Roger Clemens became a household name when the Boston Red Sox legend began his career 41 years ago, and that’s exactly what his son, Kody Clemens, is currently trying to accomplish with the Minnesota Twins.
The 29-year-old son of a seven-time Cy Young Award winner joined the Twins via trade from the Philadelphia Phillies in April in exchange for cash considerations. Clemens was designated for release or assignment after a rough seven-game start to the season in Philadelphia, leaving the four-year veteran in need of a clean slate in a new setting. That’s what Minnesota has provided thus far.
Clemens, only 21 games into his Twins tenure, has already made a favorable first impression with the club.
“You have to really talk about the way he’s swinging the bat because he’s been a great spark for us, at a time where we had a bunch of guys hurt and out,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB Network Radio on Wednesday. “You bring in Kody Clemens, you give him a couple of opportunities and he starts coming through right away. Almost every game, he’s been leading the way for us. So that’s been great, to say the least. He’s also done a good job in the field and I didn’t know what kind of defender he was, but he’s done a good job at second base. And then we put him in the outfield, and he’s done a good job in right field when we put him out there as well.”
Clemens has slashed .321/.400/.736 with five home runs and 12 RBIs, while also providing the Twins some handy defensive versatility. He’s logged appearances at second base, first base, right field and left field, and hasn’t committed an error yet.
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“He’s fulfilled his end of the bargain,” Baldelli added. “He’s been awesome.”
The Clemens family shared an unforgettable trip earlier this month to Fenway Park, where Kody’s father dominated for 13 seasons as the ace of the Red Sox from the mid-1980s to the mid-90s. Baldelli gave Clemens the chance to suit up during the series, starting him at second base while the “Rocket,” along with only family members, watched in attendance.
In the sixth inning, the younger Clemens rose to the occasion in a huge way.
Clemens launched a go-ahead two-run home run to push the Twins past the Red Sox with a 4-3 win, which also ended Minnesota’s four-game losing streak.
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“It was amazing,” Roger Clemens said, per ESPN. “Just think about — I put myself in his shoes — even though he’s my kid, he’s here at Fenway, and he obviously wants to perform well, hitting a home run would be the ultimate thing to do and he goes up there up in a clutch situation and does it. Just a great moment and I’m glad we’re here.”
Based on what Clemens has provided the Twins one-third into the campaign, the 2018 third-round selection could carve out a role in the near future in Minnesota.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images
