What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality
“Pearlman’s book develops a stark, unsparing picture of Clemens’s life that surpasses anything that’s come before.”
— Boston Globe Jeff Pearlman, the New York Times bestselling author of The Bad Guys Won! and Boys Will be Boys, now brings us The Rocket That Fell to Earth, an explosive account of the rise and fall of Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees superstar Roger Clemens, arguably the greatest pitcher of all time. Called “exceptional” by Time magazine, The Rocket That Fell to Earth is a stunning portrait of a sports legend equally loved and loathed by fans and colleagues, his life and his storied career, and his place at the dead center of professional baseball’s shocking steroid controversy.
— Boston Globe Jeff Pearlman, the New York Times bestselling author of The Bad Guys Won! and Boys Will be Boys, now brings us The Rocket That Fell to Earth, an explosive account of the rise and fall of Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees superstar Roger Clemens, arguably the greatest pitcher of all time. Called “exceptional” by Time magazine, The Rocket That Fell to Earth is a stunning portrait of a sports legend equally loved and loathed by fans and colleagues, his life and his storied career, and his place at the dead center of professional baseball’s shocking steroid controversy.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Jeff Pearlman
15 books422 followersJeff Pearlman is an American sportswriter. He has written nine books that have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list: four about football, three on baseball and two about basketball. He authored the 1999 John Rocker interview in Sports Illustrated.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 5, 2013
I really enjoy Jeff Pearlman's books which give you a behind the scene glimpse at a sports figure or team. This book on Roger Clemens is no different. Pearlman examines Roger growing up a fat boy in Ohio with average talent. The early loss of his father and step-father, his drug addicted brother Randy who was his idol and his determination to be a major league pitcher.
I am always amazed that national figures who we view as having such great lives can, despite their fame and money, be living miserable lives. There is so much more to life then fame and fortune our world holds out as desirable.
Clemens is really a dumb ego maniac with a ton of ability who couldn't deal with losing the one thing that he thought made him special-the ability to throw a ball past MLB hitters. To maintain his stature Clemens began to take PEDs.
This is more then a book about PEDs though. This gives you a behind the scenes look at Clemens and major league baseball during the steriod era. I love baseball and its history so this was a fun read for me.
I am always amazed that national figures who we view as having such great lives can, despite their fame and money, be living miserable lives. There is so much more to life then fame and fortune our world holds out as desirable.
Clemens is really a dumb ego maniac with a ton of ability who couldn't deal with losing the one thing that he thought made him special-the ability to throw a ball past MLB hitters. To maintain his stature Clemens began to take PEDs.
This is more then a book about PEDs though. This gives you a behind the scenes look at Clemens and major league baseball during the steriod era. I love baseball and its history so this was a fun read for me.
April 6, 2009
I read this entire book in one day, a first for me. It's a very easy read that follows the saga of the Rocket from fat kid in Ohio to misremembering in court as a superstar clinging onto anyhing he can grab a hold of. I really liked Roger Clemens when I was younger. Had the video game and was so happy when he signed with Toronto. I still wear my Clemens jersey to games on ocasion. Like Charles Barkley made it known, athletes are not rolemodels; Roger Clemens is not an exception. Sure he can be commended for working hard when he was younger but once he began to lose his ability he turned to drugs and then lied about it. The Roger Clemens of 1984-1996 is one I'll always remember as the Rocket. The Roger Clemens of 1997-2007 I'll always remember as the Cheater. I'd give it five stars but the writer doesn't get indepth enough. It's more of a bit of this and that. Good read especially if you looked up to him as I did as a kid.
July 10, 2021
A decade or so removed from the hysteria created by RC’s denials over his Performance Enhancing Substance use, this book is still a very compelling and insightful look at one of the all time great pitchers and his descent into infamy. The only disappointing part I found about the book was that it cut off just before his trial for lying to congress. I would have enjoyed an in-depth account of that part of the story in how Clemens, based on logic alone seemed to be destined for conviction and jail time. Instead, with an OJ-like defiance of that logic, he was able to escape and seemingly forever ensure his ability to continue to deny the obvious.
I’m actually glad I didn’t read it until after the dust settled and perspective had a chance to form. I can’t say that there were too many surprises with this one, although did not know about all the problems with his brother, which was genuinely saddening. Overall, I’d say it was more or less a confirmation of the criticisms and suspicions that trailed him for most of his career. Extreme self involvement and narcissism seems to be at the center of both his successes and failings.
Elite entertainers and elite sports figures, in particular … Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, etc. lead lives so far removed from anything us mere mortals can comprehend, let alone relate to. While we all admire their talent, accomplishments, and - in particular for me - their extreme determination and work ethic behind these achievements, it seems that the efforts and stresses that are a part of their profession serve as catalysts and even rationalizations for behaviors that most of us would find unacceptable, even abhorrent, but their extreme wealth and privilege allows.
I’m actually glad I didn’t read it until after the dust settled and perspective had a chance to form. I can’t say that there were too many surprises with this one, although did not know about all the problems with his brother, which was genuinely saddening. Overall, I’d say it was more or less a confirmation of the criticisms and suspicions that trailed him for most of his career. Extreme self involvement and narcissism seems to be at the center of both his successes and failings.
