Skip to main content

Clemens: No regrets, no control over Cooperstown

By WTOP Staff

JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Roger Clemens took advantage of his induction into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame to throw batting practice to two of his sons on the field at Fenway Park. Then, it was off to Chicago to see another son play in a high school All-America game at Wrigley Field.

But at no point in his busy schedule, the seven-time Cy Young winner said, does he spend any time worrying about whether he will eventually gain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

“If it happens, it happens. It’s not going to change me as a person,” Clemens said at Fenway on Thursday morning. “It’s not why I played the game. When I was out there and I was doing it, I did it to the best of my ability, and I worked my tail off.”

Clemens was inducted into the Red Sox hall during a lunchtime ceremony along with Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra and longtime broadcaster Joe Castiglione. They were recognized on the field during a 20-minute ceremony that included highlights and prerecorded speeches played on the center-field scoreboard before Thursday night’s game against the Houston Astros.

Clemens received a polite applause from the crowd, while Garciaparra and Martinez were given rousing ovations. The four received plaques and stood at the edge of the mound before throwing out ceremonial first pitches. Martinez was given an additional plaque commemorating his 17-strikeout, one-hitter in Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10, 1999.

But it is the celebration of the hard-throwing Texan that has attracted the most attention, bringing him back to the organization that drafted him out of college and helped him develop into a star. Clemens pitched 13 years in Boston, winning his first three Cy Young Awards and as many games in a Red Sox uniform as Cy Young himself.

In 1996, though, he had a bitter split with the team and signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays — earning the Cy Young in both his seasons there — and he seemed to seal the divorce when he went to the reviled New York Yankees. His returns to Boston were great theater, with the local fans turning on their onetime hero in favor of newcomers — including Martinez.

When he retired, Clemens had amassed 354 wins, and his 4,672 strikeouts are third in baseball history. His seven coronations as the top pitcher in the AL is also unprecedented; he also won the 1986 AL MVP, and twice struck out a record 20 batters in a game.

But Clemens’ reputation across baseball — and especially Boston — suffered again when he was featured in the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball. Although he has been eligible for the past two Cooperstown elections, Clemens has received about one-third of the votes (with three-fourths needed for election), despite on-field accomplishments that would otherwise make him a sure-fire candidate.

“I don’t know if it’s that important,” Clemens said, adding that he has visited the museum, where mementoes of his career are featured, and always receives a warm welcome. “It’s not something I sit up and worry about every day. I’ve been far too busy to worry about that. I know what I did in my career and how I did it, and I did it right.”

Martinez did not seem to care whether Clemens “did it right.” But the Dominican who inherited the role of ace in the Red Sox rotation said he would like to see Clemens take his spot in the hall anyway.

“In my heart, if you asked me before any of that (steroid allegations), I would say ‘Yes, 100 percent,’ without looking back,” Martinez said, referring to Clemens and slugger Barry Bonds. “It’s not just their performances, it’s how they dominated.”

Martinez pitched seven years in Boston and was the star of the staff that won the 2004 World Series to end the franchise’s 86-year title drought. In 1999-2000, he went 41-10 with an ERA of 1.90 — one of the greatest stretches for a pitcher in baseball history.

Garciaparra was Martinez’s teammate then, and now works on the Dodgers’ broadcast crew. And when fans ask if he’s ever seen anyone as good as Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who has won two Cy Young Awards so far and is 14-2 with a 1.78 ERA this season, he has a ready answer:

“Hang on,” Garciaparra says, “I got to play with Pedro Martinez. He is not there yet. But he’s definitely special.”

___

Follow Jimmy Golen on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/jgolen

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote