Roger Clemens is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history. Over a stellar 24-year MLB career spent primarily with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, Clemens compiled an impressive 354-184 record with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts. He won a record seven Cy Young Awards and was named to 11 All-Star teams. Unsurprisingly, Clemens has been highly featured on baseball cards over the decades given his legendary status. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most notable and valuable Roger Clemens baseball cards from throughout his playing career in the 1980s through 2000s.
One of Clemens’ earliest notable rookie cards is his 1984 Topps rookie card. That year was Clemens’ first full season in the majors after debuting in late 1983 with the Boston Red Sox. The 1984 Topps card features a photo of Clemens pitching for the Red Sox on the front with stats and information on the back. In lower print runs compared to modern issues, the 1984 Topps Clemens rookie card in top gem mint condition can fetch over $1,000 due to its significance as one of his early rookie options. Most graded copies in the $200-400 range are more common. Still, it’s an iconic early card that captured Clemens at the start of what became a Hall of Fame career.
Another standout early Clemens card is his 1986 Topps Traded card, issued mid-season after Clemens’ breakout 1985 season where he won the American League Cy Young Award and posted an incredible 24-4 record with a 2.48 ERA. The 1986 Topps Traded set only included 80 cards focusing on postseason events and star players, making Clemens’ inclusion at that time a big honor. His card shows him throwing a pitch for the Red Sox. High graded versions have sold for over $500. The 1986 Fleer update series also featured Clemens and can be found in the $50-150 range depending on condition. These capture Clemens during arguably the first peak of his stellar career in the 1980s.
By the late 1980s and 1990s, Clemens was dominating the AL and achieving huge accomplishments that placed him among the sport’s pitching elites. This led to valuable inclusion in premier baseball card sets. His 1988 Fleer flagships and updates cards commemorate Clemens winning consecutive Cy Youngs in 1986 and 1987 for Boston. The 1989 Upper Deck card remembers his record 20-strikeout game against Seattle that season. Graded versions have reached as high as $400. Clemens is then featured prominently in 1990s flagship sets like Topps, Fleer, and Upper Deck as he continued his dominance with Boston and Toronto. His memorable stays with the Yankees in 1999-2003 also resulted in many noteworthy cards.
Some of Clemens’ most high-profile early 90s cards include the iconic 1992 Upper Deck Baseball Card #1, which had an ultra-short print run, and various rookie cards from his brief stint with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998-1999. One of his true holy grails that can fetch thousands is his 1997 SP Authentic autograph card, serially numbered to only 50 copies signed by Clemens. The rarity and significance of this autograph make it a true seven-figure card in pristine condition. Clemens was also a headlining name throughout the late 90s and 2000s in premium sets like Finest, Chrome, and Archives for collectors to target.
In the 2000s, Clemens found new fame late in his career with the Yankees as he continued racking up milestones. This led to him being very prominently featured in many high-profile card sets. Cards like his 2000 Topps Chrome Refractors parallel and 2001 Topps Opening Day Refractor parallel can reach $500-1000 each for top grades. His 2006 Finest Refractor jersey card numbered to just 5 copies also holds immense rarity and value. Collectors continued chasing Clemens rookies and inserts well after his 2007 retirement too. But many consider his true crowning achievement card to be his official 2000 Topps MVP Award Leaders Refractor parallel, limited to 100 copies. Examples have sold for over $10,000 in pristine condition, a true trophy card featuring one of the all-time pitching legends at his very best.
In conclusion, Roger Clemens’ legendary 24-year MLB career and record seven Cy Young Awards resulted in some extraordinarily significant and valuable baseball cards released from his 1984 rookie season through his later accomplishment-filled campaigns mainly with Boston and New York in the 1980s-2000s heyday of the sport. From early rookie issues to seminal updates to ultrarare parallel and autograph versions, Clemens has no shortage of memorable and historic cards that continue to excite collectors. His immense talent and accomplishments on the field translated to highly sought baseball card investments capturing The Rocket’s greatness throughout the eras. Clemens remains one of the most dominant and well-represented pitchers in the history of the hobby.
