Biographical

Roger Clemens PRed Sox

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Career Summary

Years	G	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	WARP
25	709	4916.7	354	184	0	3.12	143.7

Birth Date	8-4-1962
Height	6' 4"
Weight	235 lbs

Age	61 years, 8 months, 22 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	G	GS	IP	W	L	H	BB	SO	HR	PPF	H/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/9	GB%	BABIP	WHIP	FIP	ERA	cFIP	DRA	DRA-	WARP
1984	BOS	MLB	21	20	133.3	9	4	146	29	126	13	105	9.9	2.0	0.9	8.5	0%	.328	1.31	2.82	4.32	72	3.02	70.7	3.2
1985	BOS	MLB	15	15	98.3	7	5	83	37	74	5	103	7.6	3.4	0.5	6.8	0%	.271	1.22	3.11	3.29	89	3.81	87.5	1.7
1986	BOS	MLB	33	33	254.0	24	4	179	67	238	21	101	6.3	2.4	0.7	8.4	0%	.237	0.97	2.82	2.48	77	2.75	62.0	7.6
1987	BOS	MLB	36	36	281.7	20	9	248	83	256	19	103	7.9	2.7	0.6	8.2	0%	.290	1.18	2.90	2.97	75	3.23	67.8	7.9
1988	BOS	MLB	35	35	264.0	18	12	217	62	291	17	104	7.4	2.1	0.6	9.9	0%	.291	1.06	2.22	2.93	61	2.30	55.4	8.6
1989	BOS	MLB	35	35	253.3	17	11	215	93	230	20	107	7.6	3.3	0.7	8.2	0%	.281	1.22	3.25	3.13	80	3.17	76.3	5.7
1990	BOS	MLB	31	31	228.3	21	6	193	54	209	7	106	7.6	2.1	0.3	8.2	0%	.289	1.08	2.17	1.93	60	2.42	56.3	7.5
1991	BOS	MLB	35	35	271.3	18	10	219	65	241	15	106	7.3	2.2	0.5	8.0	0%	.272	1.05	2.62	2.62	73	2.65	61.2	8.3
1992	BOS	MLB	32	32	246.7	18	11	203	62	208	11	103	7.4	2.3	0.4	7.6	0%	.275	1.07	2.54	2.41	69	2.56	62.0	7.2
1993	BOS	MLB	29	29	191.7	11	14	175	67	160	17	104	8.2	3.1	0.8	7.5	0%	.286	1.26	3.69	4.46	83	3.64	78.5	4.2
1994	BOS	MLB	24	24	170.7	9	7	124	71	168	15	103	6.5	3.7	0.8	8.9	0%	.251	1.14	3.68	2.85	81	3.03	61.2	5.3
1995	BOS	MLB	23	23	140.0	10	5	141	60	132	15	103	9.1	3.9	1.0	8.5	0%	.313	1.44	4.23	4.18	90	3.94	80.7	2.9
1996	BOS	MLB	34	34	242.7	10	13	216	106	257	19	104	8.0	3.9	0.7	9.5	0%	.305	1.33	3.50	3.63	80	3.77	74.4	6.0
1997	TOR	MLB	34	34	264.0	21	7	204	68	292	9	95	7.0	2.3	0.3	10.0	0%	.294	1.03	2.28	2.05	63	2.35	48.8	10.1
1998	TOR	MLB	33	33	234.7	20	6	169	88	271	11	92	6.5	3.4	0.4	10.4	0%	.271	1.10	2.73	2.65	65	2.35	48.7	9.1
1999	NYA	MLB	30	30	187.7	14	10	185	90	163	20	96	8.9	4.3	1.0	7.8	0%	.306	1.47	4.42	4.60	93	4.08	79.4	4.4
2000	NYA	MLB	32	32	204.3	13	8	184	84	188	26	84	8.1	3.7	1.1	8.3	0%	.277	1.31	4.41	3.70	90	3.58	68.8	5.9
2001	NYA	MLB	33	33	220.3	20	3	205	72	213	19	95	8.4	2.9	0.8	8.7	0%	.305	1.26	3.33	3.51	78	3.07	63.7	6.6
2002	NYA	MLB	29	29	180.0	13	6	172	63	192	18	96	8.6	3.2	0.9	9.6	0%	.316	1.31	3.39	4.35	73	2.67	57.2	5.9
2003	NYA	MLB	33	33	211.7	17	9	199	58	190	24	98	8.5	2.5	1.0	8.1	0%	.291	1.21	3.66	3.91	81	3.03	63.5	6.3
2004	HOU	MLB	33	33	214.3	18	4	169	79	218	15	95	7.1	3.3	0.6	9.2	0%	.275	1.16	3.01	2.98	74	2.78	57.4	7.1
2005	HOU	MLB	32	32	211.3	13	8	151	62	185	11	98	6.4	2.6	0.5	7.9	0%	.243	1.01	2.83	1.87	76	2.48	53.4	7.2
2006	HOU	MLB	19	19	113.3	7	6	89	29	102	7	95	7.1	2.3	0.6	8.1	0%	.265	1.04	2.98	2.30	79	2.89	58.9	3.6
2007	NYA	MLB	18	17	99.0	6	6	99	31	68	9	104	9.0	2.8	0.8	6.2	0%	.293	1.31	4.20	4.18	99	4.39	90.7	1.4
Career		MLB	709	707	4916.7	354	184	4185	1580	4672	363	100	7.7	2.9	0.7	8.6	49%	.284	1.17	3.12	3.12	76	3.00	64.4	143.7

