Dave Clark (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dave Clark |
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Clark with the Houston Astros
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| Houston Astros – No. 23 | |||
| Outfielder / Coach | |||
| Born: September 3, 1962 Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1986, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 1998, for the Houston Astros | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .264 | ||
| Home runs | 62 | ||
| Runs batted in | 284 | ||
| Managerial record | 4–9 | ||
| Winning % | .308 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
As coach
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David Earl Clark (born September 3, 1962) is an American former outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in the big leagues from 1986 to 1998. Today, he is the first base coach for the Houston Astros. He has also coached for the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Clark has also managed minor league teams. He led the Corpus Christi Hooks to a Texas League Championship in 2006. He was even an interim manager for the Houston Astros in 2009.
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Early Life and College
Dave Clark was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He went to Jackson State University. While playing baseball there, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both 1982 and 1983.
Playing Career
The Cleveland Indians picked Dave Clark in the first round of the 1983 draft. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball in 1986. He played for over twelve seasons. During his career, he had a batting average of .264. He hit 62 home runs and had 284 runs batted in (RBIs).
His best season as a player was in 1994. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates that year. He batted .296, hit 10 home runs, and had 46 RBIs.
Coaching and Managing Career
After his playing days, Dave Clark started coaching. His first coaching job was with the Pirates organization in 2000. He began as a hitting coach for a rookie team. Soon after, he became the hitting coach for their Triple-A team. A year later, he was the hitting coach for the Pirates' main MLB team.
Managing Minor League Teams
After coaching for the Pirates, Clark became a manager. He managed the Lynchburg Hillcats and led them to the playoffs. The next season, he managed the Hickory Crawdads. He guided them to win a South Atlantic League championship.
In 2005, he joined the Houston Astros organization. He managed the Corpus Christi Hooks, a Double-A team. In 2006, he led the Hooks to their first-ever Texas League Championship.
Major League Coaching
On September 21, 2009, Dave Clark became the interim manager for the Houston Astros. He took over for Cecil Cooper. He then served as the first base coach for the Astros until the end of the 2013 season.
In 2013, the Detroit Tigers hired Clark. He worked as their third-base coach and helped players with outfield skills. Before the 2020 season, he moved to being the first base coach for the Tigers.
In December 2023, the Houston Astros announced that Dave Clark would return. He is now their first-base coach for the 2024 season.
Personal Life
Dave Clark's brother is Louis Clark. Louis used to play as a wide receiver in American football for the Seattle Seahawks. Now, Louis works as a Senior Director for the Los Angeles Chargers.
