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| Tony Clark | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Clark with the San Diego Padres in 2008 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: (1972-06-15)June 15, 1972 (age 52) Newton, Kansas, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 3, 1995, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 12, 2009, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 251 |
| Runs batted in | 824 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Anthony Christopher Clark (born June 15, 1972) is an American professionalbaseball player and executive. He played inMajor League Baseball as afirst baseman from 1995 to 2009 and is the sixth executive director of theMajor League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), a position he has held since 2013.
Clark had his best years with theDetroit Tigers (1995–2001), but also played on theBoston Red Sox,New York Mets,New York Yankees,Arizona Diamondbacks, andSan Diego Padres during a 15-year career that ended in 2009. He was aswitch hitter, and threwright-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 he was a player, and after retiring he joined the staff of the MLBPA in 2010.[1] He served as deputy executive director and acting executive director of the union before he was appointed executive director in December 2013, upon the death ofMichael Weiner.[1] Clark is the first former player to be executive director of the MLBPA.[1]
Clark prepped atValhalla High School inEl Cajon, California, but after going out to dinner with principal Ed Giles and others,[2] Clark transferred to nearbyChristian High School.[3] He averaged 43.7 points per game in basketball in his senior season.[4]
Clark playedcollege basketball at theUniversity of Arizona andSan Diego State University, where he was theSan Diego State Aztecs' top scorer with 11.5 points per game in 1991–92.[5] Clark left college (and ended his basketball career) without finishing his business administration degree in order to focus on baseball.[6]
In a 15-year career, Clark hit .262 with 251home runs and 824run batted in (RBIs) in 1,559games played.
TheDetroit Tigers selected Clark out of high school with the second overall pick in the1990 MLB draft.[7] He played inMinor League Baseball while attending college and playing college basketball.[8]
He was third inRookie of the Year voting in 1996 when he hit .250 with 27 home runs.
His most productive seasons were 1997, with 32 HRs and 117 RBIs (10 errors at first base), 1998, with 34 HRs and 103 RBIs (13 errors at first), and 1999, with 31 HRs and 99 RBIs (10 errors at first).
Clark was selected anAll-Star in 2001.
With Clark eligible forsalary arbitration and expected to earn $7 million for the 2002 season, the Tigers placed Clark onwaivers, and he was claimed by theBoston Red Sox.[9] In 2002, Clark hit only .207 with 29 RBIs and three HRs for Boston in 90 games, with a career-low .291 slugging percentage. Afree agent after the 2002 season, Clark signed a one-year contract with theNew York Mets for the 2003 season.[10] In 2003, he batted .232 for the Mets.
Signed as a bench player, Clark filled in for theNew York Yankees in 2004 afterJason Giambi was forced out of thelineup because of an injury, though he was replaced as the main first baseman byJohn Olerud late in the season. During an August 28 game, Clark hit a career-high three home runs in an 18–6 rout of theBlue Jays in Toronto.
Clark signed with theArizona Diamondbacks after the 2004 season. In a limited role (349at bats) in the 2005 season, he hit .307 with 30 home runs, and 87 RBIs.[11]
In 2006, Clark was injured for most of the season. Although he tried to play through a shoulder injury that required significant surgery to repair, he batted a career-low .197, with a career-low .279 on-base percentage, in 132 at-bats. He struggled especially against right-handers, batting .125 against them. In 2007, Clark shared first base withConor Jackson. He played in 113 games and batted .249.[12]
After the season, his contract was up and on February 10, 2008, Clark agreed to a one-year contract worth $900,000 with theSan Diego Padres.[13] On July 17, 2008, he was traded back to the Diamondbacks for minor leaguepitcherEvan Scribner. In order to complete the trade, Clark waived a clause under his contract with the Padres pursuant to which he was to receive $500,000 from the Padres if traded.[14]
In 2008, between the two teams, Clark batted .225 with a .318 slugging percentage. Clark struck out more than a third of the time, with 55 strikeouts in 151 at-bats. He struggled especially against right-handers, batting .198 against them.