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	GS	IP	W	L	H	BB	SO	HR	PPF	H/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/9	GB%	BABIP	WHIP	FIP	ERA	cFIP	DRA	DRA-
1983	WHV	A+	FSL	4	4	29.0	3	1	22	0	36	0		6.8	0.0	0.0	11.2	0%	.000	0.76	0.46	1.24	0	0.00	0.0
1983	NBR	AA	EAS	7	7	52.0	4	1	31	12	59	1		5.4	2.1	0.2	10.2	0%	.000	0.83	1.27	1.38	0	0.00	0.0
1984	BOS	MLB	AL	21	20	133.3	9	4	146	29	126	13	105	9.9	2.0	0.9	8.5	0%	.328	1.31	2.82	4.32	72	3.02	70.7
1984	PAW	AAA	INT	7	6	46.7	2	3	39	14	50	3		7.5	2.7	0.6	9.6	0%	.000	1.13	2.35	1.93	0	0.00	0.0
1985	BOS	MLB	AL	15	15	98.3	7	5	83	37	74	5	103	7.6	3.4	0.5	6.8	0%	.271	1.22	3.11	3.29	89	3.81	87.5
1986	BOS	MLB	AL	33	33	254.0	24	4	179	67	238	21	101	6.3	2.4	0.7	8.4	0%	.237	0.97	2.82	2.48	77	2.75	62.0
1987	BOS	MLB	AL	36	36	281.7	20	9	248	83	256	19	103	7.9	2.7	0.6	8.2	0%	.290	1.18	2.90	2.97	75	3.23	67.8
1988	BOS	MLB	AL	35	35	264.0	18	12	217	62	291	17	104	7.4	2.1	0.6	9.9	0%	.291	1.06	2.22	2.93	61	2.30	55.4
1989	BOS	MLB	AL	35	35	253.3	17	11	215	93	230	20	107	7.6	3.3	0.7	8.2	0%	.281	1.22	3.25	3.13	80	3.17	76.3
1990	BOS	MLB	AL	31	31	228.3	21	6	193	54	209	7	106	7.6	2.1	0.3	8.2	0%	.289	1.08	2.17	1.93	60	2.42	56.3
1991	BOS	MLB	AL	35	35	271.3	18	10	219	65	241	15	106	7.3	2.2	0.5	8.0	0%	.272	1.05	2.62	2.62	73	2.65	61.2
1992	BOS	MLB	AL	32	32	246.7	18	11	203	62	208	11	103	7.4	2.3	0.4	7.6	0%	.275	1.07	2.54	2.41	69	2.56	62.0
1993	BOS	MLB	AL	29	29	191.7	11	14	175	67	160	17	104	8.2	3.1	0.8	7.5	0%	.286	1.26	3.69	4.46	83	3.64	78.5
1993	PAW	AAA	INT	1	1	3.7	0	0	1	4	8	0		2.4	9.7	0.0	19.5	0%	.000	1.35	2.11	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
1994	BOS	MLB	AL	24	24	170.7	9	7	124	71	168	15	103	6.5	3.7	0.8	8.9	0%	.251	1.14	3.68	2.85	81	3.03	61.2
1995	BOS	MLB	AL	23	23	140.0	10	5	141	60	132	15	103	9.1	3.9	1.0	8.5	0%	.313	1.44	4.23	4.18	90	3.94	80.7
1995	SAR	A+	FSL	1	1	4.0	0	0	0	2	7	0		0.0	4.5	0.0	15.8	0%	.000	0.50	1.11	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
1995	PAW	AAA	INT	1	1	5.0	0	0	1	3	5	0		1.8	5.4	0.0	9.0	0%	.000	0.80	2.99	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
1996	BOS	MLB	AL	34	34	242.7	10	13	216	106	257	19	104	8.0	3.9	0.7	9.5	0%	.305	1.33	3.50	3.63	80	3.77	74.4
1997	TOR	MLB	AL	34	34	264.0	21	7	204	68	292	9	95	7.0	2.3	0.3	10.0	0%	.294	1.03	2.28	2.05	63	2.35	48.8
1998	TOR	MLB	AL	33	33	234.7	20	6	169	88	271	11	92	6.5	3.4	0.4	10.4	0%	.271	1.10	2.73	2.65	65	2.35	48.7
1999	NYA	MLB	AL	30	30	187.7	14	10	185	90	163	20	96	8.9	4.3	1.0	7.8	0%	.306	1.47	4.42	4.60	93	4.08	79.4
2000	NYA	MLB	AL	32	32	204.3	13	8	184	84	188	26	84	8.1	3.7	1.1	8.3	0%	.277	1.31	4.41	3.70	90	3.58	68.8
2001	NYA	MLB	AL	33	33	220.3	20	3	205	72	213	19	95	8.4	2.9	0.8	8.7	0%	.305	1.26	3.33	3.51	78	3.07	63.7
2002	NYA	MLB	AL	29	29	180.0	13	6	172	63	192	18	96	8.6	3.2	0.9	9.6	0%	.316	1.31	3.39	4.35	73	2.67	57.2
2002	TAM	A+	FSL	1	1	5.0	1	0	5	2	6	1		9.0	3.6	1.8	10.8	0%	.333	1.40	4.57	5.40	0	0.00	0.0
2002	NRW	AA	EAS	1	1	7.0	0	1	5	0	7	0		6.4	0.0	0.0	9.0	0%	.263	0.71	1.18	1.29	0	0.00	0.0
2003	NYA	MLB	AL	33	33	211.7	17	9	199	58	190	24	98	8.5	2.5	1.0	8.1	0%	.291	1.21	3.66	3.91	81	3.03	63.5