Elite entertainers and elite sports figures, in particular … Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, etc. lead lives so far removed from anything us mere mortals can comprehend, let alone relate to. While we all admire their talent, accomplishments, and - in particular for me - their extreme determination and work ethic behind these achievements, it seems that the efforts and stresses that are a part of their profession serve as catalysts and even rationalizations for behaviors that most of us would find unacceptable, even abhorrent, but their extreme wealth and privilege allows.
April 27, 2020
Shortly after "The Rocket" threw his last major league pitch in 2007, former Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Pearlman produced this biography of Roger Clemens. The book is more thorough than any previous look at Clemens's life and career, because Pearlman interviewed hundreds of his peers from all stages of his life. Readers will learn that Clemens lost two fathers at a young age, first from divorce and then from death. After his stepfather Woody Booher died of a heart attack when he was eight, his mother Bess had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Though he was without a father, his brother Randy stepped in as a father figure in his life and helped mold him into a fiercely competitive athlete. Pearlman recounts the success of his journey: from a chubby child growing up in Ohio, to a San Jacinto College pitcher who learned how to follow through with his arm until he could surpass 90 miles per hour with his fastball, to his Texas Longhorns days, to his 24 years with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.
Yet Pearlman minces no words in evaluating Clemens's character. He presents Clemens as an egomaniac who had an inconsiderate attitude with the media, had several affairs with young women during his marriage, and turned to steroids beginning in the 1998 season because he could not bear the thought of losing his ability to intimidate batters with his mid-90s fastball. In Pearlman's words, "Without the drugs (at age 37), Clemens had seemed old, stale, and nervous. With the drugs, he was the Rocket, throwing high, hard heat while snarling at anyone who dared stand in his way." By the end of the book, Clemens is a pariah largely shunned by the baseball world due to the accusations against him and his false denials. Although I would say Pearlman's writing falls below authors like Tom Verducci and Joe Posnanski, he has written a lively and entertaining read that goes further than any other book in exploring Roger Clemens and his character.
Yet Pearlman minces no words in evaluating Clemens's character. He presents Clemens as an egomaniac who had an inconsiderate attitude with the media, had several affairs with young women during his marriage, and turned to steroids beginning in the 1998 season because he could not bear the thought of losing his ability to intimidate batters with his mid-90s fastball. In Pearlman's words, "Without the drugs (at age 37), Clemens had seemed old, stale, and nervous. With the drugs, he was the Rocket, throwing high, hard heat while snarling at anyone who dared stand in his way." By the end of the book, Clemens is a pariah largely shunned by the baseball world due to the accusations against him and his false denials. Although I would say Pearlman's writing falls below authors like Tom Verducci and Joe Posnanski, he has written a lively and entertaining read that goes further than any other book in exploring Roger Clemens and his character.
June 7, 2009
This is a well written book about someone that I used to idolize.
Roger Clemens was was an intimidating pitcher that dominated well into his 40's. He was known for his work ethic, and his longevity was attributed to his hard work in the gym while off the field.
It turns out that this, in fact, was too good to be true. There is ample evidence that when Clemens started to show signs of aging, and he lost his zip, he turned to steroids.
This, unfortunately, was not that unusual. Baseball was riddled with performance enhancing drugs. What is amazing is the arrogance, deceit, and malignant competitiveness. Clemens was a great pitcher, because that is all he did. It seems that his development was arrested in almost every other way. The praise and worship that he received from fans, and even other players was constant, and he began to believe it. The myth overshadowed the reality so much that even Clemens was under its spell.
When the allegations of steroid use were made public by the Mitchell report, he unraveled much like he often did while pitching in high pressure situations. Instead of owning up to his transgressions and settling with a modicum of dignity, he took the low road and feverishly (and at times comically) denied steroid use. This escalated all the way up to lying under oath before congress and exposing himself to the real risk of doing some serious prison time.
This was a captivating story that made clear the dangers inherent in fame and fortune. Excellent summer reading.
Roger Clemens was was an intimidating pitcher that dominated well into his 40's. He was known for his work ethic, and his longevity was attributed to his hard work in the gym while off the field.
It turns out that this, in fact, was too good to be true. There is ample evidence that when Clemens started to show signs of aging, and he lost his zip, he turned to steroids.
This, unfortunately, was not that unusual. Baseball was riddled with performance enhancing drugs. What is amazing is the arrogance, deceit, and malignant competitiveness. Clemens was a great pitcher, because that is all he did. It seems that his development was arrested in almost every other way. The praise and worship that he received from fans, and even other players was constant, and he began to believe it. The myth overshadowed the reality so much that even Clemens was under its spell.
When the allegations of steroid use were made public by the Mitchell report, he unraveled much like he often did while pitching in high pressure situations. Instead of owning up to his transgressions and settling with a modicum of dignity, he took the low road and feverishly (and at times comically) denied steroid use. This escalated all the way up to lying under oath before congress and exposing himself to the real risk of doing some serious prison time.
This was a captivating story that made clear the dangers inherent in fame and fortune. Excellent summer reading.