Clark filed for free agency after the 2008 season. On January 2, 2009, he signed a one-year deal worth $800,000 to remain with the Diamondbacks.[15]
Clark had a startling good performance onOpening Day 2009, hitting 2 home runs to lead the D-Backs to a victory over theColorado Rockies; fellow switch-hitting teammateFelipe López also homered from both sides of the plate in the same game, making them the first teammates to do so on an Opening Day.[16]
Clark slumped badly thereafter, however, as in his next 18 at-bats he only managed to eke out a single. As of May 6 he was batting .179, and had struck out in more than half his at bats.[17] That day Clark was placed on the 15-daydisabled list for a lingering wristligament injury, andJosh Whitesell, who was hitting .356 for theReno Aces with a .477 on-base percentage, was called up to the Diamondbacks to take his place.[18][19][20] Clark suffered the injury duringspring training, and re-aggravated it in late April, leaving him unable to swing comfortably from the left side. It was anticipated that the injury could require more than 15 days to heal.[21]
On June 19 Clark came off the disabled list and returned to Arizona (after a rehab assignment at Reno in which he batted .160, and during which he turned 37), and Whitesell was optioned back to Reno (after batting .300 with a .447 on-base percentage in his second stint with the team).[22][23] In his first game back with the team, Clark went 0–3 with 2 strikeouts to bring his batting average down to .161, with strikeouts in 55% of his at bats for the season.
Clark struggled on defense as well, as on June 21 in his second game back he dropped a throw to him at first base with two outs in the ninth, allowing the winning run to score forSeattle.[24] The play left players and managers on both sides stunned and speechless.[24] "It's a miserable ending to a rough road trip", manager A. J. Hinch said.[25] His resulting .973 fielding percentage was last among major league first basemen who had played 60 or more innings.[26]
On July 12, 2009, the Diamondbacks released Clark, who was hitting .182 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. They replaced him with Whitesell. Clark said he would continue to work out the next few weeks in the event an opportunity might arise with another team, and that if he didn't land with another team he'd consider broadcasting and coaching, perhaps with the Diamondbacks. Diamondbacks General ManagerJosh Byrnes expressed an interest in keeping him with the organization, and Clark said he "would welcome the opportunity."[27]
Clark played in four post-season series through 2008, two each for the Yankees and the Diamondbacks. In aggregate, he batted .135, with a .158 on-base percentage and a .189 slugging percentage, and drove in one run in 37 at-bats.[28]
Throughout his playing career, Clark was involved in theMajor League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) on various levels. He attended an executive board meeting for the first time in 1999 and was a team player representative and association representative for several seasons following. He was an active participant in the union'scollective bargaining in 2002 and 2006 and in negotiations regardingMajor League Baseball's drug policy. In March 2010, Clark was hired to be the MLBPA's Director of Player Relations.[29]
It was reported in April 2013 that Clark was close to earning a degree in history and planned to potentially pursue aJuris Doctor degree.[6] Following the death ofMichael Weiner, Clark was unanimously voted executive director of Major League Baseball Players Association in December 2013. He became the first former major league player to hold the position.[1]
Clark led the MLBPA negotiations during the2021-22 MLB lockout.[30]
During the 2022 season, Clark and the MLBPA worked to unionize minor league baseball players.[31][32]In September 2022, the MLBPA joined theAFL-CIO.[33][34] After the 2022 season, the MLBPA extended Clark's contract by five years.[35]
During his time in Detroit, fans and the media gave Clark the nickname "Tony the Tiger." The nickname came from theFrosted Flakes mascotTony the Tiger and that he was a member of theDetroit Tigers.[36]
Clark and his wife, Frances, have one son. They reside inPhoenix, Arizona, having previously lived inNew York.[37]
