President Donald Trump surprised Roger Clemens with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a Texas rally on Wednesday.
The announcement came at a campaign stop in San Antonio, where Clemens, 62, had taken the stage to introduce the president. Trump, 78, broke the news mid-speech, catching the former pitcher completely off guard. “We’re giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump told the crowd.
Clemens stood visibly stunned before addressing the audience himself. “Well, I’m stunned, number one,” he said. “And again, 24 years, y’all. This supersedes anything that, obviously, I’ve done in my playing career. And to get it from this man, this president, there wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get [it] from.”
The honor places the Texas native among an elite group of baseball figures who have received the nation’s highest civilian award. Previous recipients from the sport include Babe Ruth, Vin Scully, Yogi Berra, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Mariano Rivera and Joe DiMaggio. Trump himself has presented the medal to several athletes across his two terms, including Ruth, Rivera, Tiger Woods, Roger Staubach, Jerry West and most recently Olympic hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck after his gold medal performance in February.
Clemens spent 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, a career that began with 13 years in Boston and included stops in Toronto, Houston and two separate tours with the Yankees. His five-year stretch in The Bronx yielded two World Series championships. The 11-time All-Star and seven-time Cy Young Award winner also captured the 1986 American League MVP and twice won the pitching Triple Crown, in 1997 and 1998. He ranks ninth all-time with 354 career victories.
Trump praised Clemens during the rally as “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time.”
Despite the statistical dominance, Clemens has repeatedly fallen short of Baseball Hall of Fame induction. His candidacy has been dogged by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use, most notably his 82 mentions in the 2007 Mitchell Report. He never tested positive for banned substances. Clemens has peaked at 61.6 percent of the vote, well below the 75 percent threshold required for Cooperstown entry, though he remains eligible for consideration through the Today’s Game Committee.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognition comes as Clemens continues to wait for baseball’s highest institutional honor.