April 30, 2019
For an avid baseball fan just coming of age during Roger Clemens' final few seasons in the mid-2000s, the only memories and knowledge I had of "The Rocket" were of a 40-45 year old man still able to pitch (and at an incredible level!) in the major leagues, along with the statistics that sports broadcasters and journalists threw my way regarding this legendary pitcher. I never knew about Clemens' years in Boston, where he won the MVP and his first 3 Cy Young Awards, nor his back-to-back marvelous Cy Young seasons in Toronto. I only ever saw Clemens in a Yankee uniform, or heard about his continual attempts to play one more year in adopted state of Texas, and then finally, the endless media coverage of the allegations concerning Clemens' usage of performance-enhancing drugs. As a growing baseball historian, I wanted to learn more. I wanted to know how this 350 game winner got to this point in his life, including his personal life and upbringing, 24-year-long baseball career, and his fall from grace via the steroid scandal. Pearlman gave me exactly what I was hoping for, and more, in this well-researched and superbly-written biography of the 7 time Cy Young winner. I highly recommend all to give this book a read, as it handles all aspects of Clemens' life equally and gives the reader a great, mostly-unbiased, detailed look into this ace pitcher.
Want to read
April 7, 2009When I saw this at Borders, I thought it was another salacious baseball book. Then I read the small write up in Sports Illustrated and decided it would be worth my while: "in this well crafted bio, author Jeff Pearlman digs deep into Roger Clemens' rep as a texas-bred flamethrower, devoted family man, and dedicated teammate. Pearlman produces a rich character study, revealing a complex figure ultimately undone by the ambition that made him great."
Wow.
Wow.
October 1, 2023
I recently read Jeff Pearlman’s book, “Sweetness” a biography about Walter Payton, who like many sports heroes was a flawed person, but showed a lot of humanity that made him a sympathetic man. Unlike Payton, Clemens comes off as a simple and not particularly introspective person. It also makes a convincing case that Clemens is a self-centered and thoroughly deluded man so given to lying that he probably believes his own lies. Remind you of someone?
Roger Clemens was a fearless, hard-nosed Texan (technically from rural Ohio) with a 98-mph fastball and a propensity to throw at the heads of opposing hitters, Roger “the Rocket” Clemens won 354 games, an unprecedented seven Cy Young Awards, and two World Series trophies over the course of twenty-four seasons. But the statistics and hoopla obscured a far darker story—one of playoff chokes, womanizing (including a long-term affair with a teenage country singer), steroid and human growth hormone use, and lying about it in dramatic fashion.
The reader is taken from Clemens's early years in Ohio (not Texas) when he was an unpopular pudgy kid who idolized his older brother Randy who instilled in him his lifelong focus on wanting to be a winner. After his stepfather Woody Booher died of a heart attack when he was eight, his mother Bess had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Though he was without a father, his brother Randy stepped in as a father figure in his life and helped mold him into a fiercely competitive athlete. Weaved through the entire story is the sad fact that Randy became a drug addict and after a tragedy Roger cut Randy out of his life.
As a young athlete, Clemens was unremarkable. It was only when he got into high school, and later college, that he developed the skills for which he was famous: tenacity and a desire to excel that bordered on the maniacal.
Clemens has had a unique baseball career. After starring at the University of Texas, Clemens arrived as a full-blown star for the Boston Red Sox in the mid-1980's, and almost led them to a title in 1986. Pearlman covers everything in chronological order. There’s the playoff game Clemens got thrown out of. There's the 20-strike out game against Seattle, the playoff losses, the World Series, the bat-throwing incident with Mike Piazza, the retiring and unretiring, and the infamous Congressional hearing. It's all there.
Yet Pearlman minces no words in evaluating Clemens's character. He presents Clemens as an egomaniac who had an inconsiderate attitude with the media, had several affairs with young women during his marriage, and turned to steroids beginning in the 1998 season because he could not bear the thought of losing his ability to intimidate batters with his mid-90s fastball.
The Red Sox didn't pursue him in free agency, and Clemens wound up signing with Toronto. Apparently angry over events, Pearlman writes that Clemens took on an "I'll show them" personality, and that he'd do anything to get back to the top of the pitching mount. That meant steroids and human growth hormone. It also meant several more years of success, extending his career into the middle of the 2000's.
Pearlman leaves no doubt that Roger Clemens was a dominant pitcher before the use of performing enhancing drugs but that the use of these drugs is what created the Roger Clemens' aurora that was extinguished once the Mitchell Report was delivered in December of 2007.
Pearlman points out that journalists, who are given extraordinary access to baseball athletes like Clemens, turned a blind eye to the performance enhancing problem and took turns gushing over Clemens' ability to continue to compete at the highest level that defied sports medicine with no real investigation into why this was happening. He pitched till he was 45, when most pitchers retired in their mid to late 30’s.
Barry Bonds was another Hall of Fame-bound superstar that like Clemens put up record numbers in his late 30s and early 40s. It’s amazing how much a black outfielder and white baseball pitcher had in common. Both had massive egos. The most dominant pitcher and hitter of the steroid era. Clemens won 7 Cy Youngs. Bonds won seven MVPs. Both had multiple bad post-season performances pre steroid use. Both were ornery with the media. Both never admitted to steroid use, despite overwhelming evidence that said they did. Both their last seasons were in 2007. Both were never voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Both have had books written about them by Jeff Pearlman.
“The Rocket that fell to the earth” is a quick read and highly entertaining biography. It’s clear to me, unlike “Sweetness, that Jeff Pearlman did not care for Roger Clemens.
