Will Clark

Lore & Background

Clark played college baseball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, where he won the Golden Spikes Award, and at the 1984 Summer Olympics before playing in the major leagues. Clark was a six-time MLB All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a Gold Glove Award winner, and the winner of the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award in 1989. Clark has been inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. His uniform number, 22, was retired by the Giants during the 2022 season. Clark continues to be active in baseball, serving as a Special Assistant in the Giants' front office.

Reader's Guide

Clark was the second overall pick of the 1985 Major League Baseball draft, selected by the San Francisco Giants. In his first major league at-bat on April 8, 1986, on his first swing, Clark hit a home run off Nolan Ryan. He finished his rookie season with a .287 batting average and placed fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Clark was voted the starting first baseman for the NL All-Star team every season from 1988 through 1992.

In 1989, Clark batted .333 with 111 RBIs and finished second in the NL MVP voting. He was named NLCS MVP in 1989 after batting .650 with two home runs. Clark set a San Francisco record with 320 consecutive games played from September 1987 through August 1989. He signed a four-year, $15 million contract with the Giants in January 1990.

Clark later played for the Texas Rangers (1994–1998), Baltimore Orioles (1999–2000), and St. Louis Cardinals (2000). He retired after the 2000 season.

Did You Know?

• Clark hit 6 home runs against Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, but the all-time record is held by Reggie Jackson with 8.
• In Game 1 of the 1989 NLCS, Clark hit a grand slam after reading Greg Maddux's lips from the on-deck circle.
• Clark's son Trey was diagnosed with autism at age two; Clark is a spokesman for Autism Speaks and Anova.
• Clark's uniform number 22 was retired by the Giants on July 30, 2022.