This Day in New York Yankees History 6/13: Roger Clemens 300th Win & 4000th K

On this day in 2003 the Yankees Roger Clemens finally got his 300th victory of his career throwing 6.2 innings pitched in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The 40 year old Clemens would become only the 21st pitcher to ever win 300 games and the first since 1990. Clemens also got his 4,000th strikeout of his career joining Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136) as the only two members of the 4,000 strike out club.


Also on this day in 2001 the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Enrique Wilson and his .186 average to the Yankees for relief pitcher Damaso Marte and his 3-1 record and 2.50 ERA. The rest is history, although a right would be wronged in 2009.


Also on this day in 2001 in what should have started a fight the New York Yankees lost to the Montreal Expos in 12 innings after Mark Smith hit a "home run" that was clearly foul on replay. The Yankees would be forced to restore the missing screen on the bottom three feet of the fair side left field foul pole to keep this event from ever happening again. The section was originally removed so the fans sitting behind the pole would not have an obstructed view of the game.


Also on this day in 1994 Don Mattingly passed Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp for consecutive games played in a Yankees uniform. Mattingly played in 1,469 straight games and is only second to the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig and his 2,130 straight games.


Also on this day in 1957 another ugly brawl broke out when Art Ditmar threw a pitch behind Larry Doby's head. The White Sox infielder took exception to being thrown at and punched the Yankees pitcher Ditmar. Billy Martin, Walt Dropo, Bill Skowron, and Enos Slaughter were all in the middle of the fight.


Also on this day in 1948 the Yankees held Babe Ruth Day on the silver anniversary. Members of the 1923 team, his first team he played with in Yankee Stadium, and 49,641 fans sang Auld Lang Syne to Ruth. The #3 uniform was retired and immediately sent to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.


Also on this day in 1924 the Yankees outfielder Bob Meusel is hit by a pitch in the back by the Detroit Tigers Bert Cole and bedlam starts in the Bronx. The Yankees outfielder would throw his bat and charge the mound resulting in a nine inning brawl. The brawl included everyone from players, fans, and police and would see the Tigers forfeit the game 10-6 because the umpires could not clear the field after 30 minutes. Wow.


Finally on this day in 1921 Babe Ruth pitched the first five innings in a 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers for the first and only time this season. Ruth also hit two home runs in a season in which he broke his own major league record for home runs in a single season with 59. This would be the last time Ruth would pitch for the Yankees this season.

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/13: Roger Clemens 300th Win & 4000th K

On this day in 2003 the Yankees Roger Clemens finally got his 300th victory of his career throwing 6.2 innings pitched in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The 40 year old Clemens would become only the 21st pitcher to ever win 300 games and the first since 1990. Clemens also got his 4,000th strikeout of his career joining Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136) as the only two members of the 4,000 strike out club.


Also on this day in 2001 the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Enrique Wilson and his .186 average to the Yankees for relief pitcher Damaso Marte and his 3-1 record and 2.50 ERA. The rest is history, although a right would be wronged in 2009.


Also on this day in 2001 in what should have started a fight the New York Yankees lost to the Montreal Expos in 12 innings after Mark Smith hit a "home run" that was clearly foul on replay. The Yankees would be forced to restore the missing screen on the bottom three feet of the fair side left field foul pole to keep this event from ever happening again. The section was originally removed so the fans sitting behind the pole would not have an obstructed view of the game.


Also on this day in 1994 Don Mattingly passed Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp for consecutive games played in a Yankees uniform. Mattingly played in 1,469 straight games and is only second to the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig and his 2,130 straight games.


Also on this day in 1957 another ugly brawl broke out when Art Ditmar threw a pitch behind Larry Doby's head. The White Sox infielder took exception to being thrown at and punched the Yankees pitcher Ditmar. Billy Martin, Walt Dropo, Bill Skowron, and Enos Slaughter were all in the middle of the fight.


Also on this day in 1948 the Yankees held Babe Ruth Day on the silver anniversary. Members of the 1923 team, his first team he played with in Yankee Stadium, and 49,641 fans sang Auld Lang Syne to Ruth. The #3 uniform was retired and immediately sent to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.


Also on this day in 1924 the Yankees outfielder Bob Meusel is hit by a pitch in the back by the Detroit Tigers Bert Cole and bedlam starts in the Bronx. The Yankees outfielder would throw his bat and charge the mound resulting in a nine inning brawl. The brawl included everyone from players, fans, and police and would see the Tigers forfeit the game 10-6 because the umpires could not clear the field after 30 minutes. Wow.



Finally on this day in 1921 Babe Ruth pitched the first five innings in a 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers for the first and only time this season. Ruth also hit two home runs in a season in which he broke his own major league record for home runs in a single season with 59. This would be the last time Ruth would pitch for the Yankees this season.

Call me Crazy: What about Roger Clemens Day in 2016?

The New York Yankees have made it a habit of holding a day to honor their stars from past and present and have even seemingly made it a yearly thing in the Bronx. New York has held days for Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre and others in recent years as the team acknowledges and honors the “Core Four” and the “Dynasty Yankees” but the team has done little to honor the pitching staff that toed the line for many of those World Series Championships. I know this is going to be an unpopular decision, and call me crazy, but what about a Roger Clemens Day in 2016?

Before you click the little red “X” at the top of your browser hear me out a second. I didn’t say induct the guy into the Hall of Fame and I didn’t say retire the guy’s number inside Monument Park. All I’m saying is honor the guy for what he did in the Bronx with the Yankees. Clemens came to the Yankees before the 1999 season from the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal that sent David Wells, Homer Bush and Graeme Lloyd back to the Blue Jays and immediately won a pair of World Series with the team in 1999 and 2000.

