Editing Roger Clemens (section)

==Professional career==
===Drafts and minor leagues===
The [[New York Mets]] selected Clemens in the 12th round of the [[1981 Major League Baseball draft]], however, he did not sign.<ref>[[Associated Press]]. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19860715&id=XXdIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aWADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6739,6041153 "The one the Mets lost: Roger Clemens rejected N.Y. offer for college career."] ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'', July 15, 1986. [[Google News Archives]]. Retrieved November 6, 2017.</ref> Clemens was selected in the first round (19th overall) of the [[1983 Major League Baseball draft|1983 MLB draft]] by the [[Boston Red Sox]] and quickly rose through the minor league system. In 1983, Clemens pitched for two different teams in two different leagues and at two different levels. He pitched for the A-ball [[Winter Haven Red Sox]] of the [[Florida State League]] and the AA [[New Britain Red Sox]] of the [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]]. Clemens started all four games he played with Winter Haven, pitched three [[complete game]]s with one [[shutout (baseball)|shutout]] and allowed no [[home run]]s. He posted a 3–1 win–loss record, a 1.24 [[earned run average]], [[strikeout|struck out]] 36 batters in 29 [[innings pitched]] and his [[walks plus hits per inning pitched]] was 0.759. Clemens started all seven games he played with New Britain and pitched one complete game shutout and allowed one home run. He posted a 4–1 win–loss record, a 1.38 earned run average, struck out 59 batters in 52 innings pitched and his walks and hits per innings pitched was 0.827. His combined minor league totals in 1983 included starting all 11 games he played and pitched four complete games with two shutouts and only one home run allowed. He posted a 7–2 win–loss record, a 1.33 earned run average, struck out 95 batters in 81 innings pitched and his walks and hits per innings pitched was 0.802.

Clemens started the 1984 season with AAA [[Pawtucket Red Sox]] of the [[International League]]. In seven games, he started six of them, pitching three complete games with one shutout. Despite posting a 2–3 win–loss record and walks and hits per innings pitched of 1.136, his earned run average was 1.93, and he struck out 50 batters in {{frac|46|2|3}} innings pitched.

===Boston Red Sox (1984–1996)===
[[File:Roger Clemens Boston.jpg|thumb|upright|Clemens in 1986]]
On May 15, 1984 at [[Cleveland Stadium]], Clemens made his Major League debut. An undiagnosed torn [[Glenoid labrum|labrum]] threatened to end his career early; he underwent successful arthroscopic surgery by [[James Andrews (physician)|Dr. James Andrews]].<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Helyar |title=Andrews still surgeon to the sports stars |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=3024046 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=September 20, 2007 |access-date=October 13, 2007 }}</ref>

On April 29, 1986 at [[Fenway Park]], in a 3–1 win over the [[Seattle Mariners]], Clemens [[strikeout|struck out]] a career-high 20 batters, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game.<ref name="library" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Boston Red Sox 3, Seattle Mariners 1 | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B04290BOS1986.htm | website=Retrosheet | date= April 29, 1986 }}</ref> Following his performance, Clemens made the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', which carried the headline "Lord of the K's [strikeouts]."<ref name="Archived copy">{{Cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/b5a2be2f |title=Roger Clemens &#124; Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=January 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307044135/https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/b5a2be2f |archive-date=March 7, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other than Clemens, only [[Kerry Wood]], [[Randy Johnson]] and [[Max Scherzer]] have matched the total. (Johnson fanned 20 batters in nine innings on May 8, 2001. However, the game went into extra innings but Johnson got credit for it as he only pitched 9 innings. [[Tom Cheney (baseball)|Tom Cheney]] holds the record for any game: 21 strikeouts in 16 innings.)

