Jack Clark (baseball)

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3+1⁄2–4 hours. No wonder the fans are bored over there." [3] He played for the Padres for two seasons. In 1990, he feuded with All-Star teammate Tony Gwynn, who was widely respected by his peers and known as one of the most dedicated players in baseball. [7] [8] [9] Clark called him selfish and stated that Gwynn should be swinging with runners in scoring position instead of bunting and protecting his batting average. "No one bothers Tony Gwynn because he wins batting titles, but the Padres finish fourth or fifth every year", he said (in the two seasons he played with the team, they finished 2nd and 5th, respectively). [8] [10] Joe Carter, who played for the Padres in 1990, said, "It just involved one great guy, and that's Tony Gwynn, and anything they want to say about Tony Gwynn is going to be news. It got all blown out of proportion." [11] Gwynn countered, "I've been doing the same things my whole career, playing the same way. Now, why is it an issue? Because Jack Clark says it is." [12]

In early 1991, after leaving the Padres, Clark called Padres manager Greg Riddoch "a bad, bad man, and he's sneaky. He's a snake. Well, not just a snake, but a s-s-s-n-n-n-a-ke." [13] Clark said of the San Diego fans: "Everything that they should cheer for they'd boo for, and everything they should boo for they'd cheer for ... Tony, he's perfect for them. He just plays the whole thing up, and the town is so stupid that they can't see." [3] Gwynn responded with his own criticism of Clark: "Let's talk about him walking 104 times, being a No. 4 hitter. Let's talk about his not flying on team flights. Let's talk about him getting booted out of games on a called strike three." [14] [15]

Boston Red Sox

Clark returned to the American League in 1991, signing with the Boston Red Sox for three years over the Padres' offer of only one. [8] Clark served primarily as Boston's DH, hitting 28 home runs his first year with the team.

After hitting only five home runs in a truncated 1992 season, Clark was waived by Boston in February 1993 and was signed to a minor league contract by the Montreal Expos during 1993 spring training. [16] He was released later that year without appearing in a regular season game with the Expos, and retired shortly thereafter.

Retirement

Clark was named manager of the River City Rascals, a new Frontier League independent minor league team, in their inaugural season in 1999.

Clark served as the Los Angeles Dodgers' hitting coach for the 2001 through 2003 seasons.

In October 2008, Clark was named manager of the Springfield Sliders of the Central Illinois Collegiate League, which merged into the Prospect League for 2009. [17] Clark caught criticism from an article in The State Journal-Register after missing ten of the Sliders' 26 home games with no telling how many road games he attended. [18]

Controversies

Bankruptcy

Clark was driven into bankruptcy in 1992 by his appetite for luxury cars. According to his bankruptcy filing, he owned 18 luxury automobiles, including a US$700,000 Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce. Clark was trying to pay 17 car payments simultaneously, and whenever he got bored with a car he would get rid of it and just buy another one. He ended up losing his US$2.4 million home and his drag-racing business because of his extravagant spending habits. [19] Despite one of the most publicized bankruptcies in baseball, Clark reportedly got back on his feet in the late 1990s. [20]