2004	HOU	MLB	NL	33	33	214.3	18	4	169	79	218	15	95	7.1	3.3	0.6	9.2	0%	.275	1.16	3.01	2.98	74	2.78	57.4
2005	HOU	MLB	NL	32	32	211.3	13	8	151	62	185	11	98	6.4	2.6	0.5	7.9	0%	.243	1.01	2.83	1.87	76	2.48	53.4
2006	HOU	MLB	NL	19	19	113.3	7	6	89	29	102	7	95	7.1	2.3	0.6	8.1	0%	.265	1.04	2.98	2.30	79	2.89	58.9
2006	LEX	A	SAL	1	1	3.1	0	0	3	0	6	1	91	8.7	0.0	2.9	17.4	0%	.400	0.97	4.59	2.90	60	2.79	58.6
2006	CCH	AA	TXS	1	1	6.1	1	0	2	0	11	0		3.0	0.0	0.0	16.2	0%	.250	0.33	-0.34	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
2006	ROU	AAA	PCL	1	1	5.1	1	0	5	3	5	0	87	8.8	5.3	0.0	8.8	0%	.294	1.57	3.14	5.29	88	3.15	66.2
2006	USA	wor	WBC	2	2	8.0	1	1	7	0	10	0		7.9	0.0	0.0	11.3	0%	.318	0.88	1.63	2.25	0	0.00	0.0
2007	NYA	MLB	AL	18	17	99.0	6	6	99	31	68	9	104	9.0	2.8	0.8	6.2	0%	.293	1.31	4.20	4.18	99	4.39	90.7
2007	TAM	A+	FSL	1	1	4.0	0	0	3	0	2	1	101	6.8	0.0	2.3	4.5	0%	.167	0.75	5.55	2.25	107	3.55	72.9
2007	TRN	AA	EAS	1	1	5.3	0	0	6	4	5	0	81	10.2	6.8	0.0	8.5	0%	.353	1.89	4.20	5.09	101	5.78	118.6
2007	SWB	AAA	INT	1	1	6.0	1	0	2	2	6	0	91	3.0	3.0	0.0	9.0	0%	.143	0.67	2.17	0.00	83	2.80	57.5

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2007-09-17	2007-10-03	DTD	16	13	-	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2007-09-04	2007-09-16	DTD	12	10	Right	Elbow	Sprain	Ulnar Collateral Ligament	-	-
2006-09-05	2006-09-15	DTD	10	7	Right	Groin	Strain		-	-
2005-10-23	2005-10-27	DTD	4	0	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2005-09-20	2005-10-01	DTD	11	10	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2005-09-04	2005-09-09	DTD	5	4	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2005-08-13	2005-08-13	DTD	0	0	-	Low Back	Soreness		-
2005-08-07	2005-08-07	DTD	0	0	-	Low Back	Soreness		-
2005-07-28	2005-08-02	DTD	5	4	-	Low Back	Spasms		-	-
2005-05-31	2005-06-05	DTD	5	4	Right	Groin	Strain		-	-
2005-04-18	2005-04-18	DTD	0	0	Right	Wrist	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
2005-04-02	2005-04-02	Camp	0	0	Left	Wrist	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
2005-03-20	2005-03-29	Camp	9	0	Right	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2004-08-19	2004-08-23	DTD	4	4	Right	Thigh	Strain	Calf	-	-
2004-07-06	2004-07-10	DTD	4	4	Right	Knee	Soreness		-	-
2004-05-23	2004-05-28	DTD	5	4	-	Ankle	Contusion		-	-
2003-06-13	2003-06-13	DTD	0	0	-	General Medical	Illness	Upper Respiratory Infection	-	-
2003-05-22	2003-05-26	DTD	4	4	Right	Hand	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
2002-09-21	2002-09-25	DTD	4	4	Left	Lower Leg	Contusion	Shin By Batted Ball	-	-
2002-07-13	2002-08-07	15-DL	25	22	Right	Groin	Stiffness		-
2002-07-03	2002-07-12	DTD	9	6	Right	Lower Leg	Cramp		-	-
2002-06-21	2002-06-26	DTD	5	4	Right	Forearm	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
2002-06-15	2002-06-15	DTD	0	0	Right	Foot	Contusion		-	-
2002-04-02	2002-04-07	DTD	5	4	Right	Hand	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
2002-03-12	2002-03-17	Camp	5	0	Right	Foot	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
2001-10-11	2001-10-15	DTD	4	0	-	Thigh	Soreness	Hamstring	-	-
2001-07-29	2001-08-04	DTD	6	5	Right	Groin	Strain		-	-
