WHY I THINK JACK CLARK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK JACK CLARK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

I am advocating for Jack Clark’s Hall of Fame case mostly because he was and is the most outspoken against the use of steroids in baseball. He may have gone a little overboard at times, but he speaks a truth that must be spoken. A man who injects himself with anabolic steroids greatly endangers his body, which is the Temple of The Holy Spirit, and is also a dirty cheater. The various cheating scandals across baseball history have cost the jobs and livelihoods of many innocent men who played fairly. Clark was also quite the hitter during his playing days, with 340 career home runs and a career on base percentage 112 points higher than his batting average. A rightfielder and first baseman, Clark imposed fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers. Jack Clark started his career with the Giants in 1975 at the age of 19 and appeared in eight games. He played in 26 in 1976 and was a regular by 1977 with 13 home runs in 136 games. Clark batted .306 with 25 home runs and 98 RBI’s in 1978 and finished fifth in the NL MVP Award voting. He became a consistent source of great power, hitting 20 or more home runs in four of the next five seasons, missing only in 1981, when he hit 17 in the strike shortened season. He had a career year in 1982 with 27 homers and 103 RBI’s, hit another 20 in 1983, and was sidelined for most of the 1984 season, but still batted .320 with eleven home runs in 57 games. He was traded to the Cardinals after the season and had a great year in 1985, helping the club to the World Series with a fine regular season, a .381 mark and a homer in the NLCS, and a pair of doubles in the World Series. Clark slowed again in 1986 but had the finest season of his career in 1987, hitting 35 longballs with 106 RBI’s and 136 walks in only 131 games, producing an astronomical on base percentage of .459. He signed with the Yankees for the 1988 season and he turned in 27 homers and 113 walks. He spent the next two seasons with the Padres, averaging 25 ½ home runs and leading the NL in walks each season. Clark had one last good offensive season with the Red Sox in 1991 with 28 homers and 87 RBI’s. He played a half season in 1992 for the Red Sox, batting .210, before retiring. Jack Clark was a fine hitter, a feared slugger, a master at drawing the walk, and a hero to all steroid free players. For all of his accomplishments both on and off the field, Clark really is a clear Hall of Famer. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,994 season high: 156 in 1978 

At Bats career: 6,847 season high: 592 in 1978 

Hits career: 1,826 season high: 181 in 1978 

Doubles career: 332 season high: 46 in 1978 

Triples career: 39 season high: 8 in 1978 and 1980 

Home Runs career: 340 season high: 35 in 1987 

Runs career: 1,118 season high: 93 in 1987 

Runs Batted In career: 1,180 season high: 106 in 1987 

Stolen Bases career: 77 season high: 15 in 1978 

Walks career: 1,262 season high: 136 in 1987 led NL: 136 in 1987, 132 in 1989, 104 in 1990 

Strikeouts career: 1,441 season high: 145 in 1989 

Batting Average career: .267 season high: .306 in 1978 

On Base Percentage career: .379 season high: .459 in 1987 led NL: .459 in 1987 

Slugging Percentage career: .476 season high: .597 in 1987 led NL: .597 in 1987 

Total Bases career: 3,256 season high: 318 in 1978 

Sacrifice Hits career: 9 season high: 3 in 1976 and 1978 

Fielding Percentage career: .986 season high: .994 in 1990 

Double Plays career: 500 season high: 116 in 1987 led NL RF: 5 in 1978, 7 in 1979, 4 in 1981, 3 in 1983  

Putouts career: 7,127 season high: 1,158 in 1959 led NL RF: 328 in 1978, 188 in 1981, 283 in 1982 

Assists career: 456 season high: 89 in 1989 led NL RF: 14 in 1981, 18 in 1983 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-was a four time all-star 

-won two Silver Slugger Awards, both at first base (in 1985 and 1987) 

-set San Francisco Giants records for the most doubles in a season (46) and for the most consecutive games with a hit (26) in 1978 

-also finished third in the NL MVP Award voting in 1987, seventh in 1982, tenth in 1985, 12th in 1989, and 18th in 1980 

-led the NL with 79 extra-base hits in 1978 and with an 8.4 home run percentage in 1987 

-led NL rightfielders in games in 1978 (152), 1981 (98), and 1982 (155) 

-was the youngest player in the NL in 1975 

-also played four games at third base, eleven in leftfield, 23 in centerfield, 311 as a DH, 103 as a pinch hitter, and five as a pinch runner