One of the most important dates in the baseball calendar takes place Tuesday night when the newest class of Hall of Famers is announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
While it will be a day of celebration for many legends — with induction into Cooperstown on July 21 — don’t expect one former star to be sending out any congratulations. Seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, whose fall from the ballot in 2022 came because of a link to steroids, has put the Hall of Fame out of his mind. So he says.
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“I don’t even know what today is,” Clemens told the “Foul Territory” group on Tuesday. “I don’t pay attention to it. So I didn’t catch what you were guys were leading into. Is today the day they vote on guys or guys get in or what’s the deal today?”
The “Foul Territory” group composed of host Scott Braun and former players Todd Frazier and A.J. Pierzynski was debating the ballot and potential class before introducing Clemens, who said he never paid attention to his numbers when he pitched for 24 seasons, including six with the New York Yankees.
“First of all, if I knew it was Hall of Fame day, I probably wouldn’t have come on with ya’ll,” Clemens said. “It tells you how much I pay attention to it. So it was in our rear-view mirror 10 years ago.”
Clemens put together a Hall of Fame-worthy resume — 354-184 record, 3.12 ERA, 4,672 strikeouts in 4,916 2/3 regular-season innings, plus two World Series (with the Yankees) — but his career in the eyes of voters has been tarnished because he was included on the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens’ former trainer Brian McNamee claimed he injected the former ace with steroids. Clemens never tested positive and has denied using PEDs.
Clemens received 65.2% of the vote in 2022, his 10th and final year in the ballet. Candidates need at least 75% of the vote to be elected.
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