Giant Rookie Will Clark Shows Something, Learns Something

The rookie learned three valuable lessons in his major league debut at Houston’s Astrodome.

First: Never agitate an umpire early in a game, especially when the umpire is the crew chief.

San Francisco Giants’ teammate Chris Brown whispered the pearl of big league wisdom into the rookie’s ear moments after he questioned plate umpire Lee Weyer’s called third strike in the third inning of Giants-Houston Astros opener last Tuesday. Crew chiefs, Brown lectured, often possess long memories.

Second: Never carry a post-game beer out of the clubhouse.

That education in etiquette came from Giants coach Bill Fahey as the rookie--with sweating beer can in hand--hurried to meet a throng of family members and friends following San Francisco’s 8-3 victory. It’s not cool, Fahey said. So the rookie, born and raised in New Orleans, naturally reached for a go-cup. He drew a frown from Fahey and threw the beer down.

Third: He is capable of hitting a major league fastball great distances.

Although he suspected as much all along, the rookie never would have guessed the eventual discovery would come so quickly. Or so dramatically. On the very first swing of his very first at-bat of his major league career, Will Clark drove a letter-high heater from Nolan Ryan, a lead-pipe cinch for Cooperstown, 420 feet into the Astrodome’s center-field bleachers. “That told me I belong up here,” the rookie deduced. “I’d like to think I’m doing my job.”

The home run was a mighty big, spine-tingling and special moment, not only for Clark, but also for the entire cellar-dwelling San Francisco organization, which views its 22-year-old phenom in the same light as someone on the ground floor sees an Otis elevator--as a way to the top.

If Will Clark does his job, that is.

After the game, the players were going ga-ga. Members of the front office and coaching staff were gushing. Not about the satisfying season-opening victory, but about the job Clark, a tautly built, 6-foot-1, 180-pound, lantern-jawed natural, has done so far.

Giants President Al Rosen talked about how batting instructor Willie McCovey couldn’t find a flaw in Clark’s swing in spring training.

Giants Manager Roger Craig compared Clark’s smooth, fluid, almost effortless stroke to that of Kansas City’s George Brett before getting to the heart of the matter, what the Giants like most about their high-priced rookie. It’s the intangibles, Craig said. Clark’s maturity, his poise.

Clark did his best (he was almost biting his upper lip to keep it from breaking into a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin) to appear nonplussed by the attention and praise. As he willingly obliged numerous interviews and warned against snap judgments, what with 161 games left on a grinding schedule, the Giants players seconded their manager’s emotions.

“There’s a lot of pressure on Will,” said Brown, a highly touted rookie in 1985, “but you’d never know it. He’s a gamer.”

“(The attention) is nothing new for him,” catcher Bob Brenly said, motioning to Clark. “The man’s been through the wringer. I’ve never seen someone as well-prepared to handle this as Will.”