Roger Clemens falls short of Hall of Fame in final year on ballot - Chron

In his final season on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, Roger Clemens failed to make the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Clemens received 65.2% of the vote, which put him shy of the 75% required to gain entry, in his 10th and final season on the ballot.

Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who received 77.9% of the vote, was the only player selected Tuesday. Former Astros closer Billy Wagner received 51% in his seventh year on the ballot.

The fate of Clemens now rests in the hands of the Today’s Game Committee, formerly known as the Veterans Committee, which meets twice every five years to consider the Hall of Fame cases of players who were passed up by the writers. The committee, which is made up of 16 Hall of famers, will next meet in December to consider who should be included in the 2023 class. A player must receive votes from 12 of the 16 members of the committee to make the Hall of Fame. Players can be considered by the Today’s Game Committee forever.

The 59-year-old Clemens, who grew up in Houston and still lives here, clearly has Hall of Fame numbers. To go along with his record seven Cy Young Awards, Clemens also won an MVP, made 11 All-Star teams, recorded 354 career wins (ninth all-time), 4,672 strikeouts (third all-time), seven ERA titles and two World Series championships.

However – much like Barry Bonds, who also came up short of induction in his final year on the ballot, receiving 66% of the votes Tuesday – Clemens’ name always will be embroiled in steroid controversy. Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former trainer, accused the pitcher of using performance-enhancing drugs, an allegation Clemens denied in front of Congress.

Clemens, who starred at Spring Woods High School and the University of Texas, later was indicted on six counts of perjury, contempt and making false statements to Congress, but Clemens fought it in court and eventually won, getting acquitted on all counts.

Still, the steroid cloud hangs over his head.

After pitching 20 seasons for the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees, Clemens briefly retired after the 2003 season only to join the Astros the next season. Clemens went 38-18 with a 2.40 ERA in three seasons with the Astros, including winning his seventh Cy Young in 2004 and helping the Astros make their first World Series in 2005.

Clemens retired again after the 2006 season, but returned to pitch a half-season for the Yankees before calling it quits for good at 44 years old.

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