CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Roger Clemens joked that he brought “a little Knute Rockne” into the Phillies’ clubhouse ahead of a 7-2 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday morning.
Clemens’ son, Kody, is on the Phillies’ 40-man roster with a chance to win one of the team’s final two bench jobs as a utility player. Roger texted a thumbs-up emoji to Phillies manager Rob Thomson in January, when he heard his son had been traded to Philadelphia as part of the Gregory Soto deal. Thomson texted back and invited him to speak to the team this spring, figuring he would be in town anyway to watch his son play.
Clemens and Thomson know each other from their Yankees days.
“I love doing it, because I was one of them,” Roger said.
Clemens, whose appearance in the clubhouse surprised some players, said he spoke about determination, preparation, being a good teammate and the immortality that comes with world championships. He told a few stories. He answered questions.
“I’ve heard the stories so many times, but at the same time the stories and what he knows about baseball is so great,” Kody said. “I just like seeing how everyone takes it. It’s pretty cool. He’s an open book. But I told everybody, it’s kind of weird because your dad is coming in to talk to a big league team. This isn’t mom-and-pop ball, right? But at the same time, if I look at it from another perspective, it’s really good for these pitchers to talk to him if they need anything.”
Later, Roger joked that some players in camp have probably only seen him pitch on video.
He isn’t wrong. Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter was born in 2003. Clemens last pitched in 2007.
“You’ve got to be consistent, and you have to have a great routine,” Roger said about being successful in the big leagues. “We talked about that a little bit. Have a great routine that you can trust, and that you can count on.”
“I remember him telling me one time, the day I pitch is my day off because I prepare so hard the four days prior to my start,” Thomson said.
Clemens’ bulldog mentality on the mound helped, too.
“I was very focused,” he said. “I was brought up that way. My pops died when I was 9. I was raised by my mother and grandmother. I watched my mom work three jobs. So any team I played for, I took it very seriously and with a lot of pride to try and win. I told the guys that they’re in a situation where they’ve got a taste of it now. You make memories for a lifetime when you win a world championship. But these guys know how to win. They’re built to win.”
Clemens finished his 24-year career with seven Cy Young Awards, 354 wins and championships with the 1999 and 2000 Yankees.
“It was pretty cool,” Phillies ace Zack Wheeler said. “He’s going to be around the next few days, so I’m going to try and pick his brain a little bit, have a little talk with him and just chat. It’s Roger Clemens. He’s one of the best that’s ever done it. And the way he goes about it on the mound, it kind of reminds me of myself a little bit.”