Jack Clark (baseball)
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| Jack Clark | ||
|---|---|---|
| Outfielder / First baseman / DH | ||
| Born: November 10, 1955 New Brighton, Pennsylvania |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| September 12, 1975 for the San Francisco Giants |
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| Final game | ||
| August 28, 1992 for the Boston Red Sox |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .267 | |
| Home runs | 340 | |
| Runs batted in | 1180 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Jack Anthony Clark (born November 10, 1955 in New Brighton, Pennsylvania), also known as “Jack the Ripper”, is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1975 through 1992, Clark played for the San Francisco Giants (1975-84), St. Louis Cardinals (1985-87), New York Yankees (1988), San Diego Padres (1989-90) and Boston Red Sox (1991-92). He batted and threw right-handed.
A clutch hitter and consistent slugger, Clark was injury-prone for the first 13 years of his career. He started his major league career with the San Francisco Giants in 1975 as a right fielder. But Clark hated the Giants' Candlestick Park, a notoriously bad park for power hitters because of the wind coming off of the San Francisco Bay. He won the first Willie Mac Award in 1980 for his spirit and leadership.
On February 1, 1985, Clark was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for shortstop José Uribe, pitcher Dave LaPoint, and first basemen-outfielders David Green and Gary Rajsich. He switched to first base to reduce risk of injury. He became the hero of the 1985 National League Championship Series with a dramatic Game Six ninth-inning three-run home run off Dodgers pitcher Tom Niedenfuer. (He would later join the Dodgers as their hitting coach in 2003.) In 1987, Clark had probably his best season. He hit .286 with 35 home runs, 109 RBI, and a led the league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage with a .459 OBP and a .597 SLG. He finished 3rd in the MVP vote, but some have speculated that he should have won the award over the man who actually won it, Andre Dawson.[1] Clark again led the Cardinals to the World Series that year, although injuries limited his contributions in the post-season.
In 1988, Clark played with the New York Yankees, basically as a designated hitter, because of the presence of Don Mattingly at first base. Clark also played for the San Diego Padres in two seasons, returning to the American League as a DH with the Boston Red Sox. He retired at the end of the 1992 season. A four-time All-Star, Clark also won the Silver Slugger Award in 1985 and 1987.
In an 18-season career, Clark was a .267 hitter with 340 home runs and 1180 RBI in 1994 games. He also collected 1118 runs, 332 doubles, 77 stolen bases, and 1826 hits in 6847 at bats.
[edit] See also
- Top 500 home run hitters of all time
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- BaseballLibrary.com - biography
- Baseball Evolution Hall of Fame - Player Profile
[edit] References
| Preceded by Rick Monday |
National League Player of the Month May, 1978 |
Succeeded by Dave Winfield |
| Preceded by Rick Down |
Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach 2001-2003 |
Succeeded by George Hendrick |