Roger Clemens was a fearless, hard-nosed Texan (technically from rural Ohio) with a 98-mph fastball and a propensity to throw at the heads of opposing hitters, Roger “the Rocket” Clemens won 354 games, an unprecedented seven Cy Young Awards, and two World Series trophies over the course of twenty-four seasons. But the statistics and hoopla obscured a far darker story—one of playoff chokes, womanizing (including a long-term affair with a teenage country singer), steroid and human growth hormone use, and lying about it in dramatic fashion.
The reader is taken from Clemens's early years in Ohio (not Texas) when he was an unpopular pudgy kid who idolized his older brother Randy who instilled in him his lifelong focus on wanting to be a winner. After his stepfather Woody Booher died of a heart attack when he was eight, his mother Bess had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Though he was without a father, his brother Randy stepped in as a father figure in his life and helped mold him into a fiercely competitive athlete. Weaved through the entire story is the sad fact that Randy became a drug addict and after a tragedy Roger cut Randy out of his life.
As a young athlete, Clemens was unremarkable. It was only when he got into high school, and later college, that he developed the skills for which he was famous: tenacity and a desire to excel that bordered on the maniacal.
Clemens has had a unique baseball career. After starring at the University of Texas, Clemens arrived as a full-blown star for the Boston Red Sox in the mid-1980's, and almost led them to a title in 1986. Pearlman covers everything in chronological order. There’s the playoff game Clemens got thrown out of. There's the 20-strike out game against Seattle, the playoff losses, the World Series, the bat-throwing incident with Mike Piazza, the retiring and unretiring, and the infamous Congressional hearing. It's all there.
Yet Pearlman minces no words in evaluating Clemens's character. He presents Clemens as an egomaniac who had an inconsiderate attitude with the media, had several affairs with young women during his marriage, and turned to steroids beginning in the 1998 season because he could not bear the thought of losing his ability to intimidate batters with his mid-90s fastball.
The Red Sox didn't pursue him in free agency, and Clemens wound up signing with Toronto. Apparently angry over events, Pearlman writes that Clemens took on an "I'll show them" personality, and that he'd do anything to get back to the top of the pitching mount. That meant steroids and human growth hormone. It also meant several more years of success, extending his career into the middle of the 2000's.
Pearlman leaves no doubt that Roger Clemens was a dominant pitcher before the use of performing enhancing drugs but that the use of these drugs is what created the Roger Clemens' aurora that was extinguished once the Mitchell Report was delivered in December of 2007.
Pearlman points out that journalists, who are given extraordinary access to baseball athletes like Clemens, turned a blind eye to the performance enhancing problem and took turns gushing over Clemens' ability to continue to compete at the highest level that defied sports medicine with no real investigation into why this was happening. He pitched till he was 45, when most pitchers retired in their mid to late 30’s.
Barry Bonds was another Hall of Fame-bound superstar that like Clemens put up record numbers in his late 30s and early 40s. It’s amazing how much a black outfielder and white baseball pitcher had in common. Both had massive egos. The most dominant pitcher and hitter of the steroid era. Clemens won 7 Cy Youngs. Bonds won seven MVPs. Both had multiple bad post-season performances pre steroid use. Both were ornery with the media. Both never admitted to steroid use, despite overwhelming evidence that said they did. Both their last seasons were in 2007. Both were never voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Both have had books written about them by Jeff Pearlman.
“The Rocket that fell to the earth” is a quick read and highly entertaining biography. It’s clear to me, unlike “Sweetness, that Jeff Pearlman did not care for Roger Clemens.
May 3, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THIS ROCKET USED ILLEGAL FUEL!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the life story of Roger Clemens who among other things is an all-time great baseball player… a cheater… an abuser of illegal drugs… a Father… a husband… an adulterer… a perjurer… a liar… and not real smart. In fact… if Charles Dickens hadn’t made the following phrase famous back in 1859 it would be the perfect opening sentence in this book: “IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES!” The author Jeff Pearlman does an absolutely fantastic job in presenting all sides of this egomaniacal fabricator of deceptions that range from telling people that “he was offered dual football-baseball scholarships by North Texas State, Northeastern Louisiana and the University of Georgia. THIS IS NOT TRUE. He also tells the story of a scout with the Minnesota Twins coming to his house after the team selected him with their 22nd round pick. NOT ONLY WAS HE NOT DRAFTED by Minnesota in the 22nd round – he wasn’t drafted at all.” (That year) “Clemens told people he had played basketball at Texas and that the Seattle Supersonics and Boston Celtics had both been interested in his services. NOT TRUE.” “Sean McAdam, who covered the Red Sox for “The Providence Journal” said: “ROGER WAS AS FULL OF “CRAP” AS ANY ATHLETE I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER. HE SAID WHATEVER WORKED FOR HIM, WHETHER IT WAS TRUTHFUL OR NOT. REALITY DIDN’T MATTER FOR ROGER CLEMENS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.” Clemens who always rambled aimlessly in non-tangential flows about his great wife… was also an adulterer… thus exposing himself as a classic hypocrite… along with all his other character flaws.
