Joe Torre Says Roger Clemens Belongs In The Hall of Fame

Roger Clemens has at least one supporter in his bid to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Too bad he doesn’t get a vote. Joe Torre, Clemens Manager when he was with the New York Yankees, thinks that there is room for the seven time Cy Young Winner in the hall.

Roger Clemens has been implicated in Baseball’s notorious “Steroid Era”. He was recently charged with Perjury in connection with his testimony before a Congressional committee investigating the use of performance enhancing drugs

Torre, who was on hand for Yankees Old Timer’s Day at the new Yankee Stadium, said Clemens was like a son to him.

Torre said,

“I can’t make other people look at him. I can just tell you the way I feel. I was proud to have him play for me. He always gave you everything he had and I always respected that.”

Torre managed Clemens for six seasons in New York. During his tenure with New York the Yankees won two World Series. Clemens came under suspicion of using steroids and Human Growth Hormone after being named in the Mitchell Report. He then appeared in a televised hearing before Congress where he denied ever using any type of drugs. He was recently acquitted on six related charges of lying to hearing when his long time trainer said that Clemens lied and had used both drugs.

This winter is the first time Clemens will appear on the ballot for Cooperstown along with Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, who were also mired in the scandal.

Torre said that the suspicion will always cloud Clemens’ records, saying,

“It’s sad for me because Roger Clemens in the way he went about his business – and I disliked him like everybody else until I got a chance to know him – he was a great teammate for these guys and he was very devoted to the team he was playing on and I always respected that.”