Jack Clark

By Brad Berreman
Love of Sports Correspondent

Jack Clark was known as a clutch hitter in his career, one which spanned 18 seasons.

Never was this more apparent than during Game 6 of the 1985 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In that game, Clark came to bat in the ninth inning with two men on base against Dodger reliever Tom Niedenfuer. When given the chance to step up, he did just that, hitting a series-clinching three-run homer that sent the Cardinals to the World Series, where they’d ultimately lose to the Kansas City Royals.

In 1987, Clark had his best season, hitting .286 with 35 home runs and 106 RBI, helping the Cardinals return to the World Series. He finished third in NL MVP voting and led the league in both on-base percentage (.459) and slugging (.597). Of course, the Cardinals lost the Series again that year, this time to the Minnesota Twins.

Before being traded to the Cardinals, Clark played for the San Francisco Giants from 1975-84. Then, after leaving the Cardinals after the ‘87 season, he played for the Yankees, Padres and Red Sox. He then signed with the Expos before the 1993 season, but didn’t make the team out of spring training. Soon after that, Clark retired.

For his career, Clark had 340 HRs, 1,180 RBI and a .476 slugging percentage. He had 11 seasons with 20 or more home runs and 11 years with 80 or more RBI. He also made four All-Star appearances (1978, 1979, 1985, 1987).

Clark served as the Dodgers’ hitting coach in 2003 and currently does Cardinals postgame analysis for Fox Sports Net Midwest.

In recognition of one of the ‘80s most underappreciated sluggers, here’s some Old School Love to Jack Clark!