Last night, the Arizona Diamondbacks released Tony Clark.
While young baseball fans will remember Clark as a “good guy” who hadn’t played full-time in over a decade, older fans will think back to his meteoric rise with the Detroit Tigers back in the mid-90’s. From 1996 through 1999, Clark was one of the league’s most feared sluggers.
Despite his decade-long struggle (not counting 2005), Clark is truly one of the nicest, most genuine players in the game. In 2008, after a loss to my Marlins, Mr. Clark made his way to the team bus with at least two items in each hand. When Tatiana and I called him over he did everything in his power to make our night.
Tony Clark is 37 years old and will likely announce his retirement.
as a lifelong tigers fan i have to saay this guy was my biggest heartbreak. he came into the big leagues hitting 30 or more home runs for five seasons and then suddenly forgot how to hit for power.
sad to see him go. he was always friendly with everyone he ever ran into.
I had a girlfriend in AZ and knew him quite well. She was going to take me to a game and introduce me, but we kinda broke up. I live in NY, she lives in AZ, yadda yadda. Anyway, she said he was the nicest ballplayer she ever met, was very committed to his church and to the schools. It was always fun to watch him play.
The day Tatiana and I met him he was walking out of the stadium with a Bible in his hand.
All I can say is I knew him at the U of Arizona, not as nice as you would think.
Nice guy maybe in later yrs, just like all bust of the 1990’s a couple good yrs doesn’t make your career.
Clark, Higginson, Easley, and the rest of that bunch were a huge disappointment to us Tigers fans. I saw Tony hit 2 triples in one game for the Mud Hens.
I was saddened to read this, but I am thankful for the memories I have of watching him play and meeting him after a game one summer.