First published 2009
Roger Clemens stands on the mound at Fenway Park in 1986, his 98-mph fastball already making him the most dominant pitcher in baseball. The young Texan has surpassed every comparison to Nolan Ryan, collecting Cy Young Awards and World Series rings while fans hail him as an American hero. But behind the statistics and acclaim lies a different story. Clemens battles inner demons that drive his relentless pursuit of greatness. His violent temper explodes against opponents like Mike Piazza. He cheats on his wife repeatedly, including a decade-long affair with teenage country singer Mindy McCready. Most damaging of all, he turns to steroids and human growth hormones to maintain his superhuman abilities. As his career progresses from Boston to New York, Clemens hides a devastating family tragedy involving drugs and death. The same rage that powered his ascent to baseball immortality ultimately destroys everything he built, transforming America's hero into a fallen idol whose legacy crumbles under the weight of his secrets.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, crime, non-fiction, baseball, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fallen-hero, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Boston, Fenway Park, New York
Period: 1986
368 pages · Kindle Edition · HarperCollins
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use