Talk radio

Clark was hired as a sports talk host on St. Louis radio station WGNU in August 2013, co-hosting "The King and the Ripper" with longtime St. Louis radio personality Kevin "the King" Slaten. At least twice during the show's first week, Clark accused Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) while Pujols was with the Cardinals. Clark had said that he talked to Pujols' former personal trainer and said that "I know for a fact he was" using PEDs. [21] Pujols responded by threatening Clark and WGNU with a defamation lawsuit, and vehemently denied that he had ever used PEDs. The trainer added that he hadn't even talked to Clark in over ten years. InsideSTL Enterprises, who owned WGNU's weekday airtime through a time brokerage agreement, [22] cut ties with Clark and Slaten after only seven shows. [21] [23] [24] On October 4, 2013, Pujols filed a lawsuit against Clark. [25] In response on October 14, Clark challenged Pujols to both take polygraph tests to resolve who is telling the truth. [26] However, on February 10, 2014, Clark apologized and retracted his accusations against Pujols, saying he had "no knowledge whatsoever" that Pujols ever used PEDs. "During a heated discussion on air, I misspoke", Clark said. In return, Pujols dropped the suit. [27]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Norman MacLean, ed. (1988). 1988 Who's Who in Baseball. New York: Who's Who in Baseball Magazine Company, Inc.
  2. ↑ "GIANTS SEASON RECORDS". MLB.com . Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shaughnessy, Dan (April 14, 1991). "Wait till this year For Jack Clark, there are only a few baseball Octobers left. Is this the man who can take the Red Sox all the way?". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2012.(subscription required)
  4. ↑ Martinez, Michael (September 5, 1988). "Miserable Week For the Yankees". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ Martinez, Michael (September 21, 1988). "Steinbrenner Is Willing to Trade Clark". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Chass, Murray (October 25, 1988). "Yankees Trade Clark to the Padres". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ Naiman, Joe; Porter, David (2003). The San Diego Padres Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 126. ISBN   9781582610580 . Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 Kurkjian, Tim (March 11, 1991). "Beginning Again". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  9. ↑ Fainaru, Steve (April 11, 1991). "Clark is ready to make a powerful statement". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2012.(subscription required)
  10. ↑ Boswell, Thomas (June 30, 1991). "Season just perfect for true fans of baseball". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2012.(subscription required)
  11. ↑ Cafardo, Nick; Fainaru, Steve (March 15, 1991). "Kiecker looks impressive again". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2012.(subscription required)
  12. ↑ "Gwynn says he'll play with Padres, Clark". Chicago Sun-Times. October 11, 1990. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2012.(subscription required)
  13. ↑ Stone, Larry (September 19, 2010). "Cardinals bear the wrath of Jack the Ripper". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2012.(subscription required)
  14. ↑ Nightengale, Bob (March 5, 1991). "Gwynn Rips Clark, Cites 'Jealousy'". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  15. ↑ "Mets get confirmation of bone spurs in Viola's elbow". Chicago Sun-Times. March 5, 1991. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2012.(subscription required)
  16. ↑ "Top South Florida News, Sports, Weather and Entertainment - South Florida Sun-Sentinel". sun-sentinel.com. South Florida SunSentinel. March 24, 1993. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ Madden, Bill (June 6, 2009). "Where are they now? It's been a rough road for ex-Yankee Jack Clark". Daily News. Archived from the original on 2009-09-19. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  18. ↑ State Journal-Register
  19. ↑ Montville, Leigh. "The 18-Car Barrage," Sports Illustrated (August 24, 1992).
  20. ↑ "Former Big-League Star Clark Rebuilds After Bankruptcy," The Seattle Times (May 11, 1997).
  21. 1 2 "Eye on Baseball: Former MLBer Jack Clark Accuses Albert Pujols of Using PEDs," CBS Sports. Archived 2013-08-11 at archive.today
  22. ↑ Venta, Bruce (28 June 2013). "WGNU St. Louis To Flip To Sports". Radio Insight. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  23. ↑ "Albert Pujols: I'll sue Jack Clark," ESPN.com news services (Aug 9, 2013).
  24. ↑ "Pujols, Verlander Respond to Clark's Claims - ESPN Video - ESPN". Archived from the original on 11 August 2013.
  25. ↑ "Albert Pujols sues Jack Clark". ESPN. Oct 4, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Clark challenges Pujols to dueling polygraphs over steroids claims". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . October 14, 2013.
  27. ↑ Goold, Derrick (2014-02-11). "Jack Clark apologizes; Pujols will drop lawsuit". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Jack Clark
Jack Clark 2008.jpg
Clark in 2008
Right fielder / First baseman
Born: (1955-11-10) November 10, 1955 (age 68)
New Brighton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 12, 1975, for the San Francisco Giants
Last MLB appearance
August 28, 1992, for the Boston Red Sox
Preceded by National League Player of the Month
May, 1978		Succeeded by
Preceded by Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach
2001–2003		Succeeded by
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