2001-06-03	2001-06-07	DTD	4	4	-	Thigh	Soreness	Hamstring	-	-
2001-04-03	2001-04-08	DTD	5	4	Right	Wrist	Soreness		-	-
2000-09-24	2000-09-28	DTD	4	4	Right	Thigh	Contusion	Hamstring Batted Ball	-	-
2000-07-25	2000-07-29	DTD	4	4	Left	Thigh	Cramp	Quadriceps	-	-
2000-06-15	2000-07-02	15-DL	17	16	Right	Groin	Strain		-	-
2000-04-24	2000-04-24	DTD	0	0	-	Low Back	Soreness		-	-
1999-04-28	1999-05-22	15-DL	24	21	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
1998-09-16	1998-09-16	DTD	0	0	Right	Hand	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
1998-05-07	1998-05-07	DTD	0	0	Right	Foot	Contusion	Batted Ball	-	-
1998-04-08	1998-04-17	DTD	9	8	-	Groin	Strain		-	-
1997-04-10	1997-04-19	DTD	9	7	-	Groin	Strain		-	-
1995-04-26	1995-06-02	15-DL	37	31	Right	Shoulder	Strain		-	-
1993-06-19	1993-07-16	15-DL	27	22	Right	Groin	Strain		-	-
1985-08-12	1985-10-07		56	53	Right	Shoulder	Surgery	Small Labrum Tear	1985-08-30	-
1985-07-03	1985-08-03	15-DL	31	28	Right	Shoulder	Cartilage Injury	Small Labrum Tear	-	-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2005	HOU	$18,000,000
2004	HOU	$5,000,000
2003	NYA	$10,100,000
2002	NYA	$10,300,000
2001	NYA	$10,300,000
2000	NYA	$6,350,000

Years	Description	Salary
6 yr	Previous	$60,050,000
6 yr	Total	$60,050,000

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
23 y 14 d	Hendricks Sports Mgmt

Details

1 year/$28,000,022 (2007). Signed by NY Yankees as a free agent 5/6/07 (minor-league contract). To receive pro-rated portion of major-league salary after joining Yankees 6/9/07 (about $17.4M). Contract purchased 6/9/07.
1 year/$22,000,022 (2006). Re-signed as free agent 5/06 (1 year/$0.322M minor-league deal). Contract purchased by Houston 6/06. Received pro-rated portion of major-league salary ($12,262,294) after re-joining Astros 6/22/06.
1 year/$18M (2005). Re-signed by Houston 1/05 (avoided arbitration, $22M-$13.5M). Complete no-trade clause. $3M assignment bonus if Clemens waives no-trade clause.
1 year/$5M (2004). Signed by Houston as a free agent 1/04 (out of retirement). $3.5M of 2004 salary deferred for 2 years. Bonuses: ($25,000 All Star, $1.4M attendance). 10-year personal-services contract with Houston after retirement.
1 year/$10.1M (2003) (NY Yankees) (all deferred to 2004-2014). $8.1M present value at signing - paid as follows: 04:$0.6M, 05:$0.7M, 06:$0.9M, 07-12:$0.95M/year, 13-14:$1.1M/year. "Declined" 2003 player option, receiving $10.3M buyout.
2 years/$30.9M (2001-02), plus 2003 option. Signed extension with NY Yankees 8/00. $5M bonus (paid 2001-02). 01:$7.8M, 02:$7.8M, 03:$10.3M player option ($10.3M buyout), 04:$7.2M club option.
3 years/$24.75M (1997-99), plus $8.1M 2000 club option. Signed by Toronto as a free agent. $2M signing bonus. 97:$5.5M, 98:$7.5M, 99:$8M, 00:$8.1M option ($1.75M buyout). Acquired by NY Yankees in trade (from Toronto) 2/99. Side agreement (later invalidated by MLB) gave Clemens: a) right to request a trade, b) right to approve team to which he is traded, c) right to request trade to Houston after any season during the life of the contract.
