Standing up for Will Clark

[Jeff]

I wanted to put this where it wouldn't get lost. I have no idea what happened in that 7 page post about palmerio and clark, too little time to follow all of that. However wanted to hand out my two cents. Will Clark is one heck of a fella. He launches his duck boat at the same place a buddy of mine launches his. I have spent many a morning talking with Will at the boat ramp and even hunted with him one time. He is a class act. A question, Steroids are cheating period, they are also against the law. You have a teammate that gets caught red handed with a pee test, after being very convincing at a Senate testimony while under oath I might add. Then Will doesn't come out and stick up for him and is accused of throwing him under the bus? Heck I wouldn't etiher, the guy should never make cooperstown period.

[bigwater]

gh22// whats your question... you say A question.. then you go onto make a statement.. so whats you question???

[Greenhead22]

How did I get into this? You got the wrong Jeff.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

I'm sure Will is a great guy. But, in my observations over the past, so is Raffy.

Many years ago, I can remember taking my son (at that time about 10 years old) to an MSU alumni baseball game which matched the "old timers" against the current MSU baseball team. Will and Raffy (as well as Jeff Brantley and several other former MSU stars) were there on the "old timers" team that day. My son, like hundreds of other kids, was wanting an autograph from Will and Raffy that day. The kids were there early and waited patiently for an appearance by the former MSU dynamic duo. Raffy took time to sign autographs for the kids that day both before and after the game. Will pretty much blew off the whole thing, ignoring the kids, playing the game, and then leaving. Big disappointment to my son and the other kids who were there that day. I could not believe it. (Maybe he had sold the rights to his autographs and could not contractually give away autographs to kids ---I don't know.)


Raffy, IMO, handled himself very well that day, with a lot of class and has done so since. A first class guy, who was always consistently good as a pro --- and still is today, although he has been slipping some lately.

I don't know what happened on the steroids thing. But, I do know this ---when someone has conducted themselves both on and off the field over the years the way Raffy has done, he DESERVES at least the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure the truth will come out eventually, if it is not as already stated by Raffy.

I tell this story not to diss Will Clark, but to provide my two cents worth about my willingness (and many others I'm sure) to give Raffy the benefit of the doubt at this point.

[DuckDeke]

(Maybe he had sold the rights to his autographs and could not contractually give away autographs to kids ---I don't know.)

Not likely He was like that in college too.

[mudsucker]

(Maybe he had sold the rights to his autographs and could not contractually give away autographs to kids ---I don't know.)

Not likely He was like that in college too.

I heard that from my sister-in-law who was at state when Clark was there. Full of himself and arrogant!

[Jeff]

Well I have a totally different idea of Will Clark than you guys. It may be biased, but I have no idea. I don't dislike Rafael Palmerio, I just think he is caught red handed period. He has always been at the top of the rumor mill when steroids are mentioned. I find a lot of the time those types of rumors are true, but of course other times they aren't. As for Will Clark, I can't say anything about the autographs, but I found he took time for me when I saw him with my uncle at a pirates/giants game about ten years ago. I wore a hat from his high school to the game and we had great seats, front two by the dugout. He saw the hat and came up to me to talk. While talking he gave me a batting glove and a ball. In fact I can remember talking about him missing teal season back home due to baseball. To me he is a class act, that has been in numerous contacts with him. Just my observations.

[bigwater]

heck gh22 when i saw this was a sticky i just assummed you had started this...

sorry bout that....

one things for sure, as much as ol will likes to hunt; i guarntee your booty he's hitting it hard right now.. i'm suprised he still doesn't have an outdoor show...

he use to be on suzuki's great outdoors with larry csonzka (former nfl player) ... i remember one episode they were duck hunting in oregon.. shooting mallards over the remains of a flooded barley or was it hops field??

i always thought it would be cool to hunt ducks over the main ingredients used to make beer!!!!

[Nitro Mag]

Jeff, I agree with you about Clark. I have met him and he seems like a very nice guy.

[GordonGekko]

Well, since this thread seems to have been triggered by my post. Let me elaborate on what I mean. I'm not on a Will Clark witch hunt, I've never met the guy; however, living around Starkville you tend to hear stories similar to Po Monkey's more often than not. But, what struck me was that both Coach Polk and Brantley were surprised by this, or at least expressed surprise by this. Whereas Clark seemed arrogantly smug in stating that nothing surprised him anymore, and that these guys want to outmuscle rather than out think their competition. Now fued or no fued, when someone I know, particularly someone in a high profile position, is caught doing something but maintain their innocence I like to think I'd try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Or I would at least stay quiet, it didn't seem in this case Clark could do either.

The bottom line is I'm not saying Clark is a bad guy, but it seemed to me he could have kept quiet. Heck, how do we know he didn't juice when he was playing? He never had to take a test in the Big League's. Now I'm not saying he did, I guess I'm saying "don't cast stones in a glass house".

[Jeff]

Good points GG. I guess my opinoin is that if I was in Will Clark's postion I would have probably said some of the same things. Palmerio really looks bad right now, granted it may all turn out to be a farce, but it sure doesn't seem like it right now.

[stitch]

Despite what you may think about him, Palmeiro deserves to be in the hall of fame. If you cut him out, there is a long list of others that need to dropped as well...........

[lower14]

Despite what you may think about him, Palmeiro deserves to be in the hall of fame. If you cut him out, there is a long list of others that need to dropped as well...........

Name one other who has gotten caught testing positive for steroids. Giambi admitted it, but that's not quite the same. McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Bret Boone, etc. - there's no real evidence that they were juicing. Raffy, OTOH, was caught - and right after he pointed his finger at a Congressional committee and perjured himself.

By the numbers, sure, the guy deserves Cooperstown, but Palmeiro is an interesting case. If I had a HOF vote, I probably wouldn't vote for election.

[stitch]

Just because you didn't get caught, doesn't mean you didn't do "roids". Look at the before and after pictures of McGuire, Bonds, Sosa....the list goes on.....they just didn't get caught. Besides, Palmiero said he didn't know he was taking them.....I believe him. Then again, I think Pete Rose should be in the hall as well.

[Meeka]

It wasn't only Clark that failed to stick up for Raffy. Was it? I don't remember any of his pro team mates doing so. And if you talk to people lucky enough to be in the bigs, they do not have good things to say about Raffy's reputation with his team mates. The person I talked to says a lot of people do not know the answer to the roids question, but are sore at Raffy about other things. But that info did not come directly from someone who was a team mate of his.