Funny thing, steroids. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, prolonged steroid use can result in “fights, verbal aggression, and violence…” In 2000, before it became clear that one of baseball’s most successful pitchers was using unregulated, illegal performance-enhancing drugs, we were treated to one of the most bizarre, aggressive incidents in baseball history.
In what was likely a public demonstration of “roid rage,” Roger Clemens threw a broken bat at Mets’ slugger Mike Piazza in Game Two of the 2000 World Series. That dramatic and sad Fall Classic moment occurred 25 years ago.
Why Clemens Had a Beef with Piazza
The 2000 World Series between the New York Yankees and New York Mets was highly anticipated, not least because of the existing tension between Clemens and Piazza. Their history added a layer of intrigue and animosity to the matchup being called “The Subway Series.”
Leading up to the World Series, Mike Piazza had enjoyed considerable success against Clemens. In 22 plate appearances, Piazza boasted an impressive .421 batting average with eight hits, including four home runs, and 10 runs batted in. This track record painted Piazza as a formidable opponent for Clemens, capable of delivering significant blows to the Yankees’ pitching staff.
However, their history went beyond mere statistics. In July of the same year, Clemens had hit Piazza in the head with a pitch, causing a concussion and raising questions about Clemens’ intentions. This incident fueled the rivalry and added an element of personal animosity to their encounters on the field.
The culmination of their feud came in Game Two of the 2000 World Series when Clemens threw a broken piece of Piazza’s bat in his direction after a foul ball. This act, whether intentional or not, further escalated the tension and led to a bench-clearing incident.
Video below shows the play in question, revealing the bizarre decision by Clemens to take a jagged, broken baseball bat and throw it aggressively at Piazza. “Bizarre” was precisely the word Piazza used several times when he tried to explain the incident to reporters.
Alarmingly, Clemens was not ejected from the game. He retired Piazza on a grounder to second base following the incident. He pitched eight innings, allowing two hits, striking out nine, and allowing zero runs.
The steroid-infused bully got away with his act of stupidity. The Yankees went on to win the 2000 Fall Classic in five games.
Clemens’ Explanation Made No Sense
“To be honest with you, I didn’t know if it was the bat or the ball,” Clemens told reporters after Game Two’s strange and dangerous act of throwing Piazza’s broken bat at the Mets’ catcher.
Indeed, an analysis of the video clearly shows the Yankee pitcher telling the home plate umpire “I thought it was the ball.” Why the pitcher would throw what he thought was “the ball” toward Piazza as he ran toward first base, is a mystery. It’s just one more incident of Clemens being disingenuous.
That explanations offered by Clemens were silly. But given his reputation, not unsurprising. In the 1990 playoffs, when Clemens was ejected from the game after yelling at the home plate umpire, the pitcher became unhinged. He told the umpire, “I know where you live,” and promised retribution in the offseason. Yeah, that’s normal.
But the excuses made by the Yankees’ manager Joe Torre were unfortunate. Most people in the game respected Torre, but his comments were head-scratching.
“Let’s try to analyze it,” said Torre in a press conference after Game Two. “Why would [Clemens] throw it at him? So he could get thrown out of the game in the second game of the World Series? Does that make any sense to anybody?”
Witnesses were understandably puzzled. Mets’ outfielder Darryl Hamilton explained how dangerous the incident was.
“He came a lot closer to hitting him than I originally thought,” Hamilton said. “You never know how that bat could have bounced. It could have bounced up and hit Mike in the leg. If that had happened, all hell probably would have broken loose.”
In 2007, the Mitchell Report was released, revealing that Major League Baseball was convinced that Clemens had used steroids as early as the 1998. Teammate Andy Pettitte admitted that Clemens had discussed steroid use with him as early as 1999. Predictably, in spite of overwhelming evidence that he began using performance-enhancing drugs in 1996 at the latest, Clemens denied it. Few people believe him. His legacy is stained forever, and though his name was on the ballot for 10 years, he failed to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
VIDEO: Roger Clemens Throws a Broken Bat at Mike Piazza in Game One of 2000 World Series
Roger Clemens … tool.
