WORCESTER — Roger Clemens isn’t shy about his place in Boston sports history.
Last week, in response to a list of the top 10 all-time Boston athletes that did not include the seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens’ social media featured an emoji expressing befuddlement. Clemens said he wasn’t responsible for the post, but embraced its sentiment.
“I don’t do all that. My son does that for me. But he calls and tells me, ‘Dad, this is what’s going on,’ so he put that in there,” said Clemens on Friday, ahead of the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox’ season opener at Polar Park, a 3-1 loss to the Syracuse Mets. “I said, ‘Perfect.’ ”
Does Clemens believe he belongs on that top-10 list?
“One-hundred percent. That’s not even a question,” the 63-year-old said.
Friday marked the first of a number of reminders in 2026 about Clemens’s place in the Boston sports pantheon.
In advance of the 40th anniversary of the first 20-strikeout game of Clemens’s career, which occurred April 29, 1986 (a contest that also gave birth, thanks to fellow Red Sox starter Bruce Hurst, to his “Rocket” moniker), Clemens was invited to throw out the first pitch for the WooSox.
Clemens was elated to be throwing to WooSox hitting adviser Rich Gedman, his Red Sox catcher from 1984-90.
“It’s going to look real familiar,” said Clemens. “I don’t know if I can get my leg up as high, and I don’t know if he’s going to be able to squat as low,”
Clemens said he’ll also be back in Boston for other celebrations this year, and anticipates gaining familiarity with the 2026 Red Sox, particularly in the coming days, when he’ll see them play three games in Houston against the Astros. While Clemens said he doesn’t have a strong feel for this year’s Red Sox team yet, he did note that one visit to Fenway Park last year occurred at a pivotal point in the season.
“Last year when I came up here [to be] on TV and radio, the first baseman [Triston Casas] got hurt,” recalled Clemens. “I thought that would be a perfect scenario for [Rafael Devers] to move over to first. He’s a very good player, but he’s in San Francisco now. So that didn’t work out.”
Though Clemens has a personal services contract with the Astros and works with some of their young pitchers at the request of the front office, his affinity for the Red Sox organization remains considerable. He recalled fondly his brief, 18-game ascent in the team’s minor league system after being drafted out of the University of Texas in 1983. The short minors run included an Eastern League championship with Double-A New Britain that preceded his first visit to Fenway Park.
“Great memories for me, Boston being my home,” he said.
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.