Roger Clemens Shares Thoughts on HOF on WFAN

Roger Clemens was interviewed on WFAN Radio (660 AM/101.9 FM) in New York by host Jody McDonald on Monday, January 1. Below are excerpts of the interview followed by the full transcript.

Clemens will play in the Diamond Resorts Invitational benefiting Florida Hospital for Children from January 12-14 in Orlando, FL. The Diamond Resorts Invitational (DRI) is now part of the PGA TOUR Champions “Challenge Season” schedule, set for Jan. 12-14 at Tranquilo Golf Club in Orlando. The tournament will be televised live all three days on Golf Channel; the unprecedented format includes 27 PGA TOUR Champions (including John Daly, Larry Mize, Mark Calcavecchia and defending champion Woody Austin), four LPGA stars (Brittany Lincicome, Brooke Henderson, Gerina Piller, Brittany Lang) plus 50 celebrities, including Brian Urlacher, Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine. Marcus Allen and Terry Francona among the top sports and entertainment golfers in America.

Clemens on previously defending himself of accusations made
“I answered all the questions. You can’t defend a negative even though we went about it the right way. We dealt with facts and stopped a guy from making money off of us.”
Clemens on getting 70 percent of writers’ votes (according to current tracking by Ryan Thibadoux)
“I appreciate the guys that look at the facts and vote. The writers have control over it, and I appreciate the guys that took the time to look at the facts and voted for me. I have zero control over it. I think the first year or second year you can see how it really not only affected my family or people from all around. I got great texts just recently from the guys at the Hall of Fame up there that I know when I take groups of kids or teens up there. So, if it happens, great.”
Clemens on impact of getting into HOF, and hard work as player:
“To be honest, the Hall of Fame is not going to change me as a person or as a man. I know how hard I worked and played, and what I did and how I did it right. Like I said, you cannot defend a negative even though we did really good doing it and put some people in their place. But we really don’t worry about it a whole lot because I have zero control over it and we are going on to bigger and better things right now. But, you know I appreciate it. This is the first I’ve heard of it this year and I hear about it this time of year every year. Big thumbs up to the ones who are voting for me, and really that’s all you can say. There is really nothing else you can do.”
Key Quotes / Transcript Highlights
Roger Clemens on Hall of Fame Possibility
Jody Mac: “January 24th is when they are going to reveal the Hall of Fame voting results and you are in your 6th year on the ballot. Off what you did statistically when you played, you are an unquestionable Hall of Famer. Nobody would even begin to argue that. You haven’t gotten the vote yet and I think it’s all pretty obvious that the steroid questions and the like are the reasons that you haven’t been able to get the 75% yet. I’m not going to ask you to redefend yourself or revisit that stuff, I want to ask you about how you are handling it now. You have chosen to not discuss it, to not make yourself available to the media to specifically…defend yourself or retell your story or your side of things…you’ve been close but haven’t gotten in yet. As of now, this guy, Ryan Thibadoux, has gotten pretty good at tracking the votes (https://twitter.com/notmrtibbs?lang=en) and right now you’re at 70-plus percent, so you’re on the cusp. You’ve chosen not to discuss it and just let the chips sit where they are. Do you ever think about changing handling it that way? You think it’s the right time to come out and retell your tale or attempt to defend yourself? Or is this a stone cold hard and fast decision you have made - I said what I said and let the record stand as is.”
Roger Clemens: “Well Jody, you’re right. It’s not that I didn’t answer. I answered all the questions. You can’t defend a negative even though we went about it the right way. We dealt with facts and stopped a guy from making money off of us and everything else like you said.”
JM: “Presently you sit at 70.2% with him compiling 34% of the vote, so you’re right there on the cusp”
RC: “Oh yeah, that’s cool. So like I told you I appreciate the guys that look at the facts and vote. You know, the writers have control over it and I appreciate the guys that took the time to look at the facts and voted for me. I have zero control over it. I think the first year or second year you can see how it really not only affected my family or people from all around. I got great texts just recently from the guys at the Hall of Fame up there that I know when I take groups of kids or teens up there. So, if it happens, great.”
RC: “To be honest, the Hall of Fame is not going to change me as a person or as a man. I know how hard I worked and played and what I did and how I did it right. Like I said, you cannot defend a negative even though we did really good doing it and put some people in their place. But we really don’t worry about it a whole lot because I have zero control over it and we are going on to bigger and better things right now. But, you know I appreciate it. This is the first I’ve heard of it this year and I hear about it this time of year every year. Big thumbs up to the ones who are voting for me and really that’s all you can say. There is really nothing else you can do.”
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On the Diamond Resorts Invitational
RC: “Yeah, we are going to head down to Orlando for the Diamond Resorts Invitational. Mike Flaskey and Diamond Resorts have really stepped up and I’ve participated, I think, three years. I do a real fun auction item for the charity fundraising. I let them auction off a package for a group to come down to my house here and take a little personal batting practice in our cage and we try to surround it with when the Astros are in town and possibly that person’s favorite other team, if it’s not the Astros. They go to the ball game and go to the suite and we take good care of them and take them upstairs and take a few pictures and maybe bring them back after with a little singing in the music room. We make it a good experience for them.
The golf at Tranquilo at the Four Seasons in Orlando is going to be a lot of fun. I played with Lee Janzen last year and it was fun for me to sit back and watch a pro swing the club. They’ve got a list of great professional golfers who do it for a living and then I’m out there battling against some of my fellow sports mates from all the four major sports. We are going to get out there and golf and it’s for the Florida Hospital for Children. They cover it on Golf Channel so we are looking forward to it. Its good competition and good fun all the way around.”