4 years/$21.521M (1992-95), plus 1996 option Signed extension with Boston 2/91. $0.621M signing bonus. 92:$4.4M, 93:$4.5M, 94:$5M, 95:$5.5M. 1996 option ($1.5M buyout): $5.5M club option if exercised before '93 season. $5.8M club option if exercised before '94 season. $6M player option with 220 IP in '94 or '95, OR 1st, 2nd or 3rd in '94 or '95 Cy Young vote. First player to receive $5M/year. Boston exercised $5.5M 1996 club option 3/93.
3 years/$7.5M (1989-1991). Re-signed by Boston 2/89 (avoided arbitration, $2.36M-$1.9M). $0.3M signing bonus. 89:$2.2M, 90:$2.5M, 91:$2.5M. Award bonuses: $0.1M each for Cy Young, MVP & WS MVP. $50,000 for LCS MVP.
2 years/$2M (1987-88), plus bonuses. 87:$0.65M, 88:$1.35M. Signed 4/87, replacing 1 year/$0.4M contract for 1987 (Boston had unilaterally renewed Clemens' contract when he walked out of training camp).
1 year/$0.22M (1986), plus $0.12M in bonuses.
1 year/$0.14M (1985).
Drafted by Boston 1983 (1-19). $121,000 signing bonus. Drafted by NY Mets 1981 (12-288) (did not sign).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	W	L	SV	G	GS	IP	H	BB	SO	HR	BABIP	WHIP	ERA	DRA	VORP	WARP
Weighted Mean	?	?	?	?	?	0.0	?	0	0	?	.000	0.00	0.00	?	0.0	0.0

BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2019-02-05 17:00:00 (link to chat)	If today's Roger Clemens were to pitch to today's Barry Bonds for 600 PA, what would their head to head stats look like? (Bo Dingus from KCK)	Now this is a fun question. Bonds and Clemens rarely faced each other in their ML careers--the sample size is too small to be helpful there. Clemens is 2 years older, which probably wouldn't have made a major difference during their careers, but now that they are well into their 50s, might be a bigger factor. I think I'd give Bonds the advantage because Clemens would struggle to consistently hit the strike zone (and Bonds wouldn't bite on out of the zone pitches), but any such matchup would be a real mess. What do you guys think? (Rob Arthur)
2016-03-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)	As a scout what are the top 5 things that you look for? (Matt from Albuquerque)	This is a great question, though it has a lot of nuance to it. It's probably best for a podcast. However, I didn't want to let it go. Let's simplify it: 'what are you looking for in a PITCHING prospect.' I'm always hoping that a prospect can be a starting pitcher. The types of relievers that I'll look at currently at the amateur level are almost always from the college ranks. It's bad business to pick high school relievers. So let's presume we're looking for a starting pitcher. In order for that to happen, I will look first at: 1. Body Type--does this guy have the durability to maintain his stuff and delivery every fifth day? Throughout a season? Throughout an outing? 2. Delivery--Does the delivery add or subtract from the aforementioned durability? Is it low-effort? Does it have injury red flags? Does it allow control and command--especially with non-fastballs? 3. Ability to throw secondary pitches for strikes--This is CRITICAL for me to really like a guy as a starter. At the MLB level, you have to (have to have to have to) be able to alter your sequences to big league hitters the second and third times through a lineup. Regardless of how hard you throw, one of the first scouts who really took me under their wing when I was 19 once told me: 'Big league hitters could time a bullet if they saw a gun shot over the heart of the plate enough times.' That stuck with me. You can't just be a fastball guy and expect to have top-rotation success at the big league level, ESPECIALLY as a right-handed starter. 4. Velocity--It isn't that it's not important, but I do think it's LESS important than feel to pitch, change speeds, and move different pitches around the zone. I will say that this order (control of secondaries ahead of velocity) is more for a STARTING pitcher than a reliever. If you're a reliever, part of the reason why is you don't have to face hitters more than once. As such, you CAN go at them aggressively with raw arm-strength. Not so much so if you're a starter and you want to make it past the 6th every fifth day. 5. Competitive fire--Yeah, this is a little 'scouty' of me. I know. I know. However, I'm a DC native and I've seen Stephen Strasburg for years. I think Stephen Strasburg is more TALENTED than almost any pitcher in baseball. However, you know why I think he's more of a first-division #2 starter than at true #1 ace on any team? That fire isn't there. There is VERY limited difference in terms of stuff and execution between a #1 and a #2 these days. Both of those ceilings immediately make you a tippy-top prospect everywhere you go. However, I really think the difference, therefore, lies much more in the ability to really go out there to BEAT the other club singlehandedly. Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Bob Gibson--these guys went out there to beat your ass like it was a 0-0 ballgame, regardless of score. A true #1 starter has an attribute that can't be quantified. (Adam McInturff)
2014-05-02 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Alex Meyer is crediting a new changeup grip that he's added since Opening Day with the recent improvement in his fortunes. (In his last two starts he's got 22K in 12.1 IP and he's throwing the change quite a bit.) How often is a simple alteration that effective this suddenly? (Cris E from St Paul, MN)	Major changes to stuff can make a huge difference in short order, especially when it comes to off-speed stuff. Meyer has an 8 fastball, a plus slider, and unfair biological advantages - tack on a change-up that batters struggle to identify from his deep release point and you have the recipe for a high-impact pitcher. Elite pitchers do this at the big-league level, as well, especially to compensate for deteriorating velocity. Roger Clemens went from a FB-CB guy in his 20's to a FB-Split guy in his late 30's and 40's, King Felix has developed the CH to be his most lethal weapon, etc. For Meyer, the change greatly elevates his already vaulted ceiling as a prospect. On the jukebox: Van Halen, "You Really Got Me" (Doug Thorburn)