Clemens started the [[1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1986 All-Star Game]] (played in his hometown of Houston) in the [[Astrodome]] and was named the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] of the contest by throwing three perfect innings and striking out two. He also won the first of his seven [[Cy Young Award]]s. In 1986, Clemens won the [[American League]] [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] award, finishing with a 24–4 record, 2.48 ERA, and 238 strikeouts.<ref name="Stats">{{cite web |title=Roger Clemens Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> When [[Hank Aaron]] said that pitchers should not be eligible for the MVP, Clemens responded: "I wish he was still playing. I'd probably [[beanball|crack his head open]] to show him how valuable I was."<ref name="22 Things" /> Clemens was the only starting pitcher since [[Vida Blue]] in 1971 to win a league MVP award until [[Justin Verlander]] won the award in 2011. Clemens attributes his switch from what he calls a "thrower" to a "pitcher" to the partial season Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver spent with the Red Sox in 1986.<ref>[[Associated Press]].
 [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-24-sp-26007-story.html "Clemens Rockets His Way Past Seaver."] [[Los Angeles Times]], July 24, 2001. Retrieved November 3, 2017.</ref>

Facing the [[California Angels]] in the [[1986 American League Championship Series|1986 ALCS]], Clemens pitched poorly in the opening game, watched the Boston bullpen blow his 3–1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, and then pitched a strong Game 7 to wrap up the series for Boston. The League Championship Series clincher was Clemens's first postseason career victory. He did not win his second until 13 years later. After a victory in game five, Boston led 3 games to 2 over the [[New York Mets]] in the [[1986 World Series]] with Clemens set to start game six at [[Shea Stadium]]. Clemens who was pitching on five days rest started strong by striking out eight while throwing a no-hitter through four innings. In the top of eighth and with Boston ahead 3–2, manager [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]] sent rookie [[Mike Greenwell]] to pinch hit for Roger Clemens. It was initially said that Clemens was removed from the game due to a [[blister]] forming on one of his fingers, but both he and McNamara dispute this. Clemens said to [[Bob Costas]] on an [[MLB Network]] program concerning the 1986 postseason that McNamara decided to pull him despite Clemens wanting to pitch. McNamara said to Costas that Clemens "begged out" of the game. The Mets rallied and took both game six and seven to win the World Series.

[[File:President Ronald Reagan posing with Roger Clemens and Don Baylor.jpg|thumb|left|Clemens with Boston teammate [[Don Baylor]] and President [[Ronald Reagan]]]]
The Red Sox had a miserable 1987 season, finishing at 78–84, though Clemens won his second consecutive [[Cy Young Award]] with a 20–9 record, 2.97 ERA, 256 strikeouts, and seven shutouts.<ref name="Archived copy"/><ref name="Stats" /> He was the first AL pitcher with back-to-back 20-win seasons since [[Tommy John]] won 20 with the Yankees in 1979 and '80.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2026&dat=19871005&id=JZQrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6514,548596&hl=en|title=Tanana Pitches Tigers to Title|work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News|date=October 5, 1987|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> Boston rebounded with success in 1988 and 1990, clinching the [[AL East Division]] each year, but were swept by the [[Oakland Athletics]] in each [[ALCS]] matchup. His greatest postseason failure came in the second inning of the final game of the [[1990 ALCS]], when he was ejected for arguing [[balls and strikes]] with umpire [[Terry Cooney]], accentuating the A's four-game sweep of the Red Sox.<ref name="slate">Nocera, Joseph. [http://www.slate.com/id/91141/ "Roger Clemens, Choke Artist."] ''[[Slate.com]]'', October 10, 2000. Retrieved November 17, 2017.</ref> He was suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and fined $10,000.<ref name="library" />

