Inside The Pinstripes

Polarizing MLB Legends Leave 'Good Vibes' at New York Yankees Spring Training

Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez are helping the next generation of New York Yankees stars at Spring Training.

Tyler Maher

Oct 5, 2007; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens works out at Jacobs Field.
Oct 5, 2007; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens works out at Jacobs Field. / David Richard-Imagn Images
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One of the many benefits of playing for the New York Yankees is that there's no shortage of former stars around to provide tips and guidance.

That's especially true during spring training, when many Yankees legends head down to Florida to help their old team prepare for the upcoming season.

A number of New York superstars have already made an appearance at camp, including Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and others.

While Clemens and Rodriguez in particular have developed controversial reputations due to their associations with performance-enhancing drugs, both have had a surprisingly positive effect on spring training so far.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said Clemens and Rodriguez have brought "good vibes" to camp.

Cole, 34, plans to talk to Clemens about ways to improve his longevity and pitch into his 40s. Clemens pitched 24 Major League seasons (six with New York), retiring at age 45 following the 2007 campaign with the Yankees.

A seven-time Cy Young winner and 11-time All-Star, Clemens has been a wealth of information for New York's starting pitchers, including Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon. He gave Cole advice on how to improve his mechanics, which could help the 2023 AL Cy Young winner bounce back from an injury-shortened 2024 where he was limited to just 95 innings.

Pettitte, who pitched with Clemens for nine seasons from 1999 to 2007 (including three years with the Houston Astros), is still in awe of his former teammate.

“He’s got as much baseball knowledge as anybody you’ll ever find,” Pettitte said.

Pettitte is no slouch in that department either, having pitched 18 MLB seasons and lasting until he was 41. The same goes for Sabathia, who was just elected to the Hall of Fame.

Now 62, Clemens learned a lot during his two-plus decades in the Major Leagues, so it's good to see him passing down some of that knowledge and wisdom to the next generation of Yankees hurlers.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez has retained a strong love of baseball since retiring nearly a decade ago. He now works as a TV analyst and enjoys talking baseball with anyone who will listen. His passion, energy and enthusiasm are all contagious, especially for current stars like Aaron Judge who grew up watching him play.

Clemens, Pettitte, Rodriguez and Sabathia were all World Series champions, so hopefully they can inspire New York to go out and win a title in 2025.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Yankees On SI. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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