Clemens and the controversial pitch to Piazza: Yankees Legends Day revisited

Roger Clemens Returns to Yankee Stadium and World Series Memories Revived

Last Saturday, Roger Clemens returned to Yankee Stadium, and with him, questions resurfaced about the bat-throwing incident with Mike Piazza in the World Series 25 years ago. The incident took place during the second game of the 2000 World Series. Piazza, batting against Clemens, saw his bat break along the first base line. Clemens picked up a fragment and threw it towards the catcher, a Hall of Fame member. Clemens participated in the Yankees’ Veterans Day game, facing four batters in the first exhibition game of the event since 2019. The manager of the 2000 championship team defended the pitcher’s actions at the time.

There’s still a question mark with the broken bat, with Piazza and everything that happened in Game 2. I think if Mike knew the ball was foul, he wouldn’t have started running to first base. That ball went over the first base dugout, it was foul immediately. He didn’t know where it was, so he started running.

Joe Torre

The appearance of Clemens occurred while the Yankees were honoring the 2000 team, the last to win three consecutive titles. He received a warm ovation from the public, while a montage of his best moments was shown on the center field screen, although the famous pitch to Piazza was omitted. Clemens commented: “I didn’t know I was running, and Mike said the same thing. I didn’t know where the ball was. So my first instinct, when I broke that bat into four pieces, was that it was a baseball coming towards me.”

The Yankees had a combined record of 22-3 in the 1998 and 1999 postseasons, but struggled in 2000, losing 15 of their last 18 regular season games, before overcoming the A’s by winning Game 5 in the Division Series. After defeating Seattle in six games in the American League Championship Series, the Yankees beat the Mets in a five-game World Series where each game was decided by two runs or less. Clemens joined the Yankees in a trade with Toronto during spring training in 1999. He had a 14-10 record with a 4.60 ERA in 1999 and then 13-8 with a 3.70 ERA in 2000. During the postseason, Clemens won three games, including Game 2 against the Mets.

When I was on the other team, I didn’t like you very much

Joe Torre

After two seasons of a Q&A session in the field with radio announcer Suzyn Waldman, the game returned and Johnny Damon hit a run-producing single against Clemens. Clemens was one of several 2000 Yankees at the event that did not feature former captain Derek Jeter. Jeter sent a pre-recorded video message after Mariano Rivera was the last player introduced.

I was at spring training. So it was good to see him at spring training and then, of course, here. A big part of our 2000 team and it was good.

Andy Pettitte

The only former player who was not introduced was current manager Aaron Boone, whose team entered Saturday with six losses in seven games. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, had a 354-184 record with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts, third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Randy Johnson (4,875). In two stints with the Yankees, Clemens had an 83-42 record with a 4.01 ERA and retired after the 2007 season. He was named in the Mitchell Report in December 2007 and has denied the use of PEDs. In his final year on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot in 2022, Clemens received 257 votes (65.2%). In addition to the 2000 team members, Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles, Chris Chambliss, Ron Guidry, Bucky Dent, and Mickey Rivers were introduced as members of the 1977 and 1978 World Series teams. Also introduced were the widows of five-time manager Billy Martin, captain Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer, as part of an event that began in 1947 when Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth first appeared.