2014-02-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)	How much of pitching is genetics vs hard work and good training? If the top pitching coaches from around the league coached a bunch of determined but otherwise very average joes, how many of them would make the majors? (Rags from Brooklyn)	Genetics certainly matter, but to be elite requires tons of hard work and appropriate training. The best pitchers of all time were obsessive about improvement through hard work and proper training, from Nolan Ryan to Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson. The second question is impossible to answer without context. (Doug Thorburn)
2013-10-11 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What would an 8 eephus pitch look like? More seriously, does it make sense for OFP to be an average of the pitch grades when some pitches will be much more important to a pitcher's success than others? (justarobert from Santa Clara)	You bring up an excellent point, justarobert. I believe that OFP goes much deeper than an average of the pitch grades, and the way that the elements of a pitcher's repertoire complements the rest of the arsenal is a critical consideration. It is also essential to consider that a pitcher's stuff changes over time, both in terms of quality and variation, yet it is very difficult to capture this when doing an OFP grade. Roger Clemens is a great example - he was a fastball-curveball guy who threw over the top in his 20's, but he morphed into a FB-splitter guy with excellent balance and posture later in his career. Both the curve and the splitter deserved plus-plus grades, and the fastball was always elite, but few would have predicted that he would make such a major alteration to his pitch selection. On the jukebox: Lagwagon, "Dis' Chords" (Doug Thorburn)
2012-11-29 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Thanks for the chat, Dan! Mark Buehrle's comments have cast a light on the practice of unwritten agreements between players and teams. My sense is that, unlike in Buehrle's case, these are fairly common and generally are followed by both sides (Roger Clemens' handshake extension with the Yankees comes to mind). Is that right and, if so, can you comment on what you would view as legitimate (and illegitimate) reasons for making such agreements? (edwardarthur from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois)	Edwardarthur, good question. First off, I have Known Mark since he was drafted by the White Sox, as we were both in that organization together at the time. He is an absolute winner, one of the best teammates I have ever been around. When negotiating a contract, a lot of stuff is said, all of it on the record between the two parties. There are contract clauses that can be included if you feel strongly about an item. Every club has its own concepts about they will and will. It do, but every player can also talk to every team. Ultimately, everybody has to decide what is the best overall deal. I was taught that anything you say you'll do, you better be really sure that you back it up. Tough situation for both sides there. (Dan Evans)
2012-11-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey Ben, I'm not sure if you noticed but the Hall of Fame ballot this year includes names such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Mark McGwire. We hear a lot about should they be in the hall of fame or not, what do you think the writers will do? (Steve G. from Athens, OH)	They're going to vote Bonds and Clemens in eventually, I think--it's much harder to justify an argument that they wouldn't have been Hall of Famers without steroids than it is for Sosa and McGwire, and the Hall is going to have to have the best players ever in it if it wants people to pay to get in. But as that guy in Gladiator says, "Not yet...not yet." (Ben Lindbergh)
2012-08-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Your thoughts on the Roger Clemens, uh, return...story...stunt...fiasco...thing? (Ashitaka1110 from Houston, TX)	Again, I wrote about Clemens today at BP.com. It was at the top of the page, with Clemens' picture setting up the story. I'm starting to get concerned about the people in this chat. (Jason Parks)
2012-06-29 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who are the best pitcher and non-pitcher not currently in the Hall of Fame? And if you could kick out one player, who would it be? (oira79 from san francisco)	As of the 2013 ballot, which will be released this fall, the answers are America's most wanted couple, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. They'll retain those titles until the voters hold their noses and put them in the Hall, which I don't think will happen this year but will happen within three or four years. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-04-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Good chat. Over the last 15 - 20 years, who are some of your favorite players to go to the ballpark and see play and why? (Jerome from T Hills)	Some of them are obvious - warts and all, I'm thrilled that I've gotten to see Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez as often as I have over the years - both have provided some incredible moments. Mariano Rivera, of course. I'm lucky to have seen Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson relatively late in their careers. Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Randy Johnson were pretty special because the Mariners were a favorite before I came to New York, and a common point of reference for me and my brother. Manny Ramirez, when he was still an Indian, was a lot of fun. Jim Thome was a beast who seemed to homer every time he came to town. Going further back, I'm thrilled I got to see Fernando Valenzuela pitch in person, even if it was only spring training. Likewise for seeing Reggie Jackson in spring training - both were huge parts of my childhood and adolesence. My first regular season major league game was Roger Clemens vs. Nolan Ryan in 1989 (read about it in today's column). That was incredibly special in retrospect because Ryan always meant a great deal to me. I'm sure I've forgotten somebody, but that's a good start. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-04-04 13:00:00 (link to chat)	So how do you feel about Roger Clemens claiming to be a Texan, yet he was born in Ohio??? Or better yet, St. Louis claims David Freese as a native son, yet he's from Texas... (Quentin from Chicago)	Clemens has put in the wrench work necessary to earn my respect on the Texas front. That said, he wasn't born on Texas soil, so I have to judge him accordingly. (Jason Parks)
2011-04-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Rank these players in their feasibility to enter the MLB Hall of Fame someday: 1. Shoeless Joe Jackson 2. Pete Rose 3. Mark McGwire 4. Barry Bonds 5. Roger Clemens 6. Sammy Sosa 7. Alex Rodriguez (UCBravesKing from Covington, KY)	I think A-Rod before any of the rest, because his usage will be seen as a dalliance and the bulk of his career is so impressive. The same, to a lesser extent, can be said of Clemens and Bonds, but the weight of his usage is so much heavier with the ongoing lawsuits, the Congressional testimony, etc. ALL the steroids candidates will benefit from some moment TBD when we have a better understanding of the impact of steroids on production, because just about everything you see is supposition. (Steven Goldman)
2010-07-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi Jay, any thoughts on the wisdom/benefit of firing a hitting coach, specifically Milt Thompson? I know the bats have been off pace this year in Philly, but the offense had a nice track record prior to this year. (bflaff1 from Phila., PA)	As Matt Swartz said on Twitter last night, it's very difficult for an outsider to have any feel for whether such a move is merited. Not only is it difficult to isolate performance but it's also impossible to quantify the interpersonal issues that come into play. I beat the drum for the firing of Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre for years, but when I actually examined the numbers, found that the entirety of the underperformances on his watch boiled down to the late-period declines of Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson (http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4552). The bottom line is that most of the time such firings boil down to interpersonal relationships or the need to satisfy bloodlust via the ritual sacrifice of the coach overseeing the underperforming unit - pitching coach, hitting coach, third base coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator - it crosses sports. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-09-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Thank you for the chat. Do you think Erik Bedard will make a close to full recovery and be effective for a few more years? Any other pitchers who have made it back from a torn labrum in their pitching shoulder? (Sumi from Monterey Park)	Very few and most are extreme examples like Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. I don't have a lot of hope for a Bedard return, but if I was his agent, I'd get him to Dave Duncan no matter what. (Will Carroll)
2009-08-19 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Good afternoon Jay ... thanks for the chat. Has the cloud of PEDs tarnished or thrown into the question the relevance of election to the HOF? (and yes, I know the exclusion of African-Americans prior to 1947 tarnished the HOF already) Jeter is a HOFer, yes? A-Rod, in the wake of his "confession"? Damon? (dianagramr from Cubehenge)	Hi Diana. I think the question of PEDs and the Hall of Fame is an open one that will take at least a decade to tell us anything even remotely conclusive. As hard as it may be to envision the players outed as steroid users via one means or another actually getting in, I have a much harder time envisioning the Hall's relevance without guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. As for Jeter, he's a lock; this year puts him over the line as far as JAWS is concerned, and he's got the kind of resume writers will love. Damon's going to have to get somewhere on his push for 3,000 hits to have much traction; he's got just two All-Star appearances and scores well below average on the Hall of Fame Monitor and HOF Standards metrics. A-Rod will get there eventually, I think, particularly if he keeps to this new STFU PR strategy. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-06-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	So after the hubbub about bringing David Price up too late, does it look like perhaps the Rays brought him up a bit too soon? (Tim from Tampa)	No, not really. I think we've forgotten that there can be a transitional period for minors players coming to the majors, regardless of how impressive they are. You wouldn't have forecast Roger Clemens for 19 Cy Youngs off of 1984, Carl Hubbell was bounced out of Detroit before clicking with the Giants, the Braves sent Warren Spahn back to the minors after his first audition, and Jim Palmer didn't post an above-average ERA+ until year three. Price's minors numbers are what they are. Now he just has to evolve one more time. It should happen, but perhaps not instantly. This same impatience is something I see daily with the Yankees and Joba, Hughes, et al. (Steven Goldman)
