Roger Clemens Not Worried About Cooperstown; Would Be Honored To Have No. 21 Retired By Red Sox
BOSTON (CBS) -- Red Sox legend Roger Clemens is back in Boston this weekend, and he'll even take the mound at Fenway Park.
"The Rocket" is scheduled to be honored Friday at the Willowbend Resort in Mashpee, then he'll toe the rubber once against and throw batting practice at Fenway in support of the Roger Clemens Foundation and Jimmy Fund on Saturday.
"It's super exciting for me to get back on a mound that I really enjoyed being on, and kind of where I cut my teeth and got my nickname," Clemens told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman.
In addition to taking a few trips down memory lane, talking about his pair of 20 strikeout games in a Boston uniform, Clemens also discussed his ongoing wait for enshrinement into the Hall of Fame. Clemens certainly has the resume worthy of a call to the Hall, but lingering questions about PEDs has all-time greats like Clemens and Barry Bonds on the outside looking in.
Clemens said the wait for Cooperstown doesn't really bother him, because it's a situation that is out of his control.
"I have zero control over that, so it's not something that I, when I stared playing the game [I didn't] worry about making the Hall of Fame," said Clemens, passing on praise to his numerous catchers who helped him along the way. "It's not the reason why I played the game or who I am as a person. I went out there and competed, I loved the game and worked extremely hard at it."
If he does finally get that call, Clemens said he will likely go in as a member of the Red Sox. But that decision is up to the Hall of Fame committee.
One honor that may be right around the corner for Clemens is having his No. 21 retired by the Red Sox.
"It was really cool for me coming out of College World Series, wearing 21 at Texas, and I walked into Fenway as a youngster, I think I was 21, and they had that number hanging in my locker," Clemens recalled. "I thought that was pretty cool that they were watching me at Texas and realized that; I was fortunate that number was open at the time."
Clemens also touched on David Price's clash with Dennis Eckersley and if Tom Brady can continue his brilliance on the field into his 40's. Enjoy the full interview above!