When Clemens first started his sexual affair with future country singer Mindy McCready she was seventeen-years-old and Roger was thirty. “Based on Florida Statute 794.05 which states that a person twenty-four-years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person sixteen or seventeen years of age commits a felony of the second degree, their assignation constituted statutory rape. Clemens could have faced up to thirty years in a state penitentiary.” While this affair continued… along with other extra marital liaisons… Clemens had the hubris to plan a second honeymoon with his wife and renew their wedding vows. And then of course there was the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs. And on top of that… and probably worse to most red blooded American fans… is the outright lying under oath… and in news conferences… and the nonsensical-non-grammatical-non-intellectual statement regarding his best friend in the world Andy Pettitte who came clean about their drug use and discussions… when Clemens said: “HE MUST HAVE MISREMEMBERED.”
As I mentioned earlier the author shows all sides of Clemens, and one thing that absolutely everyone agrees on, is the fact that no one ever worked harder than Clemens physically. The reader is taken from Rogers early years in Ohio (not Texas) when he was an unpopular pudgy kid who idolized his older brother Randy who instilled in him his lifelong focus on wanting to be a winner. Weaved through the entire story is the sad fact that Randy became a drug addict and basically disappeared into the ether. From high school… to junior college (Roger got no four-year scholarship offers out of high school)… to stardom at the University of Texas… to the Boston Red Sox… to the defining game where he broke the Major League single game strikeout record by striking out twenty men… and the seven Cy Young awards... is all covered. But the reader is left with the queasy feeling that the cumulative totals of victories… records… and awards… are definitely tainted. In addition it’s impossible not to come away with the belief that before… during… and after… the drug use… Clemens was a soulless individual lacking integrity… and also with a penchant to self-destruct in big games… such as the fourth game of the 1990 ALCS against the Oakland A’s and their ace Dave Stewart… who going into that game was 6 and 1 in head to head matches with Clemens lifetime… and 3 and 0 that year. When the Red Sox needed him most Clemens literally went berserk and was thrown out of the game… one of many similar instances that have stained his career… but no such stain is as indelible as his drug use… and feeble falsehoods… that simply add insult to injury for all true baseball fans. The author Jeff Pearlman has proven to be a master of this genre of book… that openly displays what at first glance seems to be a success story… but when a strong light is shined on the perpetrator… the roaches scurry for cover.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the life story of Roger Clemens who among other things is an all-time great baseball player… a cheater… an abuser of illegal drugs… a Father… a husband… an adulterer… a perjurer… a liar… and not real smart. In fact… if Charles Dickens hadn’t made the following phrase famous back in 1859 it would be the perfect opening sentence in this book: “IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES!” The author Jeff Pearlman does an absolutely fantastic job in presenting all sides of this egomaniacal fabricator of deceptions that range from telling people that “he was offered dual football-baseball scholarships by North Texas State, Northeastern Louisiana and the University of Georgia. THIS IS NOT TRUE. He also tells the story of a scout with the Minnesota Twins coming to his house after the team selected him with their 22nd round pick. NOT ONLY WAS HE NOT DRAFTED by Minnesota in the 22nd round – he wasn’t drafted at all.” (That year) “Clemens told people he had played basketball at Texas and that the Seattle Supersonics and Boston Celtics had both been interested in his services. NOT TRUE.” “Sean McAdam, who covered the Red Sox for “The Providence Journal” said: “ROGER WAS AS FULL OF “CRAP” AS ANY ATHLETE I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER. HE SAID WHATEVER WORKED FOR HIM, WHETHER IT WAS TRUTHFUL OR NOT. REALITY DIDN’T MATTER FOR ROGER CLEMENS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.” Clemens who always rambled aimlessly in non-tangential flows about his great wife… was also an adulterer… thus exposing himself as a classic hypocrite… along with all his other character flaws.
When Clemens first started his sexual affair with future country singer Mindy McCready she was seventeen-years-old and Roger was thirty. “Based on Florida Statute 794.05 which states that a person twenty-four-years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person sixteen or seventeen years of age commits a felony of the second degree, their assignation constituted statutory rape. Clemens could have faced up to thirty years in a state penitentiary.” While this affair continued… along with other extra marital liaisons… Clemens had the hubris to plan a second honeymoon with his wife and renew their wedding vows. And then of course there was the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs. And on top of that… and probably worse to most red blooded American fans… is the outright lying under oath… and in news conferences… and the nonsensical-non-grammatical-non-intellectual statement regarding his best friend in the world Andy Pettitte who came clean about their drug use and discussions… when Clemens said: “HE MUST HAVE MISREMEMBERED.”
As I mentioned earlier the author shows all sides of Clemens, and one thing that absolutely everyone agrees on, is the fact that no one ever worked harder than Clemens physically. The reader is taken from Rogers early years in Ohio (not Texas) when he was an unpopular pudgy kid who idolized his older brother Randy who instilled in him his lifelong focus on wanting to be a winner. Weaved through the entire story is the sad fact that Randy became a drug addict and basically disappeared into the ether. From high school… to junior college (Roger got no four-year scholarship offers out of high school)… to stardom at the University of Texas… to the Boston Red Sox… to the defining game where he broke the Major League single game strikeout record by striking out twenty men… and the seven Cy Young awards... is all covered. But the reader is left with the queasy feeling that the cumulative totals of victories… records… and awards… are definitely tainted. In addition it’s impossible not to come away with the belief that before… during… and after… the drug use… Clemens was a soulless individual lacking integrity… and also with a penchant to self-destruct in big games… such as the fourth game of the 1990 ALCS against the Oakland A’s and their ace Dave Stewart… who going into that game was 6 and 1 in head to head matches with Clemens lifetime… and 3 and 0 that year. When the Red Sox needed him most Clemens literally went berserk and was thrown out of the game… one of many similar instances that have stained his career… but no such stain is as indelible as his drug use… and feeble falsehoods… that simply add insult to injury for all true baseball fans. The author Jeff Pearlman has proven to be a master of this genre of book… that openly displays what at first glance seems to be a success story… but when a strong light is shined on the perpetrator… the roaches scurry for cover.