2008-07-21 15:00:00 (link to chat)	Will, I missed participating in your last chat, but I had a Tim Lincecum comment (pitching mechanics-related, not that other stuff). You had mentioned his back arch--I never noticed it, but could it be used to generate more velocity? To draw a cross-sport analogy, most top tennis players use a good deal of back arch to help generate velocity on their serves (McEnroe was an extreme example of this). Could pitchers make use of similar biomechanics? (Dr. Wayne Pitcher from Castro Valley, CA)	They could and you're right, there are parallels between the tennis serve and the pitching motion. I tried a couple years ago to get Andy Roddick to throw a baseball, but his agent threatened my life. I'd bet he could get in the 90s. Heck, maybe IMG should take a couple of the second tier players at Bollietieri and move them over to the Baseball Academy! On Lincecum, yeah, maybe, but I don't see the same 'whip', the kind Roger Clemens had, tho it was less apparent because of their physiques. You'd really have to see him in mo-cap to really know. (Will Carroll)
2008-05-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Sorry about that - I meant with "tweaks" i.e. a new pitch, different delivery, etc. I'd figure that a 27 year old like Rasner would have tried most things by now and will have limited success as a results of just throwing a cutter. (Tony from Brooklyn, NY)	I don't have any data, but at least in the short term it can work. I guess Roger Clemens picking up the splitter has to be the best example. (Will Carroll)
2008-03-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I think it's unfair to label Randy Johnson a "freak show". Roger Clemens had a freakishly powerful and durable arm; Greg Maddux had a freakish ability to locate a pitch. To be that good one has to have some "freak" in their DNA. (havybeaks from Michigan)	That wasn't meant to be derogatory at all. Most major leaguers are freak shows in that their skill sets are so incredibly rare that the average major leaguer is worth a couple million dollars a year, and the best of them are worth upwards of $20 million at their peak. At those prices, i wish I could get my freak on. Ok folks, I'm going to take one more question.... (Jay Jaffe)
2008-02-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)	There was just a report that the Clemens case could last several years. I hate Clemens... well I dislike him, I think he's pompous and guilty and would like to never see him pitch again, but there's no way his case is worth the time. I don't think he even deserves a jail sentence, though it would make me chuckle. I'm sure there's something these guys could be doing that's more worthwhile. If I could fire the government, I would. (Dusty from Not Chicago!!!)	Have you ever met Roger Clemens? Remember the filter--on and off of the field--that you're seeing most of his actions through, and remember that journalism is perhaps a fundamentally broken medium when it comes to objectivity. Me, I think it's a lot of wheel-spinning, but I don't think there's any dudgeon to embark upon, high or low. We don't know if it helped his performance on the field, we don't know the guy, and we don't know the truth. I honestly don't know why people get worked up about this stuff; the "what about the children?" narrative is a crock until, as several of my colleagues have noted, Congress and perhaps MLB spend some better-spent time on other dangerous substances. (Christina Kahrl)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2010-10-06 10:00:00	2010 Playoffs Day One	"Paul (Drexel Hill): Gentlemen, prepare to watch the best pitcher of our generation work his magic. Sit back and enjoy." Honest question, but how do we quantify our generation? Does this current generation include Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and Roger Clemens? Halladay is a good one, but he's definitely in their rear-view mirrors. (Brandon Warne)
2010-10-06 10:00:00	2010 Playoffs Day One	"Paul (Drexel Hill): Gentlemen, prepare to watch the best pitcher of our generation work his magic. Sit back and enjoy." Honest question, but how do we quantify our generation? Does this current generation include Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and Roger Clemens? Halladay is a good one, but he's definitely in their rear-view mirrors. (Brandon Warne)
2010-04-05 09:30:00	Season Opener Roundtable	redsoxin2004 (Columbia, CT): Twenty years from now I'm going to tell my son (currently 2) that I was lucky to see Pujols play. Not really a question just a commentary how scary good he is. And I'm going to tell my son that I saw Bobby Meacham. Also, that no matter how many people tell him he was named after Roger Clemens, I had bigger game in mind. (Steven Goldman)
2009-10-16 13:00:00	NLCS Game Two/ALCS Game One	A year out of date, but compare the peak scores of these then-active pitchers: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7451 Roger Clemens: 83.9 Greg Maddux 86/0 Randy Johnson 77.3 Pedro Martinez 68.8 Curt Schilling 65.9 Mike Mussina 64.3 Tom Glavine 63.7 John Smoltz 58.5 Avg HoF SP 67.2 (Jay Jaffe)
2009-10-16 13:00:00	NLCS Game Two/ALCS Game One	And Pedro holds two of the top three VORP years since 1954. Only Roger Clemens intrudes in his dominance. (Steph Bee)

PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, Roger Clemens threw 295 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system in 2007, including pitches thrown in . In 2007, he relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (91mph), Splitter (86mph) and Slider (85mph), also mixing in a Sinker (91mph). He also rarely threw a Curve (78mph) and Cutter (86mph).