Will Clark - Disheartening To See The A's Leave
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00:00Uh, first memory of my childhood watching Giants baseball was Will Clark
00:04Rocketed Grand Slam at Wrigley Field at the playoffs to go to the World Series in
00:081989 and Will Clark joins us on the River Islands guest line all guests on 9570 came up here on the River Islands guest line
00:14Is it a time for you to discover the islands River Islands at Lathrop and boy?
00:19I gotta say I gotta say will bed that podcast you got going on with Eric Burns the clips
00:24I see I just talk when I watch them over and over and over again. This is letting it fly. Well, good morning to you, buddy
00:29Good morning, gentlemen, how y'all doing today? Oh, man, we're doing great, man
00:33We do it great, especially finally getting a win here, man
00:35I mean, wow, those first three games against the Braves so we'll get to that
00:39Obviously salvage to the game yesterday. What a great start by Logan Webb, but the Bay Bridge series
00:43It'll be the last time we see this between the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants
00:47Obviously, they're moving up to Sacramento and you know, we talk a swell
00:51I'm so desensitized from everything that's happening with that organization and I know maybe you're so affiliated with the Giants
00:57But when I think of the A's, I just think of sadness. What a sad situation for them. Well
01:03Yeah, I'm right there with you, you know, I mean, you know, not only you know, the great teams that they had in the 80s
01:10You know McGuire can say co-workers Lee Dave Smith Ricky Henderson
01:14I mean guys like that, but then you go back to the earlier generations with you know, Reggie by the blue
01:21Salamander Joe Rudy, you know people like that and and you just shake your head as to you know
01:28That organization was so great for such a long period of time and then to move out of the bay
01:36It's just kind of disheartening. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm
01:40Watching these Giants this year and it's like the approaches with runners in scoring position are baffling
01:46I mean that the amount of times I see a guy at third base with less than two
01:55I grew up in an era and I know that you can relate to this where my dad would say like you just have to
02:00Put it in play to the right side
02:01No matter what you gotta you you choke up get wide
02:05Like to strike approach from the beginning of the at-bat put the ball in play get this run home
02:11Is this an organizational thing?
02:13Is this a baseball like a modern baseball thing?
02:16Cuz it's driving me insane watching this team fail to execute like these are simple basic
02:24Fundamentals and it's I know I'm preaching to the choir. It's just it will it really bugs me
02:29Well as a guy who made his mark driving in runs and driving in crucial runs
02:37Yeah, it drives me crazy, too
02:39You know working for the organization and and having you know worked with most of these guys
02:46You know, it's just you know
02:47You got a you when you're in those crucial situations of a game you have to trust yourself
02:53You have to trust. Hey, look I did I did the work on the field, you know, I did the batting practice and all that
02:58I know what's coming because I've been paying attention to the game and you have to trust yourself and stick with it
03:04Like you said kind of put the ball in play
03:07It's not that hard it I mean and it's a lot of common sense that first off, you know
03:12You pay attention to game if guys throwing a 2-1 slider while you go, I'm gonna look for a 2-1 slider
03:17You know, you don't look for a fastball in that situation
03:20And you know, these are the kind of things that you know when I go work with the guys
03:24You know that we talked about and you know, they kind of understand it
03:27But then when they get on the field, they they I guess you want to say for a lack of a better term
03:32they don't trust themselves and they go back to whatever they wanted to do before and
03:37Yeah for me personally, you know, it's kind of baffling and it's not only you know, a San Francisco Giant thing
03:44It's a baseball thing
03:44I mean, I see it
03:46I see it all the way through when I watch some of the other team
03:49You know that we were playing against and we're pitching against it's like how did he not look for that pitch right there?
03:55You know, I mean and so, you know when I go watch a major league game now
04:00I mean, I literally can call I don't know 85% of the pitches and I haven't hit in 25 years
04:06And I know what's coming
04:08That's so believable. Well Clark, of course
04:10There's never 22 who's retired with the Giants last year Wall of Fame course six-time all-star
04:15Here in a morning Ross on the River Islands guest line. So these approaches and these youngsters look I I hear the conversation
04:20Will that big-time hitters don't want to come play in this ballpark
04:24But yet I see these road teams come in and they're hitting the ball out the yard with no problem
04:28I'm thinking if I said what the hell is going on here. We can't find a power here to save our lives
04:32So if he can't find a power hitter
04:34I think the approach is just the way the lineup is constructed. What about getting some speed?
04:38well, let's get some guys who can go first to home some guys who go first or third the lack of
04:44attention to the
04:45Athleticism within the lineup that drives me crazy because you know dead you're one of the worst teams in baseball when it comes to stealing bases
04:53Yeah, well, you know, I mean, you know, the lack of speed is starting to be addressed
04:57I mean if you look at like Tyler Fitzgerald, he'll run a grant gray who we we just called up
05:03He can run really well. So, you know and and Matt Chapman is an above-average runner, you know
05:09Even though nobody really realizes it. So I mean, you know, we're starting to get more speed in the lineup
05:14we're starting to get more athleticism and
05:17You know, it'll make her, you know a better team, you know down the road and and then not only that
05:22Open up some avenues for Bob Melvin to you know to run and do stuff like, you know
05:28The the base the bunk base hit that grant had yesterday and you know stuff like that. So
05:33But yeah, I mean, you know that if you if you go around our minor league
05:39Situation that we have right now
05:41You're starting to see more athleticism. Um, we've got guys on the lower levels
05:45I've seen one of our teams on the lower levels and
05:48We got guys that not only can hit a little bit they can run and they put pressure on the defense and I really like
05:54It so those guys would be coming, you know down the pipe here in the next few years
05:58Well, you brought the minor leagues you open the door for me, all right look I'm a sick individual
06:03I watch a lot of just videos of the prospects and you don't get a great feel because these are highlights
06:09They're never you never see a guy striking out or or failing to execute with a runner at third base or booting a ball
06:15Or anything like that, but I'm watching Bryce Eldridge and I heard that you were working with him and it's just
06:21highlight after highlight after highlight and the power just
06:24His stature at the plate the swing the ability to go all the way I mean from what I've seen
06:30He just looks different from anything that the Giants have ever really had. You've had an opportunity to work with him
06:36Is that that's what I've heard
06:38Yeah, I definitely worked right, you know, he was
06:42drafted as a pitcher and in a position player
06:46But he didn't really have a position in the Giants at first put him in the outfield
06:51He didn't particularly care for that now they moved him at first and
06:55so I've been working with him, you know around the bag at first and then had a chance to watch his at bats and
07:01You know without a shadow of a doubt. He will be a major leaguer. He's got that presence
07:07Like you said he can hit the ball all over the ballpark with power matter of fact probably left center. It's his best power
07:13and
07:15Yeah, I mean he's getting it. He's definitely getting it
07:18But you know, he's also one of those kids that you know, he's a high school guy and now he's facing, you know
07:2490-something every day and he's getting used to it and getting used to playing every day and in the grind of you know
07:30professional baseball so, you know, he will
07:34Make it to the major leagues just a question of when but he's already, you know jumped two leagues
07:39I mean he started in Arizona and he went to San Jose's in San Jose
07:42Literally not even half a year and guys didn't Eugene which is high a making the adjustment
07:48Well your thoughts on Marco Luciano, you know, he calls up
07:51He gets called up after so Larry gets traded to the Island of Braves and they wanted to open up at bats
07:56Then he doesn't play for a week. It's about 21 at bats
07:58Do you think you should have been given more of a leeway to kind of get some at bats here to play a little bit?
08:03More or is he just not ready to play at this level will
08:08Marco
08:12If you
08:14Hold on well, we're gonna get a better line. We're cut out there. Okay?
08:17Well, let's make sure we get a better line for him because he was about to get into that
08:22Marco Luciano, I bet you will probably wasn't happy about him not bussing down the third bait first baseline the other night
08:28Sorry that one the Bryce Eldridge thing
08:30I know that most people have never heard of them that are listening to us right now
08:34But him saying he will be in the like he was like definitive with that
08:37I mean that that makes me feel really good really good about about him. I know I know years away
08:43I told you I think I think he's gonna go back. All right, we'll go ahead. We cut off for a second there. We'll go ahead
08:48Yeah
08:50You know what I would say
08:52Marco Lucy, you know, if you look history, he's had an injury-filled career
08:58he really made a full year and so he needs to play every day and
09:03You know coming up to the major leagues and you know sitting playing sitting playing and then also just basically being at the H
09:13That wasn't you know, kind of what kind of player he is. So he needs to play every day and
09:18Kind of what I was saying with Eldridge
09:20I mean, you know, he needs to play every day and play a full season and learn how to get through a full season without
09:25Getting hurt. Yeah
09:28What's your make on the adjustments that Tyler Fitzgerald has made? I mean he came up earlier this year
09:33I mean we saw glimpses of him last year and I was like, ah, man
09:36Maybe he could be like a utility type of Chris Taylor or Kiki Hernandez type of a player and then now he's playing short
09:43Stop, he's doing a pretty good job at shortstop right now, but the power I mean
09:46Anything up and in he's just crushing right now. What what adjustments have you seen him make?
09:52Well, I've been a big proponent of Tyler Fitzgerald for a few years, you know, he's big kid. He's six four
09:58You know, like you mentioned he does have a lot of raw power
10:02He's we talked about it before he's got speed. He can play multiple positions, you know, which is good
10:08you can move guys around if you need to and
10:10I mean, you know, it was one of those things. He just needed a chance and he's getting his chance now
10:17And you guys are seeing what he can do one thing about Tyler Fitzgerald
10:21Because I've seen him over the last few years. He is a notoriously slow starter
10:25so he had gotten called up early in the year and
10:28You know rightfully so he got sent down because he wasn't doing a job and then this time of the year, you know
10:34June July right up in there. He's gonna get hot and he got hot already this year and
10:40he's done a great job so far for for Bob Melvin and the troops and
10:44You know, I see him as a key part of our organization moving forward
10:50Just because of what he brings to the table as far as speed power and can play multiple positions
10:55What do you think is his best defensive position?
10:59I've always seen him at short
11:02Into my leagues, but he also does a real good job in the centerfield
11:06You know the little that we saw last year when he was in centerfield, so, you know, I mean me personally
11:12It's like, you know, he's gonna get a little bit better a little bit better a little bit better
11:16The more he plays at shortstop, but then again if you need him to move in the outfield, he can't
11:21Well, I gotta ask you man
11:23This is why with you and Eric birds one of my favorite pods out there
11:26Could you tell it like it is and burns just cheesy up and you just go in whether it's the Cardinals
11:321987
11:34But my favorite and I want you to settle like it is cuz we're suckers for jerseys
11:39I love jerseys love jerseys, especially the old-school jerseys, but the all-star game this year in Texas
11:44What the hell was that? Well, I heard to take on it
11:47It was atrocious
11:51So you just mentioned burns, you know, I guess oh no, I think it shows
11:57We're both drinking so half in the bag and we're each other up and
12:02Off on something and I go off on something have a ball with it. Tell it like it is. I mean
12:08Bullshit, and it's just like it is but you know, the the all-star game jerseys were like a perfect
12:15Perfect one cuz he's like man. I actually don't mind him and I go that looks like baby puke right there
12:22Baby puke right there those frickin can things that they had up there at the day. They look terrible plus on top of that now
12:30Everybody looks the same. So here you are
12:33You're a fan. All right, and you're going to an all-star game and you see everybody in the same jerseys
12:38Well, you don't know let's say if you're a Phillies fan. You don't know where Bryce Harper is, you know
12:43You know, if you're a Giants fan, you don't know where Logan Webb is, you know
12:47And so I want to go back to the old-school jerseys, which when you're a fan
12:51You know where the hell your player is and you pull for him and stuff like that. So
12:56well, I'm looking at the game as a whole right now and
13:00Me and be talking about this all the time and I'm always like these arbitrary numbers that we throw on pictures
13:06For example, he's at a hundred pitches. He's done. I'm like, wait a minute
13:09Not all hundred pitch outings are are set up the same. What was his bullpen like in between starts, you know?
13:15Was it all sliders was it all curveballs were there runners on base, you know, like what's the score?
13:21Where's he at in the game? And like I just go like old-school. There's a field to it
13:25There's some give-and-take is the guy sore today, you know
13:27I mean like all these little things it drives me crazy the amount of times I see a pitcher
13:33Humming, okay
13:34And you yank him out of the game to bring in someone cold out out of the pen and the other
13:39Dugouts going. Thank you. Thank you for taking that guy out. Like that is my biggest beef with today's game. What's your biggest beef? I
13:48Totally agree. So, you know, my thing is you you watch and you you pay attention to the game
13:54All right
13:55We just talked about that as far as you know hit what runs in scoring position the same thing as far as pitchers go
14:00You know, if you got a guy as you as you said this right along
14:05You know and nobody's getting things off of him why take him yeah to go to a bringing him out the pen
14:12It might not be that guy
14:14you know and
14:16so for me personally
14:18You know the pitch counts, you know, we used to have guys go 120 130 pitches, whatever it was, whatever it took, you know, and
14:26You know for me personally these guys can do it, but they're trained
14:31Nowadays and especially, you know coming up through high school because I'm seeing it with these kids, you know in the lower levels
14:36Oh, he can only go 70 pitches. Oh, you can only go 80 pitches. That's bullshit
14:40All right, Mason Bullock is a perfect example, you know, Mason black was on a 70 pitch count
14:46You know in triple-a they call him up here to the major leagues his first outing Bob Melvin
14:53Let's him go 84 pitches. So, you know when you get to the major leagues, it's whatever you got in a tank
14:59That's what you give me and then you got four or five days to rest before you come back out here do it again
15:03So for me personally the the pitch count, you know for all you young players out there
15:08It's BS. It should not be paid attention to it's how you're pitching that day. Well, I love this
15:14No this and this you're talking about like high school and college. My nephew was a very high level
15:19played on the USA under 18 team and he's a pitcher and he's got this decision to make like do I go maybe at some
15:25Point to the minors or do I go power five and his dad's like, yeah, we're going power five
15:29I want to see him because he's gonna have a big workload real weights real training, you know
15:34Like you're asked to do different things. He says he was looking at Kyle Harrison's, you know game logs in the Myers
15:40He's going two and three innings like that's not gonna get him prepared for base for real professional baseball
15:46That is correct, man. That's what that's exactly what I thought, you know, some of these guys
15:52They don't get it, you know when you get to the major leagues it is a different animal
15:56I mean a big different animal at the major league level
16:00you're gonna be asked to do a lot of things that you've not been asked to do before and
16:05They don't really they don't really care. They're like no
16:08this is what you get for us to go out there and do and
16:11You know anything as far as a positioner goes you don't get used to playing every day
16:17When nine in in every day and when you're gassed and you're mentally tired, all right, how do I push through it?
16:24How do I get to the next level and that's why they call it the dog days of August
16:28Which is what we're in right now with the San Francisco Giants
16:31But the great thing about the San Francisco Giants is you know with the exception of the Braves who we just played
16:36You know, we only got the Brewers at the end of the month other than that we play in below 500 teams
16:42So these are the teams you need to beat up on right now
16:44Yeah, you got to get hot right now because that's September schedule will you talk Brewers Diamondbacks for six Padres for six?
16:50You got the Cardinals to hate of st. Louis Cardinals, you know play the Rockies no more. That's for sure
16:55But you don't have the Dodgers as well real quick before we let you go
16:58There's gonna be a lot of energy in the ballpark
16:59I don't know if we're gonna go out there to Oakland for the weekend series between the Giants and A's
17:03But what do you remember about that energy that the A's it's brought during that 89 World Series, so it's not a memory
17:09We all like we don't like it because I think if that earthquake doesn't interrupt the series
17:12We may have a shot at winning that bad boy. But what do you remember about the energy the A's fans brought?
17:17Well, that's that's the thing. I mean, you know, not only did they bring it that year
17:21I mean they they had been in the World Series the year before so this was a two-year stretch
17:25The A's were on fire, you know
17:27And and so it was it was fun going to play when you know
17:32All the lights are on and everybody's going crazy
17:35It's it's a lot of fun going out there and doing that and put it this way if you don't want to do it
17:40you don't need to be a baseball player and
17:42So for me personally, I loved it. I mean, I thought hey, this is this is the way baseball supposed to be like
17:49So, you know for me, you know the A's back then they did a fabulous job
17:54you know, they they had been you know, like I said before in the World Series the year before and
17:59You know, they were they were studs. So, you know more power to him
18:04You know, I'm looking at this Giants team and I I tell be every day. Oh, man. I get to see Matt Williams at third base
18:09There's just something about seeing the Marine over there at third. We're number nine. It just gets me in my feels
18:14how do you think Bob Melvin's done this year in terms of just
18:18situational managing I
18:20Think he's I think he's done a real good job because you know
18:23Not only not only as he hit the ground running, but he's starting to you know
18:28Initiate and get you know, kind of a new, you know
18:32Mindset going in the mindset being hey boys. We're here to win
18:37We're not here to do anything else but win and so for me personally, I
18:42Love I love Bob. I love what he has done, you know to this to this organization so far
18:48And I think it's only gonna get better. I can't wait. Can't wait. Let's see how the season ends, man
18:54They got a shot here, but they got to get rolling real quick. We love the podcast with you and Eric Burns
18:58I love the fact that she passed you five days ago. I think it's it's your highlights of you playing for Team USA Dodgers Stadium
19:03Yes, a ridiculous day. I think you're like three four four five or something like that hitting bobs hitting into cats or whatnot, man
19:09That's probably my favorite part of your tourniquet. You have no shame
19:13resharing your highlights
19:15No, you get out there you get out there you let it fly and you know, there was there was no
19:21No, I guess you want to say
19:25Reservations as to who the hell I was playing for I was looking for that USA on my chest. I loved it
19:29Who's your favorite player in the game right now?
19:32You know what I
19:35Like him because he has such a quality at bats is Soto
19:41Soto, you know, I like a guy I like a guy that's gonna go out there and he's gonna make the other guy
19:46You know earn every little thing that he has so I like Soto a lot
19:52You know, there's some other guys that I that I really I don't mind watching on an everyday basis
19:58But then there's other guys that are real soft and and I know that for a fact I can see it
20:04I I can feel it and I'm like, oh, I don't necessarily like that guy
20:08Well, I I know you're not the biggest fan of Joey Gallo. You told us that a couple years ago
20:16You gotta hit the ball you can't strike out all the time
20:19That white 80 with 40
20:24Junior
20:25Yeah, hey, I'll take Bobby with junior, you know, I mean I I knew Bobby from the time he was born
20:31You know cuz I played with his dad on the Olympic team and also played with his dad in Texas
20:36And so I've been knowing Bobby since the day he was born and you know, just just the pedigree
20:41he had the athleticism he has and
20:44You know, he's definitely gonna be a superstar for years to come well
20:48What can we sell to one of these big time free ages to come here and play for the Giants sleep?
20:53Cuz you got something cooking. You got a great fan base
20:55I look I don't know if you're in the recruiting pitch with Aaron judge
20:58But I thought they should have had him courts out of the Warriors game. You get wall clock
21:02You get Kevin Mitchell you get Barry Bonds. Hell, we'll come down with you
21:06Go and give them 600 million dollars. Who the hell cares? It's gonna be pretty
21:11Let me just tell you let me just tell you all right, we made a good pitch to judge
21:15But there was no way we were gonna get judge
21:17All right, no way because how do you think the New York Yankees gonna look you have your slugger?
21:24Breaks one of the all-time
21:26hallowed records of the history and you let oh
21:31You can up be
21:32India and the fan so
21:35We're gonna outbid New York. It was no way
21:39No, as far as you know, high-profile creative, you know
21:44One of the things about playing in in Oracle, which nobody understands and it's like candlestick
21:50All right
21:51Because the wind blew so much a candlestick you had to keep the ball down get hit line drives
21:57And then if you got up underneath it, all right, there's your homer
21:59But in the meantime, you're gonna be spanking stuff in the gaps and didn't double trip
22:03There's a reason they call it play out there. You got someone get out there
22:07All right, plus on top of that
22:09This is the main difference in between or most it is the ball goes out
22:14Then what there were days that candlestick you couldn't hit a cannon out of left field
22:19All right, and now now you got a yard where the ball shoots out there
22:23well
22:24I mean that should make for good hitting you can go to right and hit a triple or you can go to left and
22:30And hit a homer
22:31So, I mean, you know that that you know
22:34People don't want to come to candlestick type of or excuse me Oracle people don't want to come there
22:39That's that's kind of a BS, you know statement
22:42It's a look if you go out there you do a good job of hitting you'll be able to get in that ballpark
22:48Well always fun talking to you man
22:50I love the podcast with you a birdie when you got the yak there just telling stories old baseball stories
22:55We can listen to it all day. Thanks for the time today. Well, hey guys y'all have a great one
22:59I enjoyed the interview. Thanks. I love it. I'm Clark will Clark here on the morning Ross on the River Island guest line here
23:05Will Clark six-time all-star
23:07Jersey retired wall of fame member. It's like it is well, he got two bs's only two bs's
23:13Who is the soft guy? He's talking about someone in his mind. Yeah, I wasn't soft and he knows it
23:19I know he knows I know I saw
23:21I was gonna problem, but we don't do you get them in trouble. We don't want to put it
23:25I'll be I'll be fully candid here like I
23:30Kevin Mitchell was my guy. My dad loved will Clark
23:33It's the way he played the game and there are a ton of guys in their 40s into their 50s
23:38Like it's the way he approached
23:41Every single at-bat every single ground ball every single throw over to first base his whole
23:47Like he was giving you everything he had. I just I love will so much
23:52I love Kevin Mitchell, but I love