Roger Clemens: I put the Hall of Fame in the rear-view mirror 10 years ago
from Adam Stites, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Roger Clemens won more Cy Young Awards during his career than any other player in MLB history, but he will not be a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. That became official Tuesday when, for the 10th consecutive year, Clemens didn’t receive the required votes to get into Cooperstown.
In a statement released Tuesday, Clemens said nothing about that decision bothers him.
“My family and I put the HOF in the rear view mirror ten years ago,” Clemens wrote, in part. “I didn’t play baseball to get into the HOF. I played to make a generational difference in the lives of my family. Then focus on winning championships while giving back to my community and the fans as well. It was my passion. I gave it all I had, the right way, for my family and for the fans who supported me.”
Clemens, 59, racked up 4,672 strikeouts and 354 wins during his career, third and ninth all-time, respectively. He earned seven Cy Young Awards during a career that included stints with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.
But Clemens was accused several times of using performance-enhancing drugs and even appeared before a Congressional committee to address the allegations. He denied ever using PEDs and was later charged with, and acquitted, of perjury.
Both Clemens and legendary San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds were left out of the Hall of Fame due to allegations of performance-enhancing drugs.