Read
May 26, 2023The running theme of Pearlman's book is that Clemens— for all his skill, drive, and insufferable narcassism— was a moron, plain and simple. Not a good-natured, good-ol'-Southern-boy from Texas, nor a naïve simpleton that populates much of baseball pitching lore (Dizzy Dean, Rube Waddell, etc.), but an idiot with a massively inflated ego that lied, cheated, and yelled his away to both diamond immortality and infamy. Pearlman never goes out and says it, but plenty of the quoted contemporaries of "the Rocket" come out swinging. This book the chronology of a dense, dull, and onery fool with a great arm (eventually enhanced with Human Growth Hormones). Roger's shtick gets tiring— he lacks Trump's quickness or Barry Bond's pure villain status, t0o name two unsavory figures that the author has written about— and thus Pearlman's attempt at narrating the pitcher's increasingly fraudulent successes becomes a bit wearing as well.
May 12, 2021
This book really was a lot of fun to read. My only criticism is that I wished it had ended better. The finish to the book was a little abrupt. But, otherwise, I do recommend this book for anyone who wants to relive an interesting period in baseball, and learn about a very interesting athlete. Jeff is a great writer and I love his style, and he treats Roger with the utmost of fairness and respect. Also, check out what happened to Mindy McCready years after this book was written, crazy stuff!
May 1, 2018
I wanted to halfway believe Clemens. What if he really was telling the truth? Or surely the truth was in the middle somewhere, right?
No. Clemens, as Pearlman depicted so well, has spent a lifetime obsessing about winning. He did whatever it took to come out on top. Now, instead of training or HGH use, he's lying and trying to discredit the messenger in an attempt to stay on top.
It's sad, really.
No. Clemens, as Pearlman depicted so well, has spent a lifetime obsessing about winning. He did whatever it took to come out on top. Now, instead of training or HGH use, he's lying and trying to discredit the messenger in an attempt to stay on top.
It's sad, really.
May 16, 2021
Another fine work from Jeff Pearlman! As he has shown in other books, his occasional cynical comments bring the reader back to reality by reminding you that you would probably insert your own such comment here, too! Being a fan is one thing; drinking the Kool Aid - thinking there is nothing else to satisfy your thirst - is something else. Jeff found a great beer!
April 22, 2022
A 320 page hit piece on Roger Clemens replete with terribly corny and unnecessary metaphors. For example, in describing his sister in-law’s murder he writes: “as she was being pronounced dead, he (Clemens) was being pronounced alive, having won his fourth game with a beautiful seven-inning, two-run, nine-strikeout masterpiece.” Uh what?
February 19, 2023
Ah…reliving the steroid era; the confusion, the lying, the shock, the congressional hearings, and sad sacks like Clemens trying to keep their deceitful reputations. I liked the book, Pearlman does a good job of taking Clemens personal experiences and decisions building up to the ultimate failings of the man.
December 27, 2021
Jeff’s writing is charismatic. I love his metaphors and candid opinions of the person he’s writing about inserted not-so-nonchalantly into the novel. He can also do that and back it up with facts & imagery. Well-reported and even a captivating page-turner for an ignorant baseball fan like me.
September 22, 2023
Pearlman hadn't quite found the balance between humor and storytelling at this point in his career, but damn if this wasn't entertaining. It's equal parts a sports story and a psychological dissection of a very troubled man.
December 4, 2023
This was very well written as is all of Jeff’s work. This was an interesting read to me as I grew up in the time frame of watching Rodger pitch. I enjoyed how the majority of the book focused on his baseball career, with brief mentions before and after baseball.
April 29, 2024
Compelling! Well researched and well written. I loved reading the true accounts of what happened yet saddened by the decisions the players detailed made. Recommend
June 25, 2024
I love Jeff Pearlman's books
May 6, 2015
Roger Clemens is like a high school boyfriend who cheats on you. You fall in love when you are young and impressionable. He is so full of promise and greatness. You overlook all of the flaws. He will mature, he will grow, he will only get better. But he doesn't. He gets worse. He cheats on you. You can't live with that. You know you have to break up, but you still love him. He is so amazing, when he wants to be, but he has to go. Years later you still find yourself thinking about him, missing him, wanting him to have just been faithful to you. Because you could live with all the other stuff, just not the cheating.
That is why I still have all his memorable games on my DVR. The 20 strikeouts, both of them. The world series he won and lost. I read all the books about him, but if you were to ask me, I would say: "Roger Clemens did steroids. He lied and cheated. He is dead to me." But I can't let him go.
His career is the warp of my entire baseball history. I became a Red Sox fan because of him. I still like the Red Sox. I even stopped hating the Yankees when he moved there. I can't let him go because his thread is inexorably woven throughout my baseball memories.
