SAN ANTONIO — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Roger Clemens, calling the seven-time Cy Young winner “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time,” The Associated Press reported.
Trump made the announcement at a rally in San Antonio and renewed his call for Clemens to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Clemens, known as “The Rocket,” has not been elected because of suspicions he used steroids during a 24-year career with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros. Like Barry Bonds and other stars suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs, he was repeatedly rejected by baseball writers.
“He’ll be in the Hall of Fame someday, but he deserves it,” Trump said, adding that the medal “is a big step up from the Hall of Fame.”
Clemens was at the event, and Trump called him to the stage. “Well, I’m stunned,” the retired right-hander said. “This supersedes anything that obviously I’ve done in my playing career.”
Clemens, who was raised in Houston, said he was honored the announcement came in Texas.
Trump has given the medal to several athletes, including Tiger Woods, Roger Staubach, Mariano Rivera and Lou Holtz. He also issued a posthumous pardon last year for Pete Rose, which led Major League Baseball to lift its ban on the career hits leader. Rose has not yet been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Sources: Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Thomson200 / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
