DETROIT – Kody Clemens, son of Major League Baseball great Roger Clemens, is getting the call-up to join the Detroit Tigers in the big leagues.
This is the first trip to MLB for the second baseman. Clemens played his high school ball at Houston’s Memorial High School before playing collegiately at the University of Texas, where he was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2018 after hitting .351 with 24 home runs and 72 RBI in 65 games. Following that season, Clemens was drafted by the Tigers with the team’s first pick in the third round.
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Clemens has been climbing the baseball ladder ever since. In his first season at Triple-A, he is hitting .283 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 45 games for Toledo. And actually, according to Tigers’ beat reporter Jason Beck, Clemens was on his way Monday to the Mud Hens’ road game in Columbus before getting the call, getting his gear pulled off the team bus, and changing directions from south to north to join Detroit for Monday’s afternoon home game against the Minnesota Twins.
Clemens takes the spot on the Tigers’ roster opened up when Detroit placed former Houston Astro Robbie Grossman on its 10-day injured list with neck spasms.
Of course, Clemens’ father Roger is known in MLB circles as one of the sport’s greatest pitchers ever, with seven Cy Young Awards (including one with the Astros in 2004), a Most Valuable Player award, and 354 wins, good for ninth on the all-time list.
It’s clear Roger Clemens is proud of today’s big day for his son Kody, who is the first of his sons to reach the major leagues. In an Instagram post on Monday morning, the proud papa wrote, “Showtime! Couldn’t be more proud of you, son. You have earned it every step of the way. Congratulations Kod, you’re a Big Leaguer!”
And, when speaking about this big moment to KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy, Clemens said, “We’re estatic about it because he’s worked his tail off to get here. Me and (my wife) Debbie are heading there shortly. He may get an at-bat tonight & they play a doubleheader tomorrow. We are so happy for him!”
.@rogerclemens to me on @kodyclem 's call up to Tigers. "We're estatic about it b/c he's worked his tail off to get here. Me & @debbieclemens are heading there shortly. He may get an at bat tonight & they play a DH tomorrow. We are so happy for him!" @kprc2
— Randy McIlvoy (@KPRC2RandyMc) May 30, 2022
How do you think Kody will fare in the big leagues? Let us know in the comments.