The Rocket returns
The Guru
Contributing Writer
Tuesday night the Red Sox celebrated the 25th anniversary of “Morgan Magic", the amazing run produced by the 1988 Red Sox team after Joe Morgan took over as manager.
A number of former players were on hand including Dwight Evans, Lee Smith, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, shortstop Spike Owen, and one of baseball’s most polarizing players ever, Roger Clemens.
Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner and the Red Sox leader in most career wins, received mostly cheers when introduced at Fenway Park.
Later, the Rocket spoke to the media about Morgan’s magical run in 1988 when the Sox reeled off 19 straight home wins,
Clemens’ return to Fenway comes at an interesting time in baseball as the steroid storm is brewing once again. Clemens faced his own steroid allegations in 2008 when the Mitchell Report was released and Congressional hearings convened. Clemens was charged with perjury, but was ultimately acquitted in 2012.
Clemens said,
Love him or hate him, Clemens was the one of the best pitchers in the game. However, he remains outside looking in when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Clemens received only 37% of the vote on last year’s ballot. Asked about being passed over Clemens said,
Roger Clemens was the face of the Fenway franchise for 13 years and was one of the most dominant players ever. Arguably, he was the best right-handed pitcher of all time. Clemens was also one of the faces of the steroid-era.
The Rocket may never land in Cooperstown. He has only himself to blame.
Follow The Guru on Twitter @TheGuruGS
More musings from The Guru.
Contributing Writer
A number of former players were on hand including Dwight Evans, Lee Smith, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, shortstop Spike Owen, and one of baseball’s most polarizing players ever, Roger Clemens.
Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner and the Red Sox leader in most career wins, received mostly cheers when introduced at Fenway Park.
Later, the Rocket spoke to the media about Morgan’s magical run in 1988 when the Sox reeled off 19 straight home wins,
“When you have a manager change in the middle of the season, it lit a fire under all of us. It sparked us all to play better.”
Clemens’ return to Fenway comes at an interesting time in baseball as the steroid storm is brewing once again. Clemens faced his own steroid allegations in 2008 when the Mitchell Report was released and Congressional hearings convened. Clemens was charged with perjury, but was ultimately acquitted in 2012.
Clemens said,
“I’ve got my own feelings about particular people in the MLB on how they approached my situation on learning facts. But I can’t comment on that because I don’t know about it. I’m not too worried about it either way to tell you the truth, and I’m sure they will handle it the way they see fit.”
Love him or hate him, Clemens was the one of the best pitchers in the game. However, he remains outside looking in when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Clemens received only 37% of the vote on last year’s ballot. Asked about being passed over Clemens said,
"It's not going to change me as a person or as a man, how I go about my life.”
Roger Clemens was the face of the Fenway franchise for 13 years and was one of the most dominant players ever. Arguably, he was the best right-handed pitcher of all time. Clemens was also one of the faces of the steroid-era.
The Rocket may never land in Cooperstown. He has only himself to blame.
Follow The Guru on Twitter @TheGuruGS
More musings from The Guru.