[[File:Lipofsky-Roger-Clemens.jpg|thumb|Clemens in 1990]]
Clemens led the American League in 1988 with 291 strikeouts and a career-high 8 shutouts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clemero02|title=Roger Clemens Baseball Stats &#124; Baseball Almanac|website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> On September 10, 1988, Clemens threw a one-hitter against the [[Cleveland Indians]] at Fenway Park. [[Dave Clark (baseball)|Dave Clark]]'s one-out single in the eighth inning was the only hit Clemens allowed in the game.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://static.espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0610/1565996.html |title=ESPN.com: MLB - No-hitters: Best who haven't, worst who have |access-date=January 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801073931/http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0610/1565996.html |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 9–1 victory over Cleveland on April 13, 1989, Clemens recorded his 1,000 career strikeout by fanning [[Brook Jacoby]] with the bases loaded in the second inning.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-13-sp-2067-story.html|title=Clemens Tops 1,000 Mark in Strikeouts : Red Sox Batter Cleveland With 15-Hit Attack|date=April 13, 1989|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Clemens finished second to Oakland's [[Bob Welch (baseball)|Bob Welch]] for the 1990 AL Cy Young Award, despite the fact that Clemens crushed Welch in ERA (1.93 to 2.95), strikeouts (209 to 127), walks (54 to 77), home runs allowed (7 to 26), and WAR (10.4 to 2.9).<ref name="s318">{{cite web | last=Baer | first=Bill | title=The 1990's had some atrocious awards voting | website=NBC Sports | date=2020-05-06 | url=https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/the-1990s-had-some-atrocious-awards-voting | access-date=2024-09-20}}</ref> Clemens did, however, capture his third Cy Young Award in 1991 with an 18–10 record, 2.62 ERA, and 241 strikeouts.<ref name="Stats" /> On June 21, 1989, Clemens surrendered the first of [[Sammy Sosa]]'s 609 home runs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-22-sp-2747-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=Petralli Leads Attack as Rangers Rough Up Clemens and Red Sox, 10–3|agency=Associated Press|date=June 22, 1989|access-date=August 18, 2010}}</ref> On September 18, 1996 at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]], in a 4–0 win over the [[1996 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]], Clemens had a second [[List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders|20-strikeout game]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Boston Red Sox 4, Detroit Tigers 0 | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B09180DET1996.htm | website=Retrosheet | date= September 18, 1996 }}</ref> This second 20-K day occurred in his third-to-last game as a member of the Boston Red Sox.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=clemero02&t=p&year=1996|title=Roger Clemens 1996 Pitching Gamelogs|access-date=May 21, 2011|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref>  Later, the Tigers presented him with a baseball containing the autographs of each batter who had struck out (those with multiple strikeouts signed the appropriate number of times).

[[File:Roger Clemens 1996.jpg|thumb|Clemens pitches at Fenway Park, 1996]]
The Red Sox did not re-sign Clemens following the 1996 season, despite leading the A.L. with 257 strikeouts<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.highheatstats.com/2012/04/roger-clemens-1996-and-the-other-unluckiest-pitching-seasons-of-all-time/|title=Roger Clemens, 1996, and the other unluckiest pitching seasons of all-time &#124;|first=Graham|last=Womack|date=April 12, 2012 }}</ref> and offering him "by far the most money ever offered to a player in the history of the Red Sox franchise." General Manager [[Dan Duquette]] remarked that he "hoped to keep him in Boston during the twilight of his career", but Clemens left and signed with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/17353212.html?did=17353212&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Dec+14%2C+1996&author=MICHAEL+SILVERMAN&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Baseball+END+OF+AN+ERA+No+return+fire+from+Sox+Brass+tried+to+keep+ace,%20Nolan/ Baseball END OF AN ERA No return fire from Sox Brass tried to keep ace] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921062254/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/17353212.html?did=17353212&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Dec+14%2C+1996&author=MICHAEL+SILVERMAN&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Baseball+END+OF+AN+ERA+No+return+fire+from+Sox+Brass+tried+to+keep+ace%2C%20Nolan%2F |date=September 21, 2012 }} ''[[Boston Herald]]''</ref>

