Trump awards Medal of Freedom to baseball pitcher Roger Clemens

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 03:19 · Archive

Donald Trump announced that former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Trump made the announcement at a rally in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday evening, where Clemens introduced him to the stage.

Clemens is an 11-time All-Star and seven-time Cy Young Award winner. He won two World Series championships with the New York Yankees and ranks ninth all-time with 354 career wins. He also won the American League MVP in 1986 and twice won the pitching Triple Crown, in 1997 and 1998. Trump described him as 'maybe the greatest pitcher of all time'.

Despite his achievements, Clemens has been excluded from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Trump said the Hall of Fame had 'cheated' him and recalled playing golf with Clemens, during which he thought the omission was ridiculous. The former president said he was therefore going to give Clemels the Medal of Freedom instead, telling him to 'forget about the Hall of Fame'.

Clemens' Hall of Fame candidacy has been affected by allegations of steroid use. He was mentioned 82 times in the Mitchell Report, a 2007 investigation into steroid use in baseball, though he has denied the allegations and never tested positive for banned drugs.

Clemens told the crowd he was 'stunned' by the award. 'This supersedes anything that obviously I've done in my playing career,' he said, adding that receiving it from Trump was a 'huge honor'. Clemens, a Texas native who has been a vocal Trump supporter for several years, said there was no other president from whom he would have wanted to receive the award.

How it is being reported

• Trump reveals Roger Clemens will receive the Presidential Medal of FreedomRoger Clemens has a new award to add to his collection.New York Post · 8 Oct, 03:14
• Trump is giving ex-MLB star Roger Clemens the Medal of Freedom, saying the Hall of Fame has cheated himClemens is an accomplished baseball player, but he’s also been plagued with scandals, including allegations of steroid useIndependent World · 8 Oct, 03:10
• Trump awards Medal of Freedom to baseball legend Roger Clemens during Texas rally... with bizarre reference to pitcher's drug allegationsDuring his address to the Texan crowd, Trump announced that the former Houston Astros and New York Yankees star will receive the honor, calling him one of the greatest pitchers ever.Daily Mail Sport · 8 Oct, 02:42

In this story: Donald Trump · Roger Clemens · New York Yankees · San Antonio · Texas

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