Will Clark’s No. 22 will be retired by Giants
Will Clark knew it was coming. The Giants told him months ago they were planning to retire his No. 22, and they wanted to announce it Sunday, when much of the 1989 World Series team was on the field for a reunion.
When Giants President and chief executive officer Larry Baer delivered the news, and the Oracle Park crowd started yelling, Clark still seemed taken aback.
“Wow,” Clark said. “You guys are screaming, and I’m trying to scream right through my skin right now. To know I’m going to be out
on that wall with Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds … is absolutely unbelievable.
“It’s something I’ll never forget. This is my hall of fame. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Clark will be the 11th Giant to have his number retired, not counting Jackie Robinson’s 42, which is retired throughout baseball. The Giants also display plaques to honor New York Giants manager John McGraw and pitcher Christy Mathewson, who did not wear numbers.
Fans have clamored for No. 22 to be retired for years, but the team’s current ownership group had an informal policy that a player first needed to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Giants made an exception for Bonds last year, opening the door for Clark.
“When they made the announcement, seeing my teammates’ reaction, that right there just killed me,” Clark told reporters moments later.
“I came up as a Giant. This was my first organization. This is where I learned to play baseball. This is where I learned to be a bigleaguer. This is where I had my most success.
“To be forever linked with the greatest that ever played the sport here in San Francisco is absolutely amazing.”
Clark has maintained he would be honored to have 22 retired, but he also made a point of encouraging players who were assigned the number, telling them it still had plenty of hits left.
Nobody was issued 22 this year. The last was Andrew McCutchen in 2018. How many Giants have worn it since Clark? Twentytwo, of course. The Giants do not have a date or the retirement ceremony. Clark suggested it could be on the 22nd of a month. On the row of numbers that hang off the facing of the club level in left field, Clark’s 22 will reside between Monte Irvin’s 20 and Mays’ 24.
Clark also noted he would be the second Louisianan to be honored, along with Mel Ott (4). Sandoval ailing: Pablo Sandoval spent a good portion of his 33rd birthday Sunday in the training room getting treatment on his right elbow.
Manager Bruce Bochy revealed that the elbow is inflamed because of loose bodies, but said he did not know whether Sandoval will need a surgical cleanup after the season. Briefly: The Giants will skip a fifth starter this turn, so Madison Bumgarner and Tyler Beede will pitch on normal rest Tuesday and Wednesday in the home series against the A’s. They will need a fifth starter (Dereck Rodriguez?) Saturday in Arizona . ... Bochy suggested the Giants could have a different leadoff hitter Tuesday. Brandon Belt has struggled in the role.