COMMERCE, Okla. — Jack Clark still fondly recalls his first at-bat as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was opening day of the 1985 season, and the Cardinals were in New York to face the Mets and their ace Dwight Gooden.
Clark’s time with his new club began with a proverbial bang, as he homered in his first-ever trip to the plate with the Birds on the Bat on his chest.
That’s just one memory Clark shared regarding his 18-year MLB career during his appearance at the Mickey Mantle Classic on Saturday at Commerce High School.
Clark, who also had a stint with the New York Yankees, said he enjoyed visiting the town that produced one of baseball’s all-time greats.
“I’ve had a great time here and the people have been wonderful,” Clark said while taking a break from signing autographs. “I got to go to Mickey Mantle’s old house today and walk around and it was pretty awesome. This is a great tournament representing Mickey Mantle. I got to know him a little bit when I played for the Yankees. He’s one of the greatest of all-time. I even took a picture of his statue right out here. And it’s an honor for me to be here. I really appreciate the history here, so it’s been a wonderful experience. Everybody’s been really appreciative of the autographs and of me being here, but I’m the one who’s appreciative that I was asked to come.”
Nicknamed ‘Jack the Ripper’ by Vida Blue, Clark spent nearly two decades in the major leagues.
At just 19-years-old, Clark debuted with the San Francisco Giants in 1975. Clark, who remained with the Giants until 1984, credited the team’s veteran players, especially Joe Morgan, with teaching him “the game within the game.”
A right-handed slugger, Clark played first base for the Cardinals from 1985-87, where he was a two-time all-star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Of course, those Cardinal teams under the direction of Whitey Herzog made trips to the World Series in both ’85 and ’87.
“In spring training in ’85, we were supposed to be a last place team and Whitey was supposed to get fired,” Clark recalled. “We won 106 games. It was pretty special to be the underdog that wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
“Whitey ball was like a track meet,” added Clark, who hit at least 20 home runs in 11 different seasons. “Whitey went for speed and defense. We stole over 300 bases in ’85. I was the only slugger and I knew there was only one way to throw those guys out…that pitcher has to throw fastballs. I’m a fastball hitter, so that was like the happiest birthday party I’ve ever been to. When I came over, that team accepted me and I just had to do my thing.”
Clark’s debut in ’85 was memorable for more reasons than one, as he had an odd occurrence the night before opening day at his hotel in New York City.
“We’ve got a day game and it’s my first game as a Cardinal and two guys are pounding on my door at like 1 in the morning,” Clark recalled. “This guy says, ‘I’m going to kick your ass. You did something with my wife.’ I told him he’s got the wrong room. They left and came back with a security guard and he told me to open the door. It’s like 2:30 in the morning now. I open the door and the guy lunges at me. I put him against the wall, we get broken up, and I told him he had the wrong guy and I just got here from Florida.
“Then, at like 5 in the morning, my agent is downstairs there with these guys. The guy threatened to sue me and asked for money…my agent jumps across the table at this guy. And my first game with the Cardinals is hours away.”
On little sleep, Clark eventually made his way to Shea Stadium to relax ahead of the team’s showdown with Gooden, a future Cy Young Award winner.
“We had Doc Gooden in spring training and his stuff is nasty,” Clark said. “He’s throwing hard with a nasty hook. Our guys go down 1-2-3 in the top of the first. I’m leading off in the top of the second. It’s my first at-bat with the Cardinals…I hit a home run, a line drive…off Gooden. I think that set the tone for our team’s season. I never thanked that guy that tried to get into my room. I think I was so tired that I was relaxed. But that first home run was important.”
In Game 6 of the ’85 NLCS, Clark’s three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the NL pennant for the Redbirds.
With the Cardinals down 5-4 and with two outs, Clark came to the plate with Willie McGee on third base and Ozzie Smith on second.
Instead of walking the slugger, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda decided to pitch to him.
Clark smacked Tom Niedenfuer’s first pitch into the stands in left field, all but sealing a trip to the World Series.
“I knew all I needed was a base hit,” Clark said. “I knew first base was open, but I thought they’d come after me because that’s what they always did when I was with the Giants because they never respected us. I was having a great series and I thought I could hit anything. I was on everything. And I didn’t like the Dodgers. I wanted them to go down. They came after me on the first pitch and I was ready for it. It was a pretty big moment for me, my teammates, Whitey Herzog and the Cardinal fans…and also for the Giants’ fans.”
Clark’s memorable blast came one game after Ozzie Smith’s walk-off homer in Game 5.
“Those were two of the most famous home runs in Cardinals history,” Clark said. “Ozzie had never hit a home run left-handed. That’s when Jack Buck said, ‘Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!’ With mine he said, ‘We might go to the World Series on that one folks.'”
Clark was having an MVP-caliber season in ’87 when he suffered an ankle injury that limited him to just one postseason at-bat.
Despite missing most of the playoffs, Clark finished third in the MVP voting that year after he hit .286 with 35 home runs and 106 RBI. He also led the league in walks that year with 136.
Clark noted he loved playing for the Cardinals.
“Cardinal fans are pretty smart,” he said. “They’ll cheer for both teams if they see something good. And the players there understand the Cardinal Way is expecting to win. The greatest opening day in baseball is at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Clydesdales and hall of famers come out and then the Cardinals hall of famers come out and line up. As a visiting player, I used to go up and stand on the railing to watch because it’s so magnificent and it takes your breath away.”
Ahead of the ’88 season, Clark signed with the Yankees, where he took the field at “old” Yankee Stadium.
“It gets your attention when you’re playing in that stadium and those monuments are out there,” Clark said. “You’re out there with royalty and history. That’s the greatest sports organization in the history of the world… by a lot. With the Yankee pinstripes, there’s no name on the back, just the name on the front. They expect to win. When I was there, George Steinbrenner didn’t accept anything else than trying to bring another championship to the city. That’s what was expected.”
Clark, who played for the Padres and Red Sox before retiring in 1992, was a four-time all-star. For his career, Clark hit .267, blasted 340 home runs, recorded 1,826 hits, drew 1,262 walks and drove in 1,180 runs.
Now 66 years old and living in the St. Louis area, Clark also shared his thoughts on what he likes and dislikes about the current state of the game.
Clark, never shy about sharing his opinions, said there’s a lot about today’s game he is not a fan of, including the universal designated hitter and instant replay.
“You can’t take a guy out at second and you can’t run into the catcher and try to knock the ball loose,” he said. “That stuff’s gone out the window. If you’re in the major leagues, you’re playing at the highest level in baseball, and that stuff is supposed to be part of it.”
At the same time, Clark said the unexpected moments or seeing a player rise to the occasion in a big situation are the things that he loves about the game of baseball.
“That’s the reason why we love the sport or watch it every day,” he said. “Sometimes it’s boring or whatever, but in baseball, you never know what you’re going to see. And it happens kind of quick. It lulls you to sleep, and then all of a sudden, it’s like boom!”
WATCH JACK CLARK’S ’85 NLCS HR VS. DODGERS:
1 thought on “JACK THE RIPPER: Former Cardinals slugger Clark shares stories of MLB career at Mickey Mantle Classic”
What is Jack Clark doing now after he was terminated for his Albert Pujols statement?
It’s been 10 years!
Like to see The Ripper on Bally Sports.