The Boston Red Sox honored legendary pitcher Roger Clemens on Friday, May 22, at Fenway Park by distributing 7,500 commemorative bobbleheads before a three-game series opener against the Minnesota Twins.
The promotion celebrated the 40th anniversary of Clemens striking out 20 batters in a single game in April 1986 against the Mariners, a feat he repeated against the Tigers in September 1996.
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Clemens, a 2014 Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee, recorded 192 wins, three American League Cy Young Awards, and one MVP award during his tenure in Boston from 1984 to 1996.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Kody Clemens expressed excitement about the timing of the franchise celebration, which coincided with his second career series appearance at Fenway Park.
"They had to have planned this," said Kody Clemens. "I knew they were going to do a bobblehead.
But to pick the same weekend?"
The younger Clemens, who entered the series hitting .
240 with four home runs and 12 RBIs, noted that a large contingent of family members traveled to Boston for the occasion.
"It's red carpet," said Kody Clemens. "It's super cool for him to go back, and the fans love seeing him.
… He loves Boston. They have treated him really well over the last 40 years or whatever it's been.
It's awesome. I have a ton of family — basically everybody's coming for that weekend.
No one is missing it. It's a big crew."
