Former Giants first baseman Will Clark was taken off the Hall of Fame ballot in 2006. On Sunday, he’s getting a second chance.
Clark, along with 10 other former players, managers and executives including Mark McGwire, will be reconsidered for Cooperstown this weekend by a 16-person panel of experts dubbed the “Today’s Game Era Committee.” Nominees need to receive at least 75 percent of the vote from the committee to earn induction into the baseball Hall of Fame. The voting will take place in Washington D.C., and is considered the unofficial start to the Winter Meetings.
Clark was removed from the Hall of Fame ballot 10 years ago after not clearing the 5 percent threshold, receiving only 23 votes among the 520 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Clark is getting a second look by the committee who will be evaluating individuals whose contributions to the game were made primarily after 1988.
The question now is: does Clark deserve to be enshrined in Cooperstown? One can certainly make a case based on the numbers that he does. In addition to being a career .303 hitter, Clark was a six time All-Star (five with the Giants). Clark was also gifted in every aspect of the game, winning two Silver Sluggers in 1989 and 1991, a Gold Glove in 1991. According to MLB.com, Clark’s career .880 OPS would be 43-best among current Hall of Famers.
“When I played with him, I thought I was playing with a Hall of Famer,” former teammate and Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow told MLB.com.
There are five former players on the ballot with former A’s DH Harold Baines, Albert Belle and Orel Hershiser joining Clark and McGwire. Other nominees include managers Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella, former commissioner Bud Selig and executives Josh Schuerholz and George Steinbrenner.