. A hamstring
injury ended his 2007, and ultimately his career, prematurely in the Bronx.
Clemens finished the season with a 6-6 record with a 4.18 ERA and another loss
in the postseason for the Bronx Bombers.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)