Thrill Is Gone, but Not Forgotten : Former Giant Clark Quickly Makes His Presence Known With the Rangers

At 8:30 on a recent spring morning, Will Clark slowly put on the blue and white uniform of the Texas Rangers and said, “I thought I’d be in black and orange forever.”

Color him sad, bitter, angry?

None of the above, said the former first baseman of the San Francisco Giants.

“I have great memories,” he said of nine years in the Giants’ organization.

“I left on good terms and have only good things to say. I was treated well, but it was time to move on.

“It’s a business, pure and simple.”

The Rangers signed free agent Clark to a five-year, $30-million contract when the Giants, clearly skeptical of his physical status after two subpar seasons, offered only three years at $15 million.

“It wasn’t exactly a secret that I was trying to get a deal done out of spring training (in ‘93), but I should have seen through their response from the start,” Clark said of the Giants.

“They were never very aggressive, and when the season ended it was kind of ‘Take it or leave it.’ I guess it was more of a surprise to me than anything, considering how I had helped provide a foundation for the franchise to build on (after losing 100 games in 1985), and how I had never complained about my last contract, even though it was outdated almost from the time I signed it.”

Groin and knee injuries restricted Clark to 144 games in 1992, when he hit 16 homers and drove in 73 runs with a .300 batting average.

A knee injury in ’93 limited him to 132 games. He hit 14 homers, drove in 73 runs again and batted .283.

Giant General Manager Bob Quinn has said he was not prepared to offer five years based on what the club had seen of Clark in the last two.

“I scuffled the last two years, but I’ve never used injuries as an excuse and still won’t,” Clark said. “Everyday players play with injuries, but the fact is, whenever I got hot I couldn’t stay hot because my whole support frame was weak.

“I couldn’t plant or turn. That’s why I hit a lot of balls to left field last year.”

Clark worked with conditioning expert Mackie Shilstone during the winter and said he is confident of returning to his All-Star form, citing his .379 average over his final 58 at-bats last year.

“I don’t think I’m washed up by any stretch,” Clark said, dismissing Quinn’s doubt. “I think any doubt was removed in September. If you throw out the first month or so of last season, I had a very solid year. I don’t doubt my ability to hit as well as ever.”

Owner Peter Angelos of the Baltimore Orioles apparently did. He refused to go to $30 million and pulled out of negotiations with Clark at the 11th hour, ultimately signing Rafael Palmeiro to a five-year, $30.35-million contract after Clark had signed with Palmeiro’s Rangers.

Palmeiro, who had wanted to return to Texas, derided Clark’s ability and ethics and later made a tepid apology.

Clark, however, has refused to trade insults with his former Mississippi State teammate, saying only that Palmeiro’s comments seemed like sour grapes.

“I was more shocked than anything,” Clark said. “I had to wonder where he was coming from. I mean, a free agent is just that--free to go anywhere.”

Inevitably, there will be statistical comparisons with Palmeiro, but Clark said: “I’m here to win--that’s what I’m about--and if everyone has a typical year, we have a very good chance to get it done.”

Clark will bat third in a powerful lineup. Manager Kevin Kennedy said Clark is already providing leadership by example and contributing to open dialogue in the clubhouse, where he has always been known as “the Shrill.”

The Giants seemed to doubt, however, that he could become “the Thrill” again, but Clark said of his former team, “I hear they’re still not sure who’s going to bat third or play first base.”