SAN FRANCISCO — Will Clark seemingly at all times saved his greatest for when the lights have been brightest. On Saturday at Oracle Park, a becoming 22 years since he hung ’em up and practically three a long time since his final recreation in orange and black, an emotional Clark was, as soon as once more, prepared for the second.
Fifty minutes right into a pregame ceremony Saturday, the southern child turned Bay Space icon punctuated his speech by punching the air along with his left fist and declaring, “I'm Will ‘The Thrill’ Clark. I'm part of San Francisco. And I'm ceaselessly a Big.”
Moments earlier, a black material draped over his quantity in left discipline dropped to disclose Clark’s No. 22 hanging between Monte Irvin’s No. 20 and Willie Mays’ No. 24, making his the thirteenth quantity retired by the franchise — greater than any membership however the Yankees — and a very long time coming.
Clark, who turned the face of a technology of Giants baseball within the late ’80s, stated he had written the speech inside a day or two after receiving the information that his quantity would in the future go up within the rafters (or, extra precisely, hanging from the third terrace in left-field foul territory). However he was pressured to attend as soon as the ceremony, initially scheduled for 2020, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had two years to apply it,” Clark laughed afterward, including his most emotional second got here whereas addressing Mike Krukow, his former teammate and the present Giants broadcaster, whom he known as his “greatest good friend and mentor.”
Krukow and his spouse, Jennifer, opened up their house to Clark for his first two seasons in San Francisco, the place, Krukow stated, they watched him eat sugary cereal and watch cartoons off the sector earlier than turning into an animal between the strains.
“Maybe a very powerful factor he did was he made it cool to be a Giants fan once more,” Krukow stated, combating again tears.
In retirement, Clark has continued to make an influence as a particular assistant. In 2008, he bought the decision to rejoin the group and started serving in the identical capability that he has to today. The day he bought that cellphone name from then-managing accomplice Invoice Neukom, he stated, was the “greatest day ever.” Present president Larry Baer stated the Giants’ three World Sequence trophies “have his fingerprints on them.” This season, he has taken to mentoring the Giants’ highest draft decide since himself, catcher Joey Bart, throughout his transition to the majors.
Mays couldn’t attend in-person however wanted solely a pair penned sentences to ship probably essentially the most validating message of all the forged of audio system: “Welcome to the membership. You earned it.”
After there was Mays and earlier than there was Bonds, there was Clark. When he arrived because the No. 2 total decide from the 1985 draft, then president and normal supervisor Al Rosen advised him, “We've to alter this group.”
The Giants drafted Clark second total in 1985, and by Opening Day 1986, he was within the large leagues.
When Clark entered the group, San Francisco had collected a dry spell of 15 straight seasons with no playoff look or perhaps a end greater than third place within the NL West. Inside two years of Clark’s arrival, the Giants have been again on prime of the division and, by 1989, on prime of all the Nationwide League.
Krukow recalled his first spring coaching begin from Clark’s rookie season. He was struggling to work out some kinks in his first exhibition, and Clark known as timeout from first base. He got here to the mound with a message: “Hey, if we’re gonna win this recreation, you’re gonna need to be higher than that.”
“I completely hate to lose,” Clark stated in his speech.
That was the perspective wanted to take a crew from 100 losses in 1985 to a postseason berth in 1987.
Clark’s first supervisor, Roger Craig, offered one of many ceremony’s extra memorable moments in a brief video message: “You have been an excellent ballplayer, however you’d have been loads higher in the event you’d have listened to me,” he stated to laughs from the gang.
From 1986 to 1993, Clark:
- was voted an All-Star starter 5 straight seasons (1988-92), received two Silver Sluggers (1989, ’91) and a Gold Glove (’91)
- by no means batted under .280 (a mark matched by two Giants this season, neither of whom qualify for the batting title)
- collected extra walk-off hits (11) than all however three gamers in SF-era historical past
- was named MVP of the 1989 NLCS, the spotlight of a postseason résumé that boasts a .426 common and three house runs — one large one, a grand slam off Greg Maddux, in that ’89 sequence — in 16 video games
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 30: Former San Francisco Giants’ Will Clark (22) throws balls into the gang throughout his jersey retirement ceremony earlier than the Giants recreation towards the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
Then got here new proprietor Peter Magowan, who saved the franchise from an impending transfer to Tampa Bay. Then Bonds, overlapped for one season with Clark and ushered in a brand new period of Giants baseball. Then Posey and Lincecum and Cain and Bumgarner, who continued it and may very well be the following to have their numbers retired.
To Posey and Bruce Bochy, who have been in attendance Saturday, Clark stated, “I simply have one favor to ask of you guys. Whenever you guys get inducted into Cooperstown, I want to be there to honor you guys.”
Regardless of Clark’s accolades, he garnered solely 4.4% of the Corridor-of-Fame vote in 2006 and fell off the poll, ending his personal desires of Cooperstown. It took 22 years since his retirement for his quantity to hold in left discipline of Oracle Park, initially slated for 2020 however delayed by the pandemic.
Lastly, on Saturday, Clark obtained what Krukow described as “validation,” in a ballpark he by no means performed in however perhaps had a hand in paving the best way to.
“This, proper right here,” Clark stated, pointing to the followers and his No. 22 hanging contemporary in left discipline, “is my Corridor of Fame.”