Obviously, I am emotionally invested in this whole topic. I will try to set aside those feelings in my review of this book. I wanted to read this book because I want to read every book about Roger Clemens. I wanted the information that was in this book. However, this book was not well written. Maybe the author has emotional issues with Roger Clemens, too. Pearlman did not simply report information and then allow the facts to speak for themselves. He editorialized everything. I can concede that there are times that editorializing is necessary or at least not obnoxious. But Pearlman just sounds like an angry little kid who is mad at his dad.
Is that how I feel about Roger Clemens? Yes. Can I really fault the author for it, then? No. But that is the vicious hamster wheel that Roger makes me tread. I, as reader, can be emotional and petulant. But I am not writing a book. If you are going to write a published work you must do better.
That is why I still have all his memorable games on my DVR. The 20 strikeouts, both of them. The world series he won and lost. I read all the books about him, but if you were to ask me, I would say: "Roger Clemens did steroids. He lied and cheated. He is dead to me." But I can't let him go.
His career is the warp of my entire baseball history. I became a Red Sox fan because of him. I still like the Red Sox. I even stopped hating the Yankees when he moved there. I can't let him go because his thread is inexorably woven throughout my baseball memories.
Obviously, I am emotionally invested in this whole topic. I will try to set aside those feelings in my review of this book. I wanted to read this book because I want to read every book about Roger Clemens. I wanted the information that was in this book. However, this book was not well written. Maybe the author has emotional issues with Roger Clemens, too. Pearlman did not simply report information and then allow the facts to speak for themselves. He editorialized everything. I can concede that there are times that editorializing is necessary or at least not obnoxious. But Pearlman just sounds like an angry little kid who is mad at his dad.
Is that how I feel about Roger Clemens? Yes. Can I really fault the author for it, then? No. But that is the vicious hamster wheel that Roger makes me tread. I, as reader, can be emotional and petulant. But I am not writing a book. If you are going to write a published work you must do better.
January 30, 2010
I have to say, I picked this up expecting to learn what kinds of steroids exactly Clemens used and was engrossed immediately by his interesting story. Was he a hero? No, but his story needed to be told because it was a good one. And complimented with good writing; you can tell Pearlman really appreciates the English language.
I had no idea of Clemens's troubles with his drug-addicted, psychopath brother who instilled within Clemens the desire to excel at sports, so much that it almost consumed him. Nor did I have any idea how Clemens' career went exactly, but this played out a high/low lights reel of it, without any extra details. It proved to be crisp, snappy baseball, at least at the beginning.
The end, perhaps purposely, sputtered the way Clemens did, flopping and putting its cleat in its mouth (to paraphrase Pearlman). It made me feel as if I was supposed to be getting something out of it that wasn't there.
In addition, Clemens's relations with the women in his life--his mother, sister-in-law, wife, mistress--were given as foggy facts recited to us several times. Would it have been too much trouble to dig a little deeper into those?
But the most troubling thing about this book is the way it paints Clemens himself. Are we supposed to admire him? Pity him? Hate him? One page he'll be a raging psychopath, the next a grounded, simple man, and the next he'll do something stupid. It could have been put together with a clearer image--or perhaps the author's image of Clemens is a muddled one, and that was what he wanted to leave us with. He's a good writer, so I'm willing to believe it.
I had no idea of Clemens's troubles with his drug-addicted, psychopath brother who instilled within Clemens the desire to excel at sports, so much that it almost consumed him. Nor did I have any idea how Clemens' career went exactly, but this played out a high/low lights reel of it, without any extra details. It proved to be crisp, snappy baseball, at least at the beginning.
The end, perhaps purposely, sputtered the way Clemens did, flopping and putting its cleat in its mouth (to paraphrase Pearlman). It made me feel as if I was supposed to be getting something out of it that wasn't there.
In addition, Clemens's relations with the women in his life--his mother, sister-in-law, wife, mistress--were given as foggy facts recited to us several times. Would it have been too much trouble to dig a little deeper into those?
But the most troubling thing about this book is the way it paints Clemens himself. Are we supposed to admire him? Pity him? Hate him? One page he'll be a raging psychopath, the next a grounded, simple man, and the next he'll do something stupid. It could have been put together with a clearer image--or perhaps the author's image of Clemens is a muddled one, and that was what he wanted to leave us with. He's a good writer, so I'm willing to believe it.
September 12, 2009
After reading "The Bad Guys Won," I became a huge fan of Pearlman. So when I saw this book at my local library, I did not hesitate to pick it up. Clemens' fall from grace has been documented elsewhere, but I figured Pearlman might be able to offer some new insight. Although I found the subject interesting and learned quite a bit more about one of my former pitching heroes, I was disappointed with some glaring shortcomings, shortcomings unbecoming of an author like Pearlman. A couple of little things that did not materially alter the book, but nonetheless shown of shoddy fact-checking : (1) referring to US 59, which runs from Houston to Detroit as Interstate 59, and (2) referring to a high school baseball game between Dulles and Galveston High (there is no Galveston High; there is a Galveston Ball High).
I think Pearlman is a talented writer, and I respect him. And if I weren't from Texas, maybe I would not even have noticed those errors. But I did. And that took away from the experience of reading this book and made me question other "facts" that were presented. Furthermore, Pearlman does not seem to rely on many "primary sources" in this book. Instead, he relies on a number newspaper and magazine articles written over the course of Roger's career. Although this is an accepted method of research, more primary sources (interviews with players, etc. conducted by Pearlman) would have improved this book.
