User Keith Allison on Flickr, 062707 417 Roger Clemens, CC BY-SA 2.0
SD Dirk on Flickr (Original version)
User UCinternational (Crop), Randy Johnson 04, CC BY 2.0
Disclaimer: I am well aware that Roger Clemens was alleged to have used steroids in the Mitchell Report and later indicted for his testimony to Congress; these allegations over his steroid use are the primary reason why he is currently not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. With all of this background in mind, this head-to-head between Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson is meant to compare them based solely on their career numbers and achievements without judgment on whether or not Clemens is guilty of steroid use during his career.
While baseball pitchers come in many shapes and sizes, one of the enduring prototypes is the overpowering strikeout pitcher, from Walter Johnson in the early modern era to Bob Gibson in the mid-20th century to the likes of Max Scherzer today. Throughout the long history of baseball, however, the list of pitchers who have achieved the dual milestones of 300+ career wins and 4,000+ career strikeouts is short and contains only four names: Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson. Of this foursome, The Rocket and The Big Unit were modern contemporaries who were among the elite power arms of the 1990s and 2000s (along with the likes of Pedro Martinez). As two of the best pitchers in recent history, there is a natural comparison in stacking them up against each other and asking:
Who was better – Roger Clemens or Randy Johnson?
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