Bryan Clark (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bryan Clark |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 12, 1956 Madera, California, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 11, 1981, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 30, 1990, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 20–23 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.15 | ||
| Strikeouts | 259 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Bryan Donald Clark, born on July 12, 1956, is a former baseball player. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bryan played for several teams, including the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox. His career in MLB lasted eight seasons, from 1981 to 1990. Bryan is from Madera, California. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 185 pounds. He threw and batted with his left hand. Bryan went to Fresno Community College.
Contents
Bryan Clark's Baseball Career
Bryan Clark was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th round of the 1974 MLB draft. This was the 227th pick overall. When he started playing professionally in the minor leagues, Bryan quickly showed he had trouble controlling his pitches. For example, in his second year, he walked 138 batters in just 131 innings. A "walk" happens when a pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone, and the batter gets to go to first base for free.
Early Years in the Minors
Bryan was mostly a starting pitcher in the minor leagues. A starting pitcher is the player who begins the game on the mound. He sometimes had high ERAs (which measures how many runs a pitcher allows). In four different seasons, he walked over 100 batters. His best minor league season was in 1979. That year, he won 14 games and lost 5. His ERA was 2.64 in 23 starts. However, he still walked 112 batters in 167 innings.
Making it to the Major Leagues
Even with his struggles in the minor leagues, Bryan Clark made it to the major leagues. His first MLB game was on April 11, 1981. He was 24 years old and played against the California Angels. The Seattle Mariners had bought his contract from the Pirates in 1978. In his first game, Bryan was used in a surprising way. Even though he was a pitcher, the Mariners used him as a pinch runner. A pinch runner is a player who enters the game to run the bases for another player.
Finding His Role in MLB
Bryan spent the rest of his career trying to find the best role for himself. He played as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher. A relief pitcher comes into the game after the starting pitcher. His best season was in 1982. That year, he won 5 games and lost 2. His ERA was 2.75 in 37 games, with five of those being starts.
Bryan Clark's Only Shutout
In 1982, Bryan also pitched his only complete game shutout. This happened on September 25, 1982, against the Toronto Blue Jays. A complete game means the pitcher throws for the entire game without anyone else pitching. A shutout means the other team scores zero runs. In that game, Bryan gave up six hits, walked only one batter, and struck out two.
Moving Teams
On December 8, 1983, Bryan was traded from the Mariners to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mariners received Barry Bonnell in return. Bryan's control problems showed up again on August 19, 1983. This was in a game against the Cleveland Indians. In just 2 and 2/3 innings, he walked seven batters and allowed three runs. He didn't get a win or a loss in that game. Bryan finished his only season with the Blue Jays with a record of 1 win and 2 losses. His ERA was 5.91 in 20 games, with three starts.
Final Season and Career Stats
Bryan Clark played his last game on May 30, 1990. He was back with the Seattle Mariners, who had gotten him again in December 1989.
Over his entire career, Bryan had a record of 20 wins and 23 losses. His ERA was 4.15 in 516.1 innings pitched. He walked 261 batters and struck out 259. A strikeout is when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter, and the batter is out. In 1981, he was sixth in the American League for wild pitches with seven. A wild pitch is a pitch that is so far from the plate that the catcher cannot stop it. In 1983, he was fourth in the league with 10 wild pitches.
Bryan also played winter ball in Venezuela. He played for the Tiburones de La Guaira and Navegantes del Magallanes teams. This was during seven seasons between 1980 and 1989. He also pitched for La Guaira in the Caribbean Series in 1983 and 1985. The Caribbean Series is a baseball tournament for champion teams from different Caribbean countries.
Fun Fact
- The famous baseball player George Brett got his 2,000th career hit off Bryan Clark.
