Tony Clark

For other people named Tony Clark, see Tony Clark (disambiguation).

Tony Clark
Free Agent – No. --
First Baseman
Bats: Switch Throws: Right
debut
September 3, 1995, for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics (through October 2, 2007)
AVG	.265
HR	244
RBI	789
Teams
Detroit Tigers (1995-2001) Boston Red Sox (2002) New York Mets (2003) New York Yankees (2004) Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-present)

Tony Clark, born Anthony Christopher Clark (June 15, 1972 in Newton, Kansas) is a Major League Baseball first baseman who last played for the Arizona Diamondbacks (since 2005). He is currently a free agent[1]. Previously, he played with the Detroit Tigers (1995-2001), Boston Red Sox (2002), New York Mets (2003) and New York Yankees (2004). Clark is a switch hitter and throws right-handed. He also played college basketball at the University of Arizona.

In a 10-year career, Clark is a .264 hitter with 238 home runs and 772 RBI in 1392 games. His most productive season came in 1998, when he hit .291 and 34 home runs. He also enjoyed good seasons in 1997, with 32 homers and 117 RBI, and 1999, with 31 and 99 respectively.

Clark was selected an All-Star in 2001.

On June 29, 2004 at Yankee Stadium, Clark hit a deep center field two-run homer off Derek Lowe, to help his team to an 11-3 win over the Red Sox. Clark joined Bernie Williams and Danny Tartabull as the only players to reach the center field bleachers more than once since the remodeled Yankee Stadium opened in 1976.

Clark signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2004 season.

In 2005, he enjoyed monstrous success with the D-Backs. In a limited role, he hit .307, belted 30 home runs and knocked in 87 runs.

In 2006, Clark was injured for a vast majority of the season, which rendered him ineffective.

In 2007, Clark shared the first baseman position with Conor Jackson. He played in 113 games, including post season game and batted .249. Though not with the best batting average, Tony Clark would go on to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks into the playoffs. He lead the young team with the slogan "Anybody, Anytime" which he came up with to describe the Arizona team. After the season, his contract was up and he did not resign with the Diamondbacks.

On February 10, 2008, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Clark agreed to a one-year contract worth $900, 000 with the San Diego Padres.[2]

Trivia

• Clark was born on the same day as fellow major leaguers Andy Pettitte and Ramiro Mendoza.
• Clark has filled in a variety of capacities with the Major League Baseball Players' Association, serving as the club player representative for the Boston Red Sox in 2002 and Arizona Diamondbacks as recently as 2006. Clark, along with Mark Loretta, was re-elected as Associate Player Representative on the MLBPA Executive Board upon the ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement on December 8, 2006. [3]
• Clark played for the Trenton Thunder in their first season in New Jersey, 1994. He hit a home run over the right-field fence at Mercer County Waterfront Park and into the Delaware River. Through the 2006 season, he remains the only player to have done so. The Thunder honored him with the team's retirement of a uniform number, 33.

See also

• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
• Arizona Diamondbacks all-time roster

External links

• ESPN (profile and daily update)
• Baseball Reference (career statistics and analysis)