Roger Clemens shocked the world Tuesday afternoon when he appeared before Congress and, under oath, admitted that he is guilty of being too nice.
“If I’m guilty of anything, it’s of being too trusting of everyone, wanting to see the best in everyone and being too nice to everyone,” Clemens confessed in his opening statement.
As a service to our readers, we here at Merrill Park Superstar have done some digging, and with the help of SI.com, have managed to find a few of the rare moments where Clemens lost his temper and nearly lapsed into the category of “not nice guy.”
October 10, 1990: Clemens is ejected in the second inning of the fourth game of the American League Championship Series for swearing at home plate umpire Terry Cooney. Upon his ejection, Clemens charges Cooney and bumps him, leading to a five-game suspension. Clemens’ Red Sox went on to lose the game and the series to the Oakland Athletics.
January 20, 1991: Clemens is arrested for assaulting a police officer at a Houston bar. Clemens claims he was coming to the aid of his brother, Randy, who was to be arrested by the policeman. He is alleged to have done so by jumping on the officer’s back and choking him. Clemens is later acquitted.
July 8, 2000: Mike Piazza suffers a concussion after being struck in the helmet with a Clemens fastball. Piazza, who had homered against Clemens in three consecutive games, suggests after the game that the pitcher’s actions were deliberate.
October 22, 2000: The Piazza-Clemens feud escalates when, in their first meeting since the July 8 beaning, Piazza’s bat shatters upon making contact with a Clemens pitch. One of the shards of the bat finds its way into the hand of Clemens, who fires the kindling in the direction of a running Piazza. An outraged Piazza attempts to confront Clemens, but is restrained as the benches clear.
April 4, 2006: Clemens makes a racially insensitive remark about the fanbases of the Japanese and South Korean World Baseball Classic teams when he notes that “None of the dry cleaners were open, they were all at the game,” during the Japan-South Korea game.
