Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens, nicknamed "Rocket", is a retired American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseballfor four teams. Clemens was one of the most dominant pitchers in major league history, tallying 354 wins, a 3.12 earned run average, and 4,672 strikeouts, the third-most all time. An 11-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won seven Cy Young Awards during his career, the most of any pitcher in history. Clemens was known for his fierce competitive nature...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth4 August 1962
CityDayton, OH
CountryUnited States of America
I was pitching 100 percent. I was on edge as much as anybody because we were kind of back into the corner a little bit. So I don't care who it is you're facing in this tournament.
I was pitching 100 percent at this time of year regardless.
I was pitching 100% at this time of year regardless. It was my job after the guys came out and put the numbers on the board -- threw strikes, not walk anybody, get them back in and swinging the bat a little bit.
My legs felt fine, ... I still need to get a little more strength in my lower half, but I think Jim Hickey, our pitching coach, and the skipper were happy with the way I was getting out over my front leg. So it makes a big difference; without the burning sensation in my leg, it was a lot nicer. My control was still off, and I think that was what was aggravating me a little early.
What I featured out there is not good enough to get it done. It just seemed like I was pitching out of the stretch a lot. I tried to battle and make pitches and be as stingy as I could ... but they broke it open.
I planned on pitching the whole time, ... No way I was going to run out on the team.
I'm going to kick back and watch some baseball. I'm not ready to commit. Even being at home and pitching in Houston was a tough grind. ... Right now, I'm not interested in getting in there and locking in on this. If it works out and I can just fade away, that's what's going to happen.
I was pitching on all adrenaline and challenging them. I was throwing the ball right down the heart of the plate.
We tried to encourage him on many occasions to come out and work with us. He was a big-bodied kid. It was a lot of fun when he started showing up in the mornings, working with us. We had fun and got to know him better.
We were like two tired old men walking out of the tunnel, and then we were like two kids having a good time. We were holding each other up.
When I step away from the game, our game is in good hands. We have some good, young talented players, everyday guys, and definitely pitchers. He's right there at the top of the list. You feel you pass the baton along to the next generation of guys. I think the fans out here will enjoy this kid for a long time.
I've never really been nervous at all in my playoff experiences,
It was worth the wait. This is for the city. This is for our fans at home.
I've been trying to shut it down for two years and I still can't answer that now, ... I'm glad I left that percentage point open.