The Sweetest Swing

Will Clark's legacy — plus, a samurai sword vs. baseballs, *those* hats, contract shenanigans and more.

Author

J.D. DiGiovanni
March 13, 2025

Pine Tar Letter
A digital rendering of a vintage baseball card features Will Clark in his San Francisco Giants uniform. The card has a woodgrain border design, reminiscent of the 1987 Topps baseball card set. The Giants logo is displayed in the top left corner, with 'Will Clark' printed in bold black letters on an orange nameplate at the bottom. Clark is shown in a defensive stance, wearing a white Giants uniform with black and orange trim, a black cap with the Giants logo, and a baseball glove on his left hand. The background of the image is slightly blurred, depicting a baseball field. In the bottom right corner of the image, a small 'PTL' logo appears in blue and red.

It’s the birthday of Will Clark, born 1964 in New Orleans.

By the time Clark suited up for his first big-league game in Houston’s Astrodome in the spring of 1986, he was already an accomplished baseball player.

Clark started making trips across the industrial canal to Digby playground to play little league at just eight. His father, a hunter and fisherman, stoked his son’s love for the game. At 15, his Babe Ruth team made it to the national World Series and finished third. In high school, he found more success. His team won the state championship and earned a trip to the national World Series. In college, the stage got larger. He made the US National Baseball team at the 1984 Olympics, and led the five game tournament with a .429 batting average. On the Mississippi State Bulldogs Clark and his teammate Rafael Palmiero earned the nicknames “Thunder and Lightning”. Clark earned All-American honors.

Not long after, he’d find himself in Houston, wearing a Giants uniform and staring down Nolan Ryan in his first major league at-bat. Clark watched two go by, and then launched Ryan’s third clear of the 420-foot center field wall. In the stands, his parents were ecstatic — though maybe not surprised.

As Clark’s talents became clear to everyone else in the league, fans, writers and players all began to take particular note of his swing. Sports Illustrated called it, “The sweetest swing anyone had ever seen, an uppercut with a long, loopy follow-through that made it seem as if he was wielding a buggy whip instead of a 32-ounce bat.” But as sweet as his swing was, Clark had an edge to him.

Unable to control his anger after a poor at-bat, he’d cause chaos in the dugout — throwing his helmet and slamming the bat rack. But his fury wasn’t always directed inward. At St. Louis in 1988, Clark slid hard into second, breaking up a double play. Clark got a stiff kick, and then a slap upside the head from José Oquendo. He returned the favor, and the benches cleared. Fans loved it. That year, the Giants began putting up posters around the Bay Area and selling pins emblazoned with Clark’s signature eye-black and the slogan “I’ve Got a Giant Attitude”.

At his peak, Clark was truly a superstar. But in the early 1990s, injuries started to take a noticeable toll. While his play became less consistent, his highs were just as brilliant as in his early years. Ultimately, it was those moments of brilliance — and the attitude, and the swing — that cemented his legacy as No. 22 in Giants history.

A digital baseball player stat card for Will Clark features a red and blue border with a white background. In the top left corner, a stylized 'PTL' logo appears in red and blue. The name 'Will Clark' is prominently displayed in large blue text. Below, player details are listed in a smaller blue font: 'First Baseman,' 'Bats: Left,' 'Throws: Left,' 'Height: 6'2,' 'Weight: 190,' and 'Born: 3/13/1964, New Orleans, Louisiana.' A blue bar spans the width of the card below the details, separating them from the player's career statistics, which are displayed in bold blue text. The categories include BA (.303), HR (284), RBI (1205), H (2176), R (1186), SB (67), OBP (.384), SLG (.497), and OPS (.880).

MLB News

Suzuki Slashes, Guerrero Wants Cash, And Those Terrible Hats

  • First, Some Bad Design – Earlier this week, MLBshop removed the questionably designed New Era caps for this season because they basically spelled out ‘Tetas’. Now, two more — ‘Ashos’ and ‘Anaels’ — have also been removed. But of course, you can already find the former on eBay for $1,000.

  • $50 Million Short – Or about $3.5m a year, that’s how close the Jays were to locking in Guerrero for a 14 season deal. Vlad apparently wanted a contract valued at $500 million in present value — not before deferrals. He’s expected to be the most attractive hitter available next season.

  • Speaking of Big Contracts – Ken Rosenthal reports that the Dodgers have reached an agreement with Dave Roberts for a four-year deal for upwards of $8 million per season.

  • Cole is Out – “Not a death sentence for us, by any means” That’s what Aaron Boone is saying about news that Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss 2025. How will the team shore-up pitching in his absence? Right now, the fifth start spot looks like it’s a toss-up between Carlos Carrasco or Will Warren.

  • Samurai Sword Vs. Baseballs – While you worked on your batting, Seiya Suzuki was studying the blade.

On This Day

New Types of Baseballs

  • 1915 — Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson attempted to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane during spring training. However, a grapefruit was secretly substituted, which exploded upon impact, leading Robinson to believe he was injured. ​

  • 1943 — MLB approve a new ball made by the Spalding Company for the new season. Instead of the usual combination of cork and rubber, the inside of the ball was made up of recycled cork and balata, materials not needed in the war effort.