Former MLB pitcher Shawn Estes has spoken out about his role in the infamous Roger Clemens-Mike Piazza feud, stating that he "resented" being the one to throw behind Clemens.

Twenty-four years after the incident during a 2002 Subway Series game, Estes told Tony Reali that he felt the responsibility should have fallen on someone with more personal investment in the conflict.

"The reason why I resented it is not that I felt like that it didn’t need to be done and it wasn’t like the ‘woe is me, why am I the guy that has to take care of this?’ I kind of felt like it was more of it wasn’t my responsibility,” Estes said. “I feel like it should have fallen on someone that had more skin in the game, that had more emotions toward the situation that was at hand.”

The rivalry between Clemens and Piazza escalated in 2000 when Clemens hit Piazza in the head with a pitch. Months later, during Game 2 of the World Series, Clemens famously sawed off Piazza's bat and then threw a piece of the barrel toward the catcher as he ran down the first-base line.

Estes was not with the Mets in 2000, having played for the San Francisco Giants at the time. By the time he had the opportunity to retaliate on June 15, 2002, at Shea Stadium, he felt detached from the initial events.

"Not to say that I didn’t like my teammates that were there in 2000 that I were teammates in 2002, Al Leiter, John Franco, obviously Mike Piazza. It’s not because I didn’t like them. They had way more emotion because they were involved in that situation itself. They could build up that animosity and hated toward Clemens and realized, ‘Yeah, we’ll do whatever it takes to get retaliation here,'" Estes explained. “Because Mike Piazza got hit in the head, could have ended his career, we felt it was intentional and then the World Series he chucks the barrel of the bat at our guy. There were a lot more emotions there. I had none of those emotions."

Estes stated he did not hate Roger Clemens, but rather resented being placed in that position. "I felt a little bit more like I resented the situation that I had to be the one. I would have been like, OK, if one of the guys that really did truly despite Roger Clemens has the opportunity to pitch in that game, then he’s the game that does it…"

In the third inning of a scoreless game, with the world watching, Estes threw behind Clemens, narrowly missing him. The pitch resulted in both teams being warned, and Mets manager Bobby Valentine was seen in visible frustration. Estes ultimately struck out Clemens in the at-bat.

Estes concluded by saying, “If I had a preference, I would have liked it to have happened like the day before maybe or a couple hours before.” The moment remains a significant, and for Estes, a resented, part of baseball history.