Roger Clemens, the 24-year MLB pitcher, thought he was simply introducing President Donald Trump in San Antonio at a Republican National Committee (RNC) campaign rally on Wednesday night.
What he got instead was the biggest surprise from the president himself, and an honor he views more special than his seven Cy Young Awards and two World Series rings.
Trump surprised Clemens and told him he will be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump told the crowd that Clemens “is being given the single highest award along with the Medal of Honor.”
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Clemens walked back up to the stage at the Freeman Coliseum, where he shared just how “stunned” he was.
“Well, I’m stunned, No. 1. Again, 24 years y’all – this supersedes obviously anything I’ve done in my playing career,” Clemens told the crowd. “To get it from this man, this president. There wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get it from.
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“Announcing it here in my home state, and again, from this man. You talk about a winner – that’s a winner right there.”
Clemens even joked that Trump, who listed off some of the pitching great’s stats during his MLB career, could be “my agent” with how well he knows his resume on the mound.
“I guess I could come out of retirement again with all those stats he read off,” Clemens said, smiling.
“I can’t thank you enough. That is a huge honor, and again, thank y’all very much.”
Before Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom announcement, he gave quite the introduction to Trump.
“What a privilege it is for me to intro our great president,” he started. “A man that loves our country, that puts all of us first, and puts America first. This is what I love. He’s made us better, he’s made us stronger, and more important, because of the border and everything here, he’s made us safer.
“And don’t forget, this is really important, this man put his life on the line for us. Don’t ever forget that.”
During his speech, Trump once again stumped for Clemens to be put in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Clemens is among those baseball greats who remain out of the Hall of Fame due to alleged involvement with performance-enhancing drugs during the game’s Steroids Era. Clemens was named in the infamous Mitchell Report in 2007.
Clemens spent 24 years as one of the best arms in baseball, beginning with the Boston Red Sox, where he was named MVP during his breakout 1986 season after collecting 24 wins and a 2.48 ERA. He also won his first Cy Young Award that season.
For his career, Clemens has a 3.12 ERA across 709 games, while his 4,672 strikeouts rank third all-time in MLB history.
