Roger Clemens to Throw Ceremonial First Pitch at WooSox' Opening Day, Friday, March 27
IL Worcester Red Sox

Roger Clemens to Throw Ceremonial First Pitch at WooSox' Opening Day, Friday, March 27

Published on January 28, 2026 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


WORCESTER, MA - A "Rocket" will launch the Worcester Red Sox' "5th Anniversary Season" as 7-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens makes his Polar Park debut and throws the Ceremonial First Pitch March 27, at 4:05 p.m., on Opening Day, presented by CITGO. Clemens' longtime batterymate, Rich Gedman, will catch the pitch to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 20-strikeout game and pennant-winning season.

One lucky fan will escort Clemens to the mound. To enter to win, visit woosox.com/clemens.

Gates open at 1 p.m., and pre-game ceremonies start around 3:15 p.m. before the WooSox face the Syracuse Mets (Triple-A, New York Mets). Tickets, once again starting at as low as $5, are available now at woosox.com, the Polar Park Ticket Office at 100 Madison Street, or by calling (508) 500-8888.

During the game, fans can meet Clemens in the Sherwood's Diner on Summit Street and take photos (Clemens is precluded from signing autographs.)

UniBank Fireworks set to "The Music of the Red Sox" will conclude the evening, and fans will receive an Opening Day Commemorative Photo Giveaway, presented by CITGO, as they exit the ballpark.

During his 24-year career in Major League Baseball, Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards (most in history), an A.L. MVP Award, 11 All-Star nods, and two World Series titles.

Nicknamed "Rocket" for his powerful, high-velocity fastball, Clemens amassed 354 wins (ninth-most in MLB history) with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts (third-most in MLB history) in 709 games. He is the only player to have ever recorded 350 wins and struck out more than 4,500 batters.

The Red Sox Hall of Famer is tied with Cy Young for most victories (192) and most shutouts (38) in Red Sox history and is Boston's all-time strikeout leader with 2,590. His longtime catcher, fellow Red Sox Hall of Famer and Worcester native Rich Gedman, caught Clemens' record-setting first 20-strikeout game on April 29, 1986.

One hundred years ago, March 16, 1926, Worcester native Dr. Robert Goddard--the inspiration behind Roberto the Rocket, the WooSox' third mascot--invented the Space Age by launching the first liquid-fueled rocket in history at his aunt's farm in neighboring Auburn.

"We would welcome 'The Rocket' anytime, but it is particularly significant for Worcester in March of 2026," said WooSox President Dr. Charles A. Steinberg. "The nation and world will be recognizing that the entire concept of traveling through space has its roots with a Worcester youngster who climbed a cherry tree and had an epiphany that gravity he could defy. It is poetic to have the greatest "human rocket" of them all at Polar Park in this centennial celebration."

Less than two weeks before "Rocket" makes his Worcester debut, WooSox Front Office members and the Central MASScots--Smiley Ball, Woofster the WonderDog, Roberto the Rocket, and Clara the Heart of the Commonwealth--will participate in celebrations across Worcester County commemorating 100 years of rocket innovation.

The Red Sox begin Spring Training at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, FL, in only two weeks. Pitchers and catchers report on February 10, and the first full squad workout is February 15.

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics

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International League Stories from January 28, 2026


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