Questioning Authority with Dave Clark

Former first-round draft pick Dave Clark spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues with six teams. Drafted by the Cleveland Indians as the 11th pick of the 1983 draft, Clark debuted with the Tribe on Sept. 3, 1986. After four seasons in Cleveland, Clark was traded to the Cubs in 1989 for Mitch Webster. He signed as a free agent with Kansas City in 1991, joined Pittsburgh in 1992, was shipped to Los Angeles in 1996 and split his final season in the Majors in 1997 between the Cubs and Astros. Clark made headlines -- and annual baseball blooper reels -- in 1995 when he broke his collarbone in an outfield collision with Pittsburgh teammate Jacob Brumfield.

A career .264 hitter, Clark enjoyed his best season in 1994 when he batted .296 with 10 home runs, 46 RBIs, 37 runs and two stolen bases for the Pirates. He hit a career-high .301 in 1997 with the Cubs and drove in 92 runs over two seasons from 1993-1994.

Clark, who will begin his first season as manager of the Triple-A Round Rock Express (Houston), has spent six consecutive years as a manager in the Minor Leagues. He guided the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks to a 67-73 record in 2007, one season after he led the team to its first Texas League championship. Clark also has managed at North Shore in Hawaii Winter Baseball and at Mesa in the Arizona Fall League. He was named league Manager of the Year after he guided the Double-A Lynchburg Hillcats to the 2003 Carolina League Championship Series, and in 2004, he led the Class A Hickory Crawdads to the South Atlantic League title.

Minorleaguebaseball.com: What do you remember most about your first time around in the Minor Leagues?

Dave Clark: I was in a strange place. I was in Waterloo, Iowa, and I just looked at it as being strange. I was in the middle of nowhere. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. But I said, "Hey, let's give it a try."

MiLB: Have times changed that much? How different are the Minors from when you were a player?

DC: I tell you what, it's very different. You can start with the ballparks, it seems like every team has a brand-new ballpark. The facilities now are awesome. In Waterloo, you could sit in the dugout and see who was in right field -- the fields weren't designed well. And you have more teaching now, at every level. I remember I didn't even have a hitting coach until I got to the big leagues. Now, every level has a hitting coach, every level has pitching coaches and strength coaches. That was basically unheard of when I was coming through.

MiLB: Life in the Minors can be surreal. What's your favorite tale of the Minors, either as a player or on the bench?

DC: You probably don't want to hear about it! (laughs) As a player, I didn't spend a whole lot of time down there -- I got through there real quick. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I guess as a manager, I would probably say seeing kids make some of the same mistakes I made. They think they can pull the wool over my head, thinking I didn't go through what they're going through in the Minors. I haven't seen a whole lot of crazy stuff though.

MiLB: How have teammates you played with in the bigs reacted to your current gig?

DC: The ones I stay in contact with, they're real happy for me. They knew I wanted to stay in baseball. Once I was done, I didn't know in what capacity I'd be able to stay around. I got the chance to go back out and be a hitting coach and get back on the field. After that I was a big-league hitting coach, so they're pretty excited for me. They knew I wanted to do that, to stay involved.

MiLB: Do the guys on your team know much about you and your history as a player?

DC: That is so funny, heck no! They get some old stats off the Internet. I've had a few tell me they remember the bad collision I had in 1995, they play it on ESPN at least five or six times a year. It's funny, they'll get the early big-league baseball cards of mine and they'll crack on me. But you know, I tell them, "Hey, it's a big-league card." Until you get one you, you can't say anything.

MiLB: What have the players on your team taught you? Do they keep you up-to-date on pop culture?

DC: No doubt, the fact I have kids that are their age -- I know that lingo, I know their fashion. Sometimes they'll try to throw something at me, thinking I don't have any idea. They keep me young and energized. I love to see them get better.

MiLB: What kind of reaction do you get from fans?

DC: The ones that are not booing me, you mean? (Laughs) It's very positive though. I get fan mail. They give me a lot of well wishes -- how they remember watching me play, stuff like that. They pretty much respect me, they give me their respect. I try to go out of my way to do things in the community and stay visible.

MiLB: What city or cities do you most look forward to stopping in during the season?

DC: I just got to take over Round Rock, so I'm looking forward to getting back home in Memphis, to get back in my own bed. It'll be nice to get a chance to come home.

MiLB: What's the toughest part of the job?

DC: It's just trying to make sure you give all the players an opportunity, give them ample playing time. Sometimes that's tough. You want to see them all get there. I don't want to be the cause that these kids didn't make it. They can play their way into the lineup, and they can play their way out. I try to hold them accountable, and that can be tough at times. But I try to do what I can to keep them all fresh.

MiLB: Have you collected all your baseball cards?

DC: Oh yeah, every last one of them. Always did it as kid. Once I got to the big leagues, I kept all the cards of mine and my favorite players. I have an old Christy Mathewson -- one of those tobacco cards. It goes way back. Probably worth a pretty good mint.