Roger Clemens, the former Major League Baseball pitcher known for his long and decorated career, remains active and engaged in a variety of pursuits nearly two decades after his retirement. At 64, Clemens spends much of his time in Houston, where he lives on a large property equipped with an outdoor batting cage and a collection of sports memorabilia. He often throws batting practice for charity events and enjoys time with his family, including his eldest son, Koby, who catches for him during throwing sessions.
Clemens’s 24-year career included stints with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros. He registered 4,672 strikeouts and won a record seven Cy Young Awards. Despite these achievements, Clemens has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, primarily due to allegations of performance-enhancing drug use that he has consistently denied.
His post-playing career is marked by diverse activities, including charity work, baseball clinics, broadcasting, and business ventures such as co-owning a golf course in Scotland. Clemens has remained a popular figure among fans, regularly signing autographs and engaging with supporters, particularly in the Boston area where his time with the Red Sox was formative and enduring. His departure from Boston in 1996 was controversial; after lengthy contract negotiations, Clemens signed a fully guaranteed three-year deal with the Blue Jays, a move that some saw as a betrayal by Boston fans, while others viewed it as a justified decision by the team given his advancing age.
The contract dispute was highlighted by comments from then-Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette, who reportedly had reservations about offering Clemens a four-year guaranteed contract at age 34. Clemens has characterized Boston’s offer as insufficient and harbors lingering resentment over being labeled “washed up.” Duquette, however, maintains that the Red Sox moved on strategically and were fortunate to acquire Pedro Martinez, a pitcher who became a star for Boston following Clemens’s departure.
The most significant cloud over Clemens’s legacy involves the allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. Clemens was named in the 2007 Mitchell Report, which accused him of using steroids and human growth hormone between 1998 and 2001. The accusations were based largely on the testimony of Brian McNamee, Clemens’s former trainer. Clemens vehemently denied the charges during a 2008 congressional hearing and was later indicted on charges including perjury and obstruction of Congress. He was acquitted in 2012 after a 10-week trial, though the verdict did not formally address whether he used banned substances.
Despite the acquittal, opinions remain divided. George Mitchell’s team stands by the report’s findings, noting that other players corroborated some of McNamee’s claims and criticizing Clemens for refusing to fully cooperate with investigations. Clemens, in turn, has strongly criticized Mitchell both for the report and for allegations connected to Mitchell’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, which Clemens uses to question Mitchell’s credibility.
Clemens continues to focus on his current life, emphasizing his family and personal happiness over Hall of Fame recognition. He expresses acceptance of his legacy as it stands and intends to publish a memoir offering his perspective on his career and the controversies that have surrounded him. With nearly three decades spent near the Houston convenience store where he grew up, Clemens reflects on the journey from his youth to becoming one of baseball’s most accomplished and polarizing figures.