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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 32 · OCTOBER 5, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #032 · STEROID ERA
Roger Clemens — 7 Cy Youngs
And The Question That Won't
Close
On September 18, 1996, Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters for the second time in his career — the only
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL pitcher to do it twice.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
THE MOST DECORATED PITCHER IN MODERN BASEBALL HISTORY HAS NEVER BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME.
354 Wins. 7 Cy Young Awards. Career 3.12 ERA.
Eligible For HOF. Never Inducted.
ROGER CLEMENS CY YOUNGS CAREER WINS CAREER STRIKEOUTS
RANDY JOHNSON CY YOUNGS HOF VOTE % (FINAL YEAR) AGE AT FINAL RETIREMENT
Clemens won 7 Cy Young awards — more than any pitcher in history. He struck out 4,672 batters and
went 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA across 24 seasons. He was named to the Mitchell Report in 2007 for
alleged HGH and steroid use. He has never been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He received 66% of votes
in his final year on the writers' ballot — falling short of the 75% threshold.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS Seattle Mariners APRIL 29, 1986
20 3 0 W 3-1
IP K HITS ALLOWED WALKS RESULT
20 Strikeouts
THE SINGLE-GAME STRIKEOUT RECORD: 20 K IN 9 INNINGS
On April 29, 1986, Clemens struck out 20 Seattle Mariners in a 9-inning complete game — the single-game
major league strikeout record at the time. He walked nobody. He was 23 years old. The Mariners never got a
read on his fastball all night. Clemens went on to win the AL Cy Young and MVP that season at 24-4. He
struck out 20 again on September 18, 1996 against Detroit. Nobody else has done it once. He did it twice.
ERA VS ERA 03
Does Roger Clemens Belong In The Hall Of Fame?
THE CASE FOR THE CASE AGAINST
CY YOUNG AWARDS MITCHELL REPORT
7 — most in history Named 2007
CAREER ERA+ VS HOF VOTE PEAK
143 66% — below 75% threshold
CAREER K PED ERA CONTEXT
4,672 — 3rd all-time Steroid era competition
Clemens received 66% of HOF votes in his final ballot year — meaning most writers think he belongs but not
enough reached 75%. The steroid question is real and unresolved. His pre-Mitchell Report numbers are
already HOF-caliber. The honest debate: the numbers demand induction; the conduct complicates it. Sound
familiar? (See: Issue #25, Pete Rose.)
Does Roger Clemens belong in the Hall of Fame?
YES — 7 CY YOUNGS, END OF DEBATE NO — MITCHELL REPORT DISQUALIFIES HIM YES, BUT WITH AN ASTERISK
SAME DEBATE AS BONDS — NO CLEAN ANSWER
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
2004 · HOUSTON ASTROS · AGE 41
He Won A Cy Young Award At Age 41. Nobody Has
Done That Before Or Since.
Clemens won his 7th Cy Young Award in 2004 at age 41 — going 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA for the
Houston Astros. The oldest Cy Young winner in history. He'd already retired once (after 2003)
before returning. His 2004 season was better than most pitchers' career peaks. Whatever the
full story of his career includes, the 41-year-old Cy Young is a fact that doesn't bend.
I'm not going to say what I have or haven't done. I'm going to let my career speak for
itself.
— ROGER CLEMENS, 2008
THE STAT VAULT 05
CY YOUNG AWARDS
STRIKEOUTS IN A SINGLE GAME
7 Most in baseball history. Won them across 20
April 29, 1986. He did it again September
5 different decades: 1980s, 1990s, and
18, 1996. Nobody else has done it once.
2000s.
AGE AT 7TH CY YOUNG
CAREER WINS
354 41 Oldest Cy Young winner in history. 2004,
9th all-time. Won 20+ games in a season
Houston Astros. He was technically in his
4 times.
second act.
66% PEAK HOF VOTE PERCENTAGE
Needed 75%. Fell short. Inducted into the Hall of Fame? Still no.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Dave Stieb
TORONTO BLUE JAYS · 1979-1993
176 WINS · 3.44 ERA · 7 ALL-STARS
Most Underrated Starter Of The 1980s. Seven Near No-Hitters. One Actual
One.
Dave Stieb was the most consistent starter in the AL through much of the 1980s, going 176-134 with a 3.44
ERA. He threw 7 no-hit bids that were broken up in the 9th inning before finally completing one in 1990. He
played in Canada, which limited his visibility. He's not in the Hall of Fame and rarely appears in any list of
elite 1980s pitchers.
THE CONNECTION:
Stieb and Clemens dominated the same era. Clemens won the hardware. Stieb played in Toronto
where hardware doesn't accumulate. Same decade, same quality, completely different legacies.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Wade Boggs hit .328 for his career and never struck out. The most boring stat in baseball is his
most dangerous.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.