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Roger Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards and pitched for New York Yankees teams that won back-to-back World Series titles. But Clemens’ career was ultimately defined by baseball’s steroid era.
Clemens last pitched in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game in 2007 during his second stint with the Yankees. In 2008, he became embroiled in a federal investigation into the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by several prominent major league players.
Clemens testified before Congress that he had not taken PEDs and was acquitted of the federal charge of lying to Congress. Clemens is now one of eight nominees to the Baseball Hall of Fame selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee.
President Donald Trump has made it clear he thinks Clemens should be in Cooperstown.
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President Donald Trump arrives at Yankee Stadium for a game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers on September 11. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
On the eve of announcing the new list of inductees, Trump took to Truth Social to effectively dismiss accusations regarding Clemens’ past steroid use. “The only reason he is not (in the Hall of Fame) is because of rumors and innuendo, which have not been proven,” Trump wrote.
Trump also pointed to Clemens’ nickname, “The Rocket,” saying that “he earned ‘that nickname’ very early in his career because of his blazing fastball, was just as dominant before these erroneous allegations were made against him. I sincerely hope the committee uses its best judgment (Roger’s opponents have never proven anything against him, and he has perhaps the best pitching record, all things considered, in the history of baseball!), and the commissioner of baseball has the strength, wisdom and power to do the right thing, and enshrine Roger Clemens in the Baseball Hall of Fame, IMMEDIATELY!
Roger Clemens thanks Trump for supporting Baseball Hall of Fame, responds to criticism
Neither the MLB commissioner’s office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment from PK Press Club Digital.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee considers retired players whose eligibility to come to Cooperstown via a majority vote of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) has expired. The Writers Association is responsible for selecting recently retired players.
Roger Clemens throws a pitch during Game 2 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, October 22, 2000. (Robert Deutsch Network/USA TODAY/USA TODAY)
Clemens’ last chance to be put on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot was in 2022; that year he received just over 65% of the vote. Players must receive at least 75% of the vote to be enrolled in Cooperstown.
Power outfielder Barry Bonds, whose storied career was also marred by accusations of PED use, is being examined by the committee this year. Bonds also avoided criminal charges in a steroids investigation. He has previously stated that he has never knowingly used banned substances.
Former Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens throws a ball before the game between the Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park on August 2, 2024, in Houston. (Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports)
Clemens and Bonds were two of the highest-profile names listed in the Mitchell Report in 2007.
The report was authored by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, Republican of Maine, who led a month-long investigation into suspected use of human growth hormone and anabolic steroids.
Trump has previously expressed support for Clemens’ Hall of Fame hopes. After Trump wrote in a social media post that there was “no evidence” the retired pitcher used steroids, Clemens thanked the president for his support.
“I appreciate the love! DT knows better than anyone the fake news going around,” Clemens wrote on X in August. “Everyone has their own agendas…I played the game to change the direction of my family from one generation to the next and WIN! »
