Roger Clemens had a Hall-of-Fame worthy career that is somewhat marred by his alleged used of performance-enhancing drugs.
But controversy aside, he still had an amazing career from 1984-2007, pitching for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and the Yankees again to finish things off.
Over 24 big-league seasons, “The Rocket” went 354-184 with a 3.12 lifetime ERA.
36 years ago to the day, Clemens and his Red Sox teammates accomplished something pretty impressive.
The Red Sox ace recorded the first ever 20-strikeout game in Major League Baseball history.
Clemens tweeted in remembrance of his special day, including a picture of the balls he used to record each strikeout.
36 years ago, my @RedSox teammates & I recorded the first 20-strikeout game in @MLB. Thx to my teammates & #RedSoxNation where I was fortunate to perform for 13 yrs! Hat tip @Mariners for sending me game-used items.
Thx @CostacosCollect for collaborating on this piece! pic.twitter.com/dipIIijzSw
— Roger Clemens (@rogerclemens) April 29, 2022
The Rocket
No matter how you look at it, Clemens had an amazing career.
That’s something that shouldn’t be forgotten, even in the midst of PED allegations.
20 strikeouts in a single game is an impressive feat.
The Rocket had electric stuff that could blow hitters away in an instant.
Clemens was truly something else, regardless of what viewpoint you have on his situation with the potential use of PEDs.
He was a fierce competitor who always left it all out on the field.
He could go deep into games and dominate his opponents on any given day.
Few pitchers have come to rival his competitive spirit from his long and storied career.
Perhaps Max Scherzer comes the closest to matching that fiery spirit that Clemens carried with him every time he took the mound.
But to this day, Clemens’ 20-strikeout performance lives on in Red Sox history.
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