Clemens enjoyed many accolades, milestones and achievements inside a Yankees uniform that in my opinion should be honored by the team in some capacity. Clemens set the ALCS record for strikeouts in a game against the Seattle Mariners in 2000 when he struck out 15 batters while he followed it up with his sixth Cy Young Award in 2001 with a 20-win season. Clemens also won his 300^th game inside a Yankees uniform and recorded his 4,000^th strikeout in the same game becoming the 21^st pitcher in MLB history to win 300 games and just the third ever (at the time) to record 4,000 strikeouts joining Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton and eventually Randy Johnson, now all Hall of Fame pitchers. Clemens also went on, after a short stint with the Houston Astros and retirement thrown in the middle, to win his 350^th game in a Yankees uniform including 83 wins inside of a Yankees uniform.

Clemens was no slouch in the postseason either posting a career 12-8 record in 34 starts with a 3.75 ERA, 173 strikeouts and a 3-0 World Series record with a 2.37 ERA. Clemens may have had his struggles with steroids, former trainers trying to ruin his image and tarnish his career and he may have even fallen short every year in the Hall of Fame voting but that doesn’t mean he is any less of a person. Clemens has since been cleared of any perjury charges and, for what it’s worth, never failed a steroid or drug test in his career. And lastly, before you mention how few years he pitched for the Yankees and before you bring up his recruitment of Andy Pettitte to the Astros I want you to go Wikipedia the name “Reggie Jackson.” Enough said.

Hey if the Cincinnati Reds can do it with Pete Rose then why can’t the Yankees, right?

Remembering Yankees of the Past: Roger Clemens

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.

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/13: Roger Clemens 300th Win & 4000th K

On this day in 2003 the Yankees Roger Clemens finally got his 300th victory of his career throwing 6.2 innings pitched in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The 40 year old Clemens would become only the 21st pitcher to ever win 300 games and the first since 1990. Clemens also got his 4,000th strikeout of his career joining Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136) as the only two members of the 4,000 strike out club.

Also on this day in 2001 the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Enrique Wilson and his .186 average to the Yankees for relief pitcher Damaso Marte and his 3-1 record and 2.50 ERA. The rest is history, although a right would be wronged in 2009.

Also on this day in 2001 in what should have started a fight the New York Yankees lost to the Montreal Expos in 12 innings after Mark Smith hit a "home run" that was clearly foul on replay. The Yankees would be forced to restore the missing screen on the bottom three feet of the fair side left field foul pole to keep this event from ever happening again.  The section was originally removed so the fans sitting behind the pole would not have an obstructed view of the game.

Also on this day in 1994 Don Mattingly passed Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp for consecutive games played in a Yankees uniform. Mattingly played in 1,469 straight games and is only second to the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig and his 2,130 straight games.

Also on this day in 1957 another ugly brawl broke out when Art Ditmar threw a pitch behind Larry Doby's head. The White Sox infielder took exception to being thrown at and punched the Yankees pitcher Ditmar. Billy Martin, Walt Dropo, Bill Skowron, and Enos Slaughter were all in the middle of the fight.

Also on this day in 1948 the Yankees held Babe Ruth Day on the silver anniversary. Members of the 1923 team, his first team he played with in Yankee Stadium, and 49,641 fans sang Auld Lang Syne to Ruth. The #3 uniform was retired and immediately sent to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.

Also on this day in 1924 the Yankees outfielder Bob Meusel is hit by a pitch in the back by the Detroit Tigers Bert Cole and bedlam starts in the Bronx. The Yankees outfielder would throw his bat and charge the mound resulting in a nine inning brawl. The brawl included everyone from players, fans, and police and would see the Tigers forfeit the game 10-6 because the umpires could not clear the field after 30 minutes. Wow.

Finally on this day in 1921 Babe Ruth pitched the first five innings in a 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers for the first and only time this season. Ruth also hit two home runs in a season in which he broke his own major league record for home runs in a single season with 59. This would be the last time Ruth would pitch for the Yankees this season.

Remembering Yankees of the Past: Roger Clemens

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 9^th 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 300^th game and achieved his 4,000^th 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 350^th 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. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/13

On this day in 1921 Babe Ruth pitched the first five innings in a 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers for the first and only time this season. Ruth also hit two home runs in a season in which he broke his own major league record for home runs in a single season with 59. This would be the last time Ruth would pitch for the Yankees this season.

On this day in 1948 the Yankees held Babe Ruth Day on the silver anniversary. Members of the 1923 team, his first team he played with in Yankee Stadium, and 49,641 fans sang Auld Lang Syne to Ruth. The #3 uniform was retired and immediately sent to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.

On this day in 1994 Don Mattingly passed Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp for consecutive games played in a Yankees uniform. Mattingly played in 1,469 straight games and is only second to the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig and his 2,130 straight games.

O
n this day in 2001 the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Enrique Wilson and his .186 average to the Yankees for relief pitcher Damaso Marte and his 3-1 record and 2.50 ERA. The rest is history, although a right would be wronged in 2009.

On this day in 2003 the Yankees Roger Clemens finally got his 300th victory of his career throwing 6.2 innings pitched in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The 40 year old Clemens would become only the 21st pitcher to ever win 300 games and the first since 1990. Clemens also got his 4,000th strikeout of his career joining Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton (4,136) as the only two members of the 4,000 strike out club.