Tony Clark

Lore & Background

Clark had his best years with the Detroit Tigers (1995–2001), but also played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres. He was a switch hitter and threw right-handed. He was third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1996 and was an All Star in 2001. Clark was a union representative while a player, and after retiring he joined the MLBPA staff in 2010, serving as deputy executive director and acting executive director before being appointed executive director in December 2013.

In Their Own Story

Comerica Park, late September. The air is crisp, the kind of Michigan fall that makes the green of the outfield look almost too vivid. Clark steps into the box, left hand low, and the stadium hums with that particular quiet that falls over a crowd when they know what's coming. The pitcher fires. Clark's bat whips through the zone, and the crack echoes off the concrete walls of the new ballpark. The ball sails toward right-center, and for a half-second the entire crowd is on its feet. It lands in the seats. Clark jogs the bases with that easy, unhurried stride, tapping his glove against his thigh as he rounds third. In the clubhouse later, he'll just nod at the stat sheet, grab a towel, and head to the weight room. No celebration. Just another Tuesday for the guy who owned first base in Detroit for a decade.

Reader's Guide

Clark was selected by the Detroit Tigers with the second overall pick in the 1990 MLB draft. He made his major league debut on September 3, 1995. His most productive seasons were 1997 (32 HR, 117 RBI), 1998 (34 HR, 103 RBI), and 1999 (31 HR, 99 RBI). After leaving Detroit, he played for Boston (2002), the Mets (2003), the Yankees (2004), the Diamondbacks (2005–2007, 2008–2009), and the Padres (2008). In his career, he hit .262 with 251 home runs and 824 RBIs in 1,559 games.

Did You Know?

• Clark averaged 43.7 points per game in basketball during his senior season of high school.
• He was the first former major league player to become executive director of the MLBPA.
• On Opening Day 2009, Clark hit two home runs, and teammate Felipe López also homered from both sides of the plate, making them the first teammates to do so on an Opening Day.
• Clark played college basketball at the University of Arizona and San Diego State University.