games & contests
Fans Favorites

Go to: Fans Favorites Main Menu

Thrill Is Gone...  Will Clark Thrill Is Gone... Will Clark

October 4 2000 Announcement of Retiring

Share tweet me
Thrill Is Gone... Will Clark

by John R Balazs administrator@baseballhistorian.com

While it wouldn’t be surprising if Will Clark was an action Movie star in some blockbuster movie like ‘Star Wars’ or ‘War of the World’,’ the fact is – he captured the attention of baseball fans with an enthusiasm for winning seldom seen in professional sports.

Well-known for his intense stare and sweet left handed swing, Will Clark announced yesterday, he was retiring, ending a 15-year career that started in San Francisco, included stops with the Texas Rangers, with the Baltimore Orioles and lastly with the St Louis Cardinals, 2000.

Will Clark seemed to approach the game like a warrior dropped from a helicopter to secure first base, was often called, ‘a man’s man.’

A fans favorite wherever he played, Will Clark was also a model of consistency, collecting 10 seasons of hitting over .300.

Will Clark, acquired by the Cardinals on July 31 2000, to play First base for the injured Mark McGwire, lived up to his nickname ‘the Thrill’ in his first at bat with the team, hitting a game winning homer.

The announcement caught the Cardinals by surprise, considering how well Will Clark played during the team’s final two months of the season and in the NL playoffs. He hit .345 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs from August 1 on, including a robust .345 in the post season games.

‘In every player’s career, sooner or later, you’re going to have to make a decision to move on.’ Said the 36-years old, six time All-Star first baseman. ‘The first part of my life was based on being a baseball player. The second part is going to be based on being a daddy and a husband.’

Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said, we were looking forward to having Will Clark come back. Everybody knows what he added to our club the second half really put us over the top.’

‘I can still hit, I can still play, field my position,’ said Clark. ‘But also at the same time, this is the right time for me to exit baseball.’

Will Clark stats .303 batting average, 284 Hr, 1,176 RBIs. His yearly batting mark, includes 10 seasons of hitting over .300, including a career high .333 in 1989, when he hit 29 homers and drove in 109 runs while a member of the San Francisco Giants.





 copyright © 1999 - 2013 - baseballhistorian.com
visit www.basketballhistorian.com  || visit www.footballhistorian.com  ||  visit www.boxinghistorian.com  ||  visit www.bowlinghistorian.com

the players playing fields legends contact us games & contests fans favorites women in baseball baseball trades search our site historic teams all stars world argue w/ the ump home login / register american heroes who was i?