When Roger Clemens was met with boos for ditching Red Sox for Blue Jays
In July 1997, as former MLB star Roger Clemens was about to start his first game as the Blue Jays at Fenway Park, he was met with a mixture of boos and cheers.
Roger Clemens signed a four-year, $40 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 1996 MLB season. He had been pitching for the Boston Red Sox since 1984, and during his 13 seasons with the team, he won three Cy Young Awards and was a four-time All-Star and one-time AL MVP.
The signing of Clemens by the Blue Jays was a controversial move in Boston, as it was seen as a betrayal by a player who had become a beloved figure in the city.
''Whether they boo or cheer, I could care less,'' Clemens had told reporters referring the Red Sox fans ahead of his start with Toronto Blue Jays.
Clemens played in Toronto for only one season before moving to New York Yankees.
New York Yankees gave Roger Clemens two World Series rings
Ahead of the 1999 MLB season, the Toronto Blue Jays traded Roger Clemens to the New York Yankees. The former star pitcher played in the Bronx from 1999-2003.
While playing with the Yankees, Clemens became a two-time World Series champion and two-time All-Star and bagged one more Cy Young Award.
He next joined the Houston Astros and played with the team from 2004-2006 before returning to the Yankees for a second stint in 2007.
Although Clemens never formally retired from MLB, his last season in the major leagues was in 2007.