The emphasis on the misquoted 1996 "twilight" comment took on a life of its own following Clemens's post-Boston successes, and Duquette was vilified for letting the star pitcher go.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_10_223/ai_54117613 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051223011906/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_10_223/ai_54117613 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 23, 2005 |title=Losing Momentum – Boston Red Sox |last=Doyle |first=Paul |access-date=September 15, 2006 |date=March 8, 1999 |work=[[The Sporting News]] }}</ref> Ultimately, Clemens would go on to have a record of 162–73 for the rest of his career after leaving the Red Sox.<ref name="22 Things" /> Clemens recorded 192 wins and 38 shutouts for the Red Sox, both tied with [[Cy Young]] for the [[List of Boston Red Sox team records|franchise record]] and is their all-time strikeout leader with 2,590.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/leaders_pitch.shtml|title=Boston Red Sox Pitching Leaders|access-date=December 19, 2008|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> Clemens's overall postseason record with Boston was 1–2 with a 3.88 ERA, and 45 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 56 innings. No Red Sox player has worn his uniform #21 since Clemens left the team in the 1996–97 offseason.

===Toronto Blue Jays (1997–1998)===
Clemens signed a four-year, $40&nbsp;million deal with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] after the 1996 season.<ref name="library" /> In his first start in Fenway Park as a member of the Blue Jays, he pitched eight innings allowing only 4 hits and 1 earned run. 16 of his 24 outs were strikeouts, and every batter who faced him struck out at least once.<ref>{{cite web|title=Toronto Blue Jays 3, Boston Red Sox 1 | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B07120BOS1997.htm | website=Retrosheet | date= July 12, 1997 }}</ref> As he left the field following his last inning of work, he stared up angrily towards the owner's box.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Doyle|first1=Paul|title=For Roger, It's Return To Splendor|url=https://www.courant.com/1997/07/13/for-roger-its-return-to-splendor/|website=Hartford Courant|date=July 13, 1997|access-date=September 13, 2017|archive-date=September 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913092838/http://articles.courant.com/1997-07-13/sports/9707130157_1_clemens-outpitched-general-manager-dan-duquette-roger-clemens|url-status=live}}</ref>

Clemens was dominant in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, winning the pitching [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]] and the [[Cy Young Award]] in both seasons (1997: 21–7 record, 2.05 ERA, and 292 strikeouts; 1998: 20–6 record, 2.65 ERA, and 271 strikeouts).<ref name="Stats" /> After the 1998 season, Clemens asked to be traded, indicating that he did not believe the Blue Jays would be competitive enough the following year and that he was dedicated to winning a championship.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Olney|first1=Buster|title=Yankees Subtract a Star but Add a Legend|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/19/sports/baseball-yankees-subtract-a-star-but-add-a-legend.html?mcubz=0|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 19, 1999|access-date=September 13, 2017}}</ref>

===New York Yankees (1999–2003)===
On the first day of 1999 Spring Training, the Blue Jays traded Clemens to the [[New York Yankees]] for [[David Wells]], [[Homer Bush]], and [[Graeme Lloyd]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/e56db6e613e6c4b00d6f760383a5a89c | title=Roger Clemens Traded to Yankees | website=[[Associated Press]] }}</ref> Since his longtime uniform number #21 was in use by teammate [[Paul O'Neill (baseball)|Paul O'Neill]], Clemens initially wore #12, before switching mid-season to #22.

During the 1999 regular season, Clemens posted a 14–10 record with a 4.60 ERA. He logged a pair of wins in the postseason, though he lost Game 3 of the [[1999 ALCS]] in a matchup against Red Sox ace [[Pedro Martínez]], which was the Yankees' only loss in the 1999 playoffs.<ref name=post>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS199910160.shtml "Yankees at Red Sox, October 16, 1999."] ''www.baseball-reference.com.'' Retrieved February 17, 2017</ref> Clemens won the Yankees' Game 4 clincher over the [[Atlanta Braves]], giving up only one run in {{frac|7|2|3}} innings.

