Background:

Full name: Anthony (Tony) Christopher Clark
Born: June 15, 1972 in Newton, Kansas
Height: 6'7" Weight: 245lbs Bats: Both Throws: Right
High School: Christian (El Cajon,CA)
College: San Diego State University, University of Arizona
Drafted: 1st Round (2nd Overall) of 1990 amateur entry draft (June-Reg) by the Detroit Tigers.
Signed: July 10, 1990.
MLB Debut: September 3, 1995 for the Detroit Tigers.

Prospect Rankings*:

* According to Baseball America

1994 - 3rd ranked organizational prospect, Detroit Tigers
1995 - 86th ranked Major League prospect
1995 - 1st ranked organizational prospect, Detroit Tigers
1996 - 3rd ranked organizational prospect, Detroit Tigers

Accomplishments:

1994 - Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year, Eastern League All-Star DH
1996 - AL Rookie of the Year (Voting Rank: #3)
1997 - AL MVP (Voting Rank: #18)
1998 - Detroit Tigers Player of the Year
2001 - Played in MLB All-Star Game
2005 - Arizona Diamondbacks Player of the Year

Teams:

Detroit Tigers: 1995 - 2001
Boston Red Sox: 2002
New York Mets: 2003
New York Yankees: 2004
Arizona Diamonbacks: 2005-2007
San Diego Padres: 2008
Arizona Diamondbacks: 2008-2009

Tidbits:

• Played college basketball at the University of Arizona and San Diego State.
• Served as the MLBPA club player representative for the Boston Red Sox in 2002, and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006.
• Re-elected to the MLBPA Executive Board on December 8, 2006.

Career Highlights:

• Most productive season was in 1998, with a .291 average and 34 home runs.
• 1997 season saw 32 home runs with 117 RBI, and 1999 saw 31 home runs with 99 RBI.
• In 2005, with only 349 at-bats, Tony hit .307 with 30 home runs and 87 RBI.
• Led the Arizona Diamondbacks to the playoffs in 2007.
• Hit 2 home runs during opening day in 2009.

Personal:

Tony and his wife, Frances, and children, Kiara (9/20/94), Jazzin (9/15/97) and Aeneas (3/7/02), reside in Peoria, AZ. Tony was a 1990 graduate of Christian High School in El Cajon, CA, where he earned All-American and Academic All-American honors in baseball and basketball. He amassed a San Diego area high school basketball record with 2,549 career points while averaging 43.7 points per game his senior year en route to a state scoring title. Tony went on to play basketball at the University of Arizona and San Diego State University, where he was the Aztecs' top scorer with 11.5 points per game in 1991-92. Tony had his #33 retired by Trenton (AA) of the Eastern League on May 19, 1997. Prior to the 2000 season while still playing for the Tigers, he switched from #17 to #44 in honor of Hank Aaron.

Tony is also involved in numerous programs that help young people. He and his wife established the MVP Foundation which helps children achieve their goals through education and athletics. He created the Tony Clark Equipment Grant to supply Detroit public schools with baseball and softball equipment, donating $300 for every home run he hit and $100 for every RBI he collected with a minimum guaranteed donation of $20,000. He also donated funds to the Detroit Tigers Tony Clark Negro League Scholarship presented to a Detroit high school senior who excels in education, athletics and community service.

In August 2009, after being released from the Diamondbacks Clark became a studio analyst with the MLB Network.