Phil Clark (baseball outfielder)
Encyclopedia
Phillip Benjamin Clark is a former Major League Baseball
player. He played infield and outfield for the Detroit Tigers
, San Diego Padres
, and Boston Red Sox
. He also played four seasons in Japan
with the Kintetsu Buffaloes
.
His brother, Jerald Clark
, also played in the major leagues and Nippon Professional Baseball.
Clark signed with the Detroit Tigers
after being selected with their first-round pick in the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft
out of high school, and made his major league debut with the Tigers in . He was sent off to the San Diego Padres
the following year, and hit .313 with 9 home runs in 102 games. He continued to play part-time before being released by the Boston Red Sox
in . He joined the Kintetsu Buffaloes
in the Japanese Pacific League
in , and hit 23 home runs with a .331 batting average (second in the league after Ichiro Suzuki
) in his first year to win the Best Nine Award
at first base. He hit 48 doubles in , which was the Japanese single-season record until Yoshitomo Tani
broke it in , and ended with a .320 batting average, with 31 home runs and 114 RBIs to win his second consecutive Best Nine Award. His production decreased in , but he still won a third Best Nine Award at designated hitter
. In , he missed over half of the season after being hit by a pitch, and was released at the end of the year.
Clark is currently a coach for the Lake County Captains
, an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians
in the Single-A Midwest League
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He played infield and outfield for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He also played four seasons in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
.
His brother, Jerald Clark
Jerald Clark
Jerald Dwayne Clark is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is an alumnus of Lamar University and played for the Lamar Cardinals baseball team....
, also played in the major leagues and Nippon Professional Baseball.
Clark signed with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
after being selected with their first-round pick in the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft
1986 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1986 Major League Baseball Draft was the 22nd MLB draft that took place in 1986. During this draft, five all-stars were drafted in five different teams.-First round selections:...
out of high school, and made his major league debut with the Tigers in . He was sent off to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
the following year, and hit .313 with 9 home runs in 102 games. He continued to play part-time before being released by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in . He joined the Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
in the Japanese Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
in , and hit 23 home runs with a .331 batting average (second in the league after Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
) in his first year to win the Best Nine Award
Best Nine Award
The Best Nine Award is awarded annually to the best player at each position in both the Central League and Pacific League of Japanese professional baseball as determined by a pool of journalists.-History:...
at first base. He hit 48 doubles in , which was the Japanese single-season record until Yoshitomo Tani
Yoshitomo Tani
Yoshitomo Tani is a Japanese professional baseball player from Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan. He currently plays as an outfielder for the Yomiuri Giants....
broke it in , and ended with a .320 batting average, with 31 home runs and 114 RBIs to win his second consecutive Best Nine Award. His production decreased in , but he still won a third Best Nine Award at designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. In , he missed over half of the season after being hit by a pitch, and was released at the end of the year.
Clark is currently a coach for the Lake County Captains
Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a minor league baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The team, a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, plays in the Midwest League....
, an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the Single-A Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
.