Clemens followed up with a strong 2000 season, in which he finished with a 13–8 record with a 3.70 ERA for the regular season. Though Clemens lost two games in the [[2000 American League Division Series#Oakland vs. New York|ALDS]] against Oakland, the Yankees won the other three and thus advanced. In [[2000 ALCS#Game 4|Game 4 of the ALCS]] against Seattle, Clemens set the ALCS record for strikeouts in a game when he fanned 15 batters in a one-hit shutout. In Game 2 of the [[2000 World Series]], Clemens pitched eight scoreless innings against the New York Mets.<ref name="Stats" />

In 2001, Clemens became the first pitcher in MLB history to start a season 20–1 (finishing 20–3), and won his sixth Cy Young Award. Clemens started for the Yankees in Game 7 of the [[2001 World Series]] against the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]], where he dueled [[Curt Schilling]] to a standstill after 6 innings, yielding only one run. The Diamondbacks went on to win the game in the 9th.

Early in 2003, Clemens announced his retirement, effective at the end of that season. On June 13, 2003, pitching against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], Clemens recorded his [[300 win club|300th career win]] and 4,000th career strikeout, the only player in history to record both milestones in the same game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-06-14-0306140329-story.html |title=A milestone night for Clemens: 300 wins and 4,000 strikeouts - Baltimore Sun |website=www.baltimoresun.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624084954/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-06-14-0306140329-story.html |archive-date=24 June 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The 300th win came on his fourth try; the Yankee bullpen had blown his chance of a win in his previous two attempts. He became the 21st pitcher ever to record 300 wins and the third ever to record 4,000 strikeouts. His career record upon reaching the milestones was 300–155. Clemens finished the season with a 17–9 record and a 3.91 ERA.

The end of Clemens's 2003 season became a series of public farewells met with appreciative cheering. His last games in each AL park were given extra attention, particularly his final regular-season appearance in [[Fenway Park]], when despite wearing the uniform of the hated arch-rival, he was afforded a standing ovation by Red Sox fans as he left the field. (This spectacle was repeated when the Yankees ended up playing the Red Sox in the [[2003 American League Championship Series|2003 ALCS]] and Clemens got a second "final start" in his original stadium.) As part of a tradition of manager [[Joe Torre]], Clemens was chosen to manage the Yankees' last game of the regular season. Clemens made one start in the World Series against the [[Florida Marlins]]; when he left trailing 3–1 after seven innings, the Marlins left their dugout to give him a standing ovation.

===Houston Astros (2004–2006)===
[[File:Roger clemens 2004.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|left|Clemens pitching for the Astros in 2004]]
Clemens came out of retirement, signing a one-year deal with his adopted hometown [[Houston Astros]] on January 12, 2004, joining close friend and former Yankees teammate [[Andy Pettitte]]. On May 5, 2004, Clemens recorded his 4,137th career strikeout to place him second on the all-time list behind [[Nolan Ryan]]. He was named the starter for the National League All-Star team but ultimately was the losing pitcher in that game after allowing six runs on five hits, including a three-run home run to [[Alfonso Soriano]]. Clemens finished the season with an 18–4 record, and was awarded his seventh Cy Young Award, becoming the oldest player ever to win the Cy Young at age 42.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/houston-astros-history-roger-clemens-wins-seventh-cy-young-award-110916|title=Houston Astros History: Roger Clemens Wins Seventh Cy Young Award {{!}} FOX Sports|date=November 9, 2016|newspaper=FOX Sports|access-date=February 25, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> This made him one of seven pitchers to win the award in both leagues, joining [[Gaylord Perry]], [[Pedro Martínez]], and [[Randy Johnson]] and later joined by [[Roy Halladay]], [[Max Scherzer]], and [[Blake Snell]]. Clemens was the losing pitcher for the Astros in Game Seven of the [[2004 National League Championship Series|2004 NLCS]] against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing four runs in six innings. Although he pitched well, he tired in the sixth inning, surrendering all four runs.

