Trade for Clark Sends This Town on the Offensive

What this town needs is some punch.

I mean, take a look at what the local lads did over the weekend.

San Diego State went to Colorado State, which should be the Western Athletic Conference’s version of a vacation. The starting quarterback should be on the ski slopes by halftime . . . maybe the entire starting lineup.

So what happened? The Aztecs scored all of 7 points . . . and lost, predictably, 13-7.

And then along comes Sunday, when the Indianapolis Colts visited the Chargers in Mission Valley. This was a case in which the Charger offense had an opportunity to stir from its lethargy against one of the worst defenses in the National Football League.

So what happened? The Chargers scored all of zero points . . . and lost, predictably, 16-0.

In the aftermath of such a dismal weekend, it was time Monday to start thinking of Christmas shopping or New Year’s Eve parties or maybe even planting the spring bulbs. Anything would be better than subjecting oneself to the depression of contemplating what remains of the 1988 football season hereabouts.

And then along came an offensive infusion. Along came punch. Along came a dream of good things to come.

Along came the Padres with a press conference.

Along came Jack Clark.

Take that, football. The World Series is over less than a week and already baseball is the talk of the town. There may be a major power outage around here this fall, but the Padres want none of that in the spring.

“We’re excited,” said Jack McKeon, wearing his general manager suit and puffing his general manager cigar. “We said we were going to go out and try to get a power hitter . . . and we’ve got one.”

McKeon did not really sound excited. He was very casual and matter-of-fact, at least on the outside.

But he had to be giggling inside.

He had wanted a big bat and he got it without surrendering either of his young catchers, the incumbent Benito Santiago or challenger Sandy Alomar Jr. Those were the guys everyone assumed would be a part of any deal bringing a hitter of Clark’s caliber.

But the cost of Clark (and pitcher Pat Clements) was not nearly so steep. McKeon gave up pitchers Jimmy Jones and Lance McCullers and outfielder Stanley Jefferson, players who did not figure prominently in McKeon’s plans for 1989 . . . or after.

He had to be giggling inside.

Here it was Oct. 24, 1988, and already the Padres were a contender for 1989. In truth, they already had to be considered contenders based on their surge to third place in the last half of 1988, but now they were suddenly serious contenders.

“That team believes in themselves,” Clark said, “I believe in them, and I haven’t even seen them. There’s a good future there, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

A big part of it.

This man is a professional. He is an impact player who brings fire to the clubhouse, the dugout and the field.

In a sense, his acquisition is similar to the Dodgers’ acquisition of Kirk Gibson last off-season. Clark, like Gibson, never has put together Canseco-esque numbers in terms of individual statistics, but he brings intangibles in how to physically and mentally play the game.

McKeon shook his head after listening to Clark go on about doing the little things to win games, like making the right kind of out at the right time.

“That sounded like one of my clubhouse meetings,” McKeon said. “That’s the same stuff I’ve been preaching all year long.”

McKeon seemed more inclined to compare Clark’s acquisition to the 1983 signing of Steve Garvey, which triggered the chain reaction that put the 1984 National League championship season into place. The Padres followed up by signing Rich Gossage as a free agent and trading for Graig Nettles.

And that parallel might be all the more appropriate, because McKeon is not done.

This is the beginning, not the end.

Clark himself, showing an awareness of his new organization, touched on that: “He still has some good players he can use to bring somebody else in.”

That’s right, Player Jack. Trader Jack still has shopping to do.

Hey, Manager Jack, where will Player Jack hit in the batting order?

“How would I know?” Trader Jack said. “I’m not done yet. We get a player or two more and we’ll bring some fun to San Diego.”

And some punch.

Unfortunately, the 1989 opener is 160 days away.