On the evening of December 7, the official announcement from the “Contemporary Baseball Era” Selection Committee shocked the baseball world: Roger Clemens, along with Barry Bonds, did not receive enough votes to be honored — meaning the door to Cooperstown closed once again. This is the 12th consecutive time they have been rejected.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts (top 3 in MLB history), is one of the greatest pitchers of all time — but those formidable numbers were not enough to overcome the prejudice of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
During his 24-year career (1984–2007), Clemens was a mainstay for Boston, Toronto, Yankees and Astros. His record: 354 wins – 184 losses, 3.12 ERA, multiple seasons leading MLB in ERA+, strikeouts, 11 All-Star selections, and one of the most complete pitchers in history.
What’s more, Clemens was a two-time World Series champion and held the record for “20 strikeouts/game,” a feat he repeated 10 years later — proving that he was not only strong, but also durable.
And yet, at the last minute… he was still denied.
Clemens’s brilliant career has long been overshadowed by allegations of drug use. Although he never tested positive for any test and was acquitted after a congressional hearing in 2012, suspicions persisted — especially after his name appeared in the 2007 report released by the Anti-Doping Agency.
This year, the 16-person committee only accepts candidates who receive at least 75 percent of the vote. Clemens, along with Bonds, failed to meet the threshold — even receiving less than five votes, effectively disqualifying them from any future election until at least 2031.
In the lead-up to the election, there were calls for support for Clemens from prominent figures — like Donald J. Trump, who strongly called the decision to decline the nomination a “historic mistake.”
But in the end, despite his relentless lobbying efforts, bad luck smiled on someone else — not him.
In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, fan communities in Boston, Houston, and New York — where Clemens played — expressed disappointment, even outrage. “354 wins, 7 Cy Youngs, no PEDs to prove it — and still on the sidelines?” one fan on social media asked.
Some former teammates who pitched with Clemens felt remorse: they believed that despite his dark past, he deserved to be inducted for his contributions and historic numbers. But today, Cooperstown is closed — at least for Clemens.
Clemens’s response to his rejection this time was familiar: calm, reasoned, uncomplaining. He emphasized that he played for his family, for his passion — not for the medals.
For Clemens, today may be the final note on his Hall of Fame career — but in baseball history, he remains one of the most memorable icons. A pitcher with the perfect “weapon”: power, technique, desire, and ruthlessness.
The decision to reject Roger Clemens once again raises a big question for MLB — and for anyone who loves sports: What is the value of a legend? Is it the record, the numbers, or the cleanliness — both figuratively and literally?
Clemens, for all his glory and controversy, remains a potent symbol—of dominance, of the ability to transcend all limits. But on December 7, 2025, the Hall of Fame voting team chose to remain silent—and to remind: in baseball, a clean image is sometimes more important than 700+ home runs or 4,600+ strikeouts.
Roger Clemens—still great, but today, there is no permanent medal to his name.
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