Clemens again decided to put off retirement before the 2005 season after the Astros offered salary arbitration. The Astros submitted an offer of $13.5&nbsp;million, and Clemens countered with a record $22&nbsp;million demand. On January 21, 2005, both sides agreed on a one-year, $18,000,022 contract, thus avoiding arbitration. The deal gave Clemens the highest yearly salary earned by a pitcher in MLB history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050121&content_id=933093&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou |title=Astros ink Clemens to record deal |access-date=July 11, 2009 |first=Alyson |last=Footer |date=January 21, 2005 |work=[[MLB.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126121341/http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050121&content_id=933093&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou |archive-date=November 26, 2009 }}</ref>

[[File:Roger Clemens 2005 (4).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Clemens pitching for the Astros in 2005.]]
Clemens's 2005 season ended as one of the finest he had ever posted. His 1.87 ERA was the lowest in the major leagues, the lowest of his 22-season career, and the lowest by any National Leaguer since [[Greg Maddux]] in 1995. He finished with a 13–8 record, with his lower win total primarily due to the fact that he ranked near the bottom of the major leagues in run support. The Astros scored an average of only 3.5 runs per game in games in which he was the [[pitcher of record]]. The Astros were [[shutouts in baseball|shut out]] nine times in Clemens's 32 starts, and failed to score in a 10th until after Clemens was out of the game. The Astros lost five of Clemens's starts by scores of 1–0. In April, Clemens did not allow a run in three consecutive starts. However, the Astros lost all three of those starts by a 1–0&nbsp;score in [[extra innings]].

Clemens won an emotional start on September 15, following his mother's death that morning.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/games/2005-09-14-marlins-astros_x.htm|title=Clemens wins one for his late mother|access-date=January 27, 2007|date=September 15, 2005|newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> In his final start of the 2005 season, Clemens got his 4,500th strikeout. On October 9, 2005, Clemens made his first relief appearance since 1984, entering as a [[pinch hitter]] in the 15th, then pitching three innings to get the win as the Astros defeated the [[Atlanta Braves]] in Game 4 of the [[2005 National League Division Series|NLDS]]. It is the longest postseason game in MLB history at 18 innings.<ref name=longest>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU200510090.shtml "2005 National League Division Series (NLDS) Game 4, Braves at Astros, October 9."] ''www.sports-reference.com.'' Retrieved November 6, 2017.</ref> Clemens lasted only two innings in Game 1 of the [[2005 World Series]], and the Astros went on to be [[Whitewash (sport)|swept]] by the [[Chicago White Sox]]. It was the Astros' first World Series appearance. Clemens had aggravated a hamstring pull that had limited his performance since at least September.<ref>Sullivan, Paul. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150603080838/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-10-23/sports/0510230351_1_pitch-strain-hamstring "Clemens's hamstring may put strain on staff."] ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', October 23, 2005. Retrieved November 6, 2017.</ref>

Clemens said that he would retire again after the World Series but he wanted to represent the United States in the inaugural [[2006 World Baseball Classic|World Baseball Classic]], which would be played in March 2006.<ref name=world_baseball>Morosi, Jon Paul. [http://m.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article/213220886/ "Should the DR pursue Big Papi for WBC '17?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207113428/http://m.worldbaseballclassic.com/news/article/213220886/ |date=February 7, 2017 }} ''www.worldbaseballclassic.com'', January 10, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.</ref> He went 1–1 in the tournament, with a 2.08 ERA, striking out 10 batters in {{fraction|8|2|3}} innings.<ref name=rclemens>[https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/stats/ "Stats: 2006 World Baseball Classic."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325125133/https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/stats |date=March 25, 2019 }} ''www.worldbaseballclassic.com.'' Retrieved February 6, 2017.</ref> After pitching in a second-round loss to Mexico that eliminated the United States, Clemens began considering a return to the major leagues.<ref name=world_baseball/><ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2009/stats/boxscore.jsp?gid=2006_03_16_usaint_mexint_1 "Mexico 2, United States 1, March 16, 2006."] ''www.mlb.com.'' Retrieved February 6, 2017.</ref> On May 31, 2006, following another extended period of speculation, it was announced that Clemens was coming out of retirement for the third time to pitch for the Astros for the remainder of the 2006 season. Clemens signed a contract worth $22,000,022 (his uniform number #22). Since Clemens did not play a full season, he received a prorated percentage of that: approximately $12.25&nbsp;million. Clemens made his return on June 22, 2006, against the [[Minnesota Twins]], losing to their [[rookie]] phenom, [[Francisco Liriano]], 4–2. For the second year in a row, his win total did not match his performance, as he finished the season with a 7–6 record, a 2.30 ERA, and a 1.04 [[Walks plus hits per inning pitched|WHIP]]. However, Clemens averaged just under 6 innings in his starts and never pitched into the eighth.