I think Pearlman is a talented writer, and I respect him. And if I weren't from Texas, maybe I would not even have noticed those errors. But I did. And that took away from the experience of reading this book and made me question other "facts" that were presented. Furthermore, Pearlman does not seem to rely on many "primary sources" in this book. Instead, he relies on a number newspaper and magazine articles written over the course of Roger's career. Although this is an accepted method of research, more primary sources (interviews with players, etc. conducted by Pearlman) would have improved this book.
August 22, 2016
Like him or not, you had to admire Roger Clemens' dominance on the mound during the regular season. Playoffs? Perhaps not. Fans knew of his manic work ethic that, at first led us to believe it was what helped him pitch into his 40s. Nolan Ryan did it.
But then, the allegations of steroids surfaced and Clemens, like most other sports heroes became tarnished. Now we question if he should even be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Jeff Pearlman does a great job chronicling Clemens' career, beginning from his early days in high school, his booming confidence (and 92 mph fastball) at Texas and his entry into the big leagues. Pearlman's books on the 1986 Mets and the drug-fueled Dallas Cowboys were also great reads and when my sweetie got me this book, I knew it would be good. I wasn't disappointed.
There's the 20-strike out game against Seattle, the playoff losses, the World Series, the bat-throwing incident with Mike Piazza. It's all there. If you're a baseball fan, this book is a must read that captures the feel of baseball in the 1980s into the early 2000s when Clemens was one of the major players in the league.
But then, the allegations of steroids surfaced and Clemens, like most other sports heroes became tarnished. Now we question if he should even be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Jeff Pearlman does a great job chronicling Clemens' career, beginning from his early days in high school, his booming confidence (and 92 mph fastball) at Texas and his entry into the big leagues. Pearlman's books on the 1986 Mets and the drug-fueled Dallas Cowboys were also great reads and when my sweetie got me this book, I knew it would be good. I wasn't disappointed.
There's the 20-strike out game against Seattle, the playoff losses, the World Series, the bat-throwing incident with Mike Piazza. It's all there. If you're a baseball fan, this book is a must read that captures the feel of baseball in the 1980s into the early 2000s when Clemens was one of the major players in the league.
October 15, 2009
I was always a Clemens fan. I was from the Bob Gibson School--if the batter is taking away the inside part of the plate, throw inside. Plunk him in the ribs if necessary. Clemens did that often, and was a fierce competitor on the field. I liked him a lot.
And then he became--in no particular order-- an obnoxious boor, a lousy teammate, and a steroid cheat. So I read this book hoping to find out what happened to him. But Pearlman never really makes it clear whether Clemens was always a jerk or whether he became one as his career continued. My guess is some of both. There are a lot of incidents and "facts" in this book, which make it a decent read, but not a lot of backup to them, and almost no speculation on the autor's part. I found it disappointing even as I found it interesting.
On a side note, my sons wanted "Boys Will be Boys" for Christmas last year. I think it is the only book that ever made me feel slimy while I was purchasing it. They, of course, loved it. Make of it what you will.
And then he became--in no particular order-- an obnoxious boor, a lousy teammate, and a steroid cheat. So I read this book hoping to find out what happened to him. But Pearlman never really makes it clear whether Clemens was always a jerk or whether he became one as his career continued. My guess is some of both. There are a lot of incidents and "facts" in this book, which make it a decent read, but not a lot of backup to them, and almost no speculation on the autor's part. I found it disappointing even as I found it interesting.
On a side note, my sons wanted "Boys Will be Boys" for Christmas last year. I think it is the only book that ever made me feel slimy while I was purchasing it. They, of course, loved it. Make of it what you will.
November 6, 2011
This is the story of Roger Clemens from the fat kid who shared pitching duties with a girl in little league to the steroid using major leaguer. An excellent chronology of Clemens career and his drive to make the major leagues. My one complaint about the book would be that the author spends much of his time focusing on Clemens negatives of which their are many on not enough on some of the good things he did like visiting sick children in hospitals.
December 18, 2011
This book is a pretty quick read - I finished it in about a day. It's a decent bio on Clemens and goes over what drove him to become great (his older brother Randy), his career arc, when his body started to fail, and how he decided to start using steroids to get back to his former level of greatness. Pearlman is a good writer and if you're interested in baseball this is a book worth of your time.
August 4, 2013
I've enjoyed reading this author. All three books I've read by him have been about players (Bonds, Clemens) or teams (1986 Mets) that I really didn't care for. Pearlman does a good job of helping the reader understand why they are such jerks, without apologizing for or justifying their actions. The forces around Clemens coupled with his own amazing talent virtually guaranteed the road he traveled. Really a tragedy.
August 17, 2009
Good book. Lots of info on his life, from kid to current. This book definitely reinforced my impression of him... a guy who can be great when he wants to be, but is overall a liar and arrogant SOB. Not the kind of person I'd call friend, but he's been successful and is rich so I guess he's happy.
December 18, 2012
Steroids have been a subject for several years in relation to sports. Here is Roger Clemmens who was an outstanding pitcher but he got old, as do we all, and needed something to keep him in the spotlight. He denied using steroids to congress and was tried for it. No decision. This book's author obviously feels he was a liar. Interesting book about a major leaguer who is/was not honest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews