#15: Jermaine Clark - 1998
Each Wednesday timberrattlers.com will countdown the top 20 seasons by a Timber Rattler until #1 is revealed on August 29th. This week: #15
Jermaine Clark 1998
.324 batting average, 81 runs, 145 hits, 24 doubles, 13 triples, 6 home runs, 55 rbi's, 40 stolen bases, .475 slugging percentage, .402 on base average
Jermaine Clark was a 44th round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school in 1994, but he opted not to sign and went to the University of San Francisco. After being named a West Coast Conference All-Star three straight years (1995-97), the Mariners grabbed him in the 5th round of the 1997 draft. He was assigned to Everett and hit .337 in 59 games. Expectations were high after such a promising start to his career.
The switch-hitting second baseman would not disappoint. His batting average, walks (57), triples, runs, hits, stolen bases, and on base percentage all rank in the top 10 in Rattler history. His thirteen triples are the most in team history and were the fifth most in all of the Minor Leagues in 1998. And even though he only hit six home runs, his slugging percentage is the eleventh best in team history. His efforts earned him a place as the second baseman on the Midwest League's post-season All Star Team.
Clark's career gradually progressed from there. He would hit .315 for Lancaster the following season and .293 for the New Haven Ravens in 2000. But his career has taken some odd turns from there. He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the Rule 5 draft, but would be returned to Seattle after appearing in only three games in the Majors. He would spend the rest of '01 and most of '02 with Tacoma before being traded to Texas with another former Rattler, Derrick Van Dusen. The Rangers would waive Jermaine in 2003 and he would be claimed by San Diego, only to be sold back to Texas about a week later. Since then, he has spent time in the Reds, A's, and Brewers organizations. Overall he has appeared in a total of 46 games in the Majors, hitting just .154.
Previously on the countdown: