Joe Torre: Roger Clemens belongs in Hall of Fame

Joe Torre is among the few who still believe former Yankee Roger Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame.

The former Bombers manager told reporters before Sunday's Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium that the disgraced pitcher was "like a son to me," and pumped his Cooperstown credentials despite Clemens' links to performance-enhancing drugs.

"He is [a Hall of Famer] to me," said Torre, who managed the Yankees from 1996 to 2007. "I can't make other people look at him that way."

Clemens played six seasons in the Bronx, all under Torre's management. He was acquitted of charges of lying to Congress about steroid use on June 18, but many Hall of Fame voters have said that they still will not vote for him.

"Unfortunately, the question mark is always gonna be there with him," Torre said. "It's something that's sad for me ... because I disliked him like everyone else until I got a chance to know him.

"He was a great teammate for these guys and he was very devoted to the team he was playing on, and I always respected that," Torre added.