===Return to the Yankees (2007)===

[[File:062707 267 Roger Clemens.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Clemens with the Yankees in 2007]]

Clemens unexpectedly appeared in the owner's box at Yankee Stadium on May 6, 2007, during the [[seventh-inning stretch]] of a game against the [[Seattle Mariners]], and made a brief statement: "Thank y'all. Well they came and got me out of Texas, and uhh, I can tell you it's a privilege to be back. I'll be talkin' to y'all soon." It was simultaneously announced that Clemens had rejoined the Yankees roster,<ref>[[Associated Press]], [https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBA-Yankees-Clemens.html "Roger Clemens Is Returning to the Yankees"], ''[[Nytimes.com]]'', May 6, 2007.</ref> agreeing to a pro-rated one-year deal worth $28,000,022, or about $4.7&nbsp;million per month.<ref>Olney, Buster. [https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2887224 "If inclined, Yankees would need Rocket's OK on trade."] ''[[ESPN.com]]'', May 30, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2017.</ref> Over the contract life, he would make $18.7&nbsp;million. This equated to just over $1&nbsp;million per start that season.

Clemens made his 2007 return on June 9, defeating the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] by pitching six innings with seven strikeouts and three runs allowed. On June 21, with a single in the 5th inning against the [[Colorado Rockies]], Clemens became the oldest New York Yankee to record a hit (44 years, 321 days). On June 24, Clemens pitched an inning in relief against the [[San Francisco Giants]]. It had been 22 years and 341 days since his previous regular-season relief appearance, the longest such gap in major league history.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kepner|first=Tyler|title=Yanks Let Winning Feeling Slip Away|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 25, 2007|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/sports/baseball/25yankees.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin}}</ref> On July 2, Clemens collected his 350th win against the [[Minnesota Twins]] at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], giving up just two hits and one run over eight innings. Clemens is one of only three pitchers to pitch his entire career in the [[live-ball era]] and reach 350 wins. The other two are [[Warren Spahn]] (whose catcher for his 350th win was [[Joe Torre]], Clemens's manager for his 350th), and [[Greg Maddux]], who earned his 350th win in 2008. His final regular-season appearance was a start against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, in which he allowed two hits and one unearned run in six innings, and received a no-decision. Clemens finished the 2007 regular season with a record of 6–6 and a 4.18 ERA.<ref name="Stats" />

Clemens was forced to leave Game 3 of the [[2007 American League Division Series|2007 ALDS]] in the third inning after aggravating a hamstring injury. He struck out [[Víctor Martínez (baseball)|Victor Martinez]] of the [[Cleveland Indians]] with his final pitch, and was replaced by right-hander [[Phil Hughes (baseball)|Phil Hughes]]. Yankees manager Joe Torre removed Clemens from the roster due to his injury, and replaced him with left-hander [[Ron Villone]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|title=Clemens off Yanks' Postseason Roster|newspaper=MLB.com|year=2007|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071008&content_id=2257302&vkey=ps2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb}}</ref> Clemens's overall postseason record with the Yankees was 7–4 with a 2.97 ERA, 98 strikeouts and 35 walks in 102 innings.