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He's done. Roger Clemens's best years are behind him. Ha! That sound you hear is the Boston Red Sox front office eating crow. The Sox rid themselves of Clemens before the 1997 season, insisting that at age 34, coming off a 10-13 season (40-39 over the previous four), he was not worth a long-term contract and most certainly not worth the money he wanted. Sure, he'd pitched for Boston for 13 years and won three Cy Young Awards, but according to Sox G.M. Dan Duquette, Clemens was just about ready for a rocking chair. When the Toronto Blue Jays announced his signing—three years, $24.75 million guaranteed—many fans were more than a little shocked. Redemption came in the form of a 21-7 record, 2.05 ERA, a career-high 292 strikeouts and a fourth Cy Young Award. "Everybody was wishing me well in the twilight of my career," Clemens said after winning his 20th game. "I never looked at it that way."
From Sports Illustrated: Photograph by Chuck Soloman
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