yahoo
At a Republican campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday, October 8, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens was taken aback when President Donald Trump called him to the stage. Trump, 80, revealed that Clemens would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an honor that ranks alongside the Congressional Medal of Honor as the nation's highest civilian award, according to a C-SPAN video posted on YouTube the same day.
Trump praised Clemens, 64, highlighting his impressive career statistics as a seven-time Cy Young Award winner. In response, Clemens expressed his astonishment, saying, "Well, I'm stunned." He then told the crowd, "Again, 24 years y'all – this supersedes anything that obviously I've done in my playing career. To get it from this man, this president. There wouldn't be another president I'd want to get it from."
Clemens, who pitched for the Red Sox from 1984 to 1996 and later won two World Series titles with the New York Yankees, spent his high school years in Houston. He noted the significance of receiving the honor in his home state, adding, "Announcing it here in my home state, and again, from this man." He also joked that Trump could be his agent, remarking, "You talk about a winner – that's a winner right there," and later quipped, "I guess I could come out of retirement again with all those stats he read off." Clemens concluded, "I can't thank you enough. That is a huge honor, and again, thank y'all very much."
Key Analysis
During his speech, Trump also suggested that Clemens should be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame, a honor that has eluded him due to repeated mentions in the 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball, as reported by Fox News. Clemens has consistently denied the allegations, including under oath before Congress, and was subsequently charged with perjury and obstructing a congressional investigation, according to NPR. In 2012, he was acquitted on all charges.
Originally reported by yahoo.