Roger Clemens was on his way to being a Hall of Famer before his first pitch to Jorge Posada. The two forged a friendship during Clemens' five years with the Yankees, and Posada wound up behind the plate for more of his victories than any other catcher. Posada reached out to his friend with a phone message after learning of the death of his mother, Bess, on Wednesday. "This has been a tough year for him with the death of his mom (following a long illness)," Posada said. "I really think he's going to do a lot of thinking this offseason about what he wants to do." At 43, Clemens (12-7) is having another dominant season, leading the National League with a 1.77 ERA. Opponents are hitting .189 against him. With any kind of run support he could have had another 20-win season. Clemens hasn't made a decision about his future, but there is a chance he could go to spring training with his son Koby, who was drafted by the Astros. "I think he'll go as a fan," Posada said. "I'm not speaking for Roger, but I see this (season) as a good end to a great career."