For one night in 2006, MLB pitcher Roger Clemens joined the Lexington Legends

Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history — some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.

Roger Clemens may be best known for pitching for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, but for one night, he was a pitcher for the Lexington Legends.

An 11-time MLB All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher in history. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Houston Astros, for a total of 24 seasons.

In 2006, Clemens came to Lexington to make a “rehab start” with the Lexington Legends after signing as a free agent with the Houston Astros.

More than 9,000 fans flocked to what was then Applebee’s Park to see him pitch.

One of Clemens most important fans — his son, Legends third baseman Koby Clemens — hit a run-scoring double. Clemens gave up three hits and one run in three innings to help the Legends win over the Lake County (Ohio) Captains.

The game was one of the most sought-after tickets in Lexington. Lexington Herald-Leader sports columnist Mark Story reported that Lexington Legends owner Alan Stein got all sorts of calls from people looking for tickets. One man, whom Stein believed to be a scalper, called and asked for his “Uncle Alan.”

One man called and said he was dying of cancer, and that his grandson wanted to go see Clemens play before “Poppy” died. And a woman, whose kid played little league baseball for an Astros team, wanted to see if Clemens would come and pitch to the team and give them a pep talk.

In the end, the Lexington Legends sold 9,222 tickets to see Clemens that day.

Stein said at the time he could have sold 25,000 more. Scalpers reportedly sold $4 yard tickets for a rumored $100. Instead, those who didn’t get a ticket were placed on a waiting list in case anyone decided they didn’t need their tickets and turned them back in.

“There’s a better chance of Mitch McConnell jumping to the Democratic Party than there are tickets to see Clemens being turned back in,” Story wrote in 2006.

That night, with a record crowd in attendance and a national television audience watching, Clemens wound up for the pitch. Clemens threw a ball.

At the request of the home plate umpire, the ball was returned to Clemens, who gave it to his catcher, who, in turn, handed it to a bat boy. The bat boy ran it to a Lexington Legends employee in the front row — destined for a collection somewhere, someday.

“In baseball, you know it’s history when they call for the ball,” Lexington Herald-Leader John Clay wrote at the time.

Have a question or story idea related to Lexington’s 250-year history? Let us know at 250LexKy@gmail.com.