Will Clark

William Nuschler Clark, Jr. (born March 13, 1964 in New Orleans, Louisiana), nicknamed "Will the Thrill", is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his play with the San Francisco Giants from 1986 to 1993. He was known around baseball for his picture-perfect swing, fiery intensity, and trademark eye black strips.

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In 1985, as a member of the Mississippi State baseball team, Clark was named the first baseman on The Sporting News' All-American team, as well as the winner of the Golden Spikes Award from USA Baseball. Clark was drafted with the second overall pick in the 1985 draft by the San Francisco Giants, and hit a first-pitch home run in his first at-bat off of Nolan Ryan in his major league debut on April 8, 1986.

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In 1989 Clark led the Giants past the Chicago Cubs in an electrifying National League Championship Series. He earned MVP honors for the series with a .650 batting average and two home runs. During the 1989 NLCS, Clark hit a grand slam off of Greg Maddux in Game 1 and got a pivotal base hit off of Mitch Williams (to break up a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 8th inning) in the clincher, Game 5. With the bases loaded, Clark took the first fastball for a strike, then fouled one away. Williams missed the outside corner to bring the count to 1-and-2. After Clark fouled off two more pitches, he hit a screaming line drive up the middle to bring in two runs. The Giants eventually won the game 3-2 with Clark catching the final out.

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After the 1993 season, Clark signed with the Texas Rangers, near his home in Louisiana. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 1998, and after two years of battling injuries, he found a spot in the St. Louis Cardinals lineup, replacing the injured Mark McGwire for their 2000 homestretch playoff drive. A rejuvenated Clark spotted an OPS of .964 and helped to lead the Cardinals to the playoffs, where they were eventually defeated by the National League champion New York Mets. Clark played his final game on October 1, 2000, announcing his retirement at season's end.

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First baseman: First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base, and covers most plays made at ...

Will Clark related Images and Photos (experimental)

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