“Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in.” These words were said by Michael Corleone but could have been said just as easily about Roger Clemens.
The 7-time Cy Young winner took the mound Saturday night – at the age of 61 – to pitch for the exhibition team, the Savanah Bananas, at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Clemens only retired one hitter and gave up three hits, including a home run.
Clemens, like Michael Jordan at the end of his career, had several false starts regarding retirement. The last time he took the mound in the majors was in 2007 for the Yankees.
He did make a return in 2012 with the Sugarland Skeeters of the Independent League so that he could pitch to his son. Clemens remained out of sight, at least as far as the diamond was concerned, until appearing as a Banana last night in Houston.
For some background, the Bananas have been likened to the Harlem Globetrotters because they’re a fun, performance-based baseball team. The Bananas, who spend most of their time traveling the landscape while entertaining fans at minor league ballparks are on tour. This tour is special because it includes a couple of MLB ballparks, such as Minute Maid and Boston’s Fenway Park.
Clemens won 354 games in his MLB career but remains locked out of the Hall of Fame due to allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs.