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Moriarty9 · 12-07-2008, 11:20 PM

The Thrill coming to Tampa Bay
Clark looks to rebound from down season
December 7, 1997

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays brought some name recognition into their lineup today when they signed six-time All Star firstbaseman Will "The Thrill" Clark.
Coming off the least productive season of his 12-year-career, the 33-year-old Clark will make a base salary of $1 million with the potential for an additional $55,000 in incentives.
Clark hit .272 with 12 home runs and 56 RBI in 144 games for the Texas Rangers this past season. A career .298 hitter, Clark's previous career low batting average was .282 in 1988, and the 12 homers is his lowest total since hitting 11 in 111 games as a rookie with the 1986 San Francisco Giants.
Few clubs had offered multi-year deals or guaranteed a starting position for Clark, and he opted for the one-year pact as a key player in the Devil Rays lineup in an attempt to earn a better contract at season's end.
Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal said Clark will play first base and bat third in the Tampa Bay lineup.

12-07-2008, 11:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
Moriarty9 All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,855 Thanks: 9 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	The Thrill coming to Tampa Bay Clark looks to rebound from down season December 7, 1997 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays brought some name recognition into their lineup today when they signed six-time All Star firstbaseman Will "The Thrill" Clark. Coming off the least productive season of his 12-year-career, the 33-year-old Clark will make a base salary of $1 million with the potential for an additional $55,000 in incentives. Clark hit .272 with 12 home runs and 56 RBI in 144 games for the Texas Rangers this past season. A career .298 hitter, Clark's previous career low batting average was .282 in 1988, and the 12 homers is his lowest total since hitting 11 in 111 games as a rookie with the 1986 San Francisco Giants. Few clubs had offered multi-year deals or guaranteed a starting position for Clark, and he opted for the one-year pact as a key player in the Devil Rays lineup in an attempt to earn a better contract at season's end. Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal said Clark will play first base and bat third in the Tampa Bay lineup.