Roger Clemens, who won 354 games and registered 4,672 strikeouts during his 24-season career in the major leagues, will come out of retirement Aug. 22 to appear in the 26th annual Abbot Financial Management Oldtime Baseball Game at St. Peter’s Field on Sherman Street in North Cambridge, Mass.
This year’s game is being played as a fundraiser for Compassionate Care ALS in memory of longtime Fenway Park supervisor John Welch, who died last December after an inspiring fight against ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Welch’s son, Johnny Welch, who played baseball at St. Anselm College followed by seven seasons of independent minor-league ball, will play in this year’s game and will be one of the batters facing Clemens.
Clemens was the Red Sox’ first pick in the 1983 amateur draft (the 19th overall selection) following a stellar career at the University of Texas. He won 192 games with the Red Sox, tying him with Cy Young for the most victories in franchise history. He made history by registering two 20-strikeout games during his Red Sox years — one against the Seattle Mariners in 1986, the other against the Detroit Tigers in 1996.
