Tony Clark and why D-backs can't score runs

[Big Papi's Pimps]

So far in his 186 ABs he's batting .330 with 15 HR and 50 RBI. And he's only getting about 3 starts a month and pinch hitting!!! I understand they also have C. Tracy at 1B, but now there's rumors of bringing up prospect Conor Jackson to be the permanent 1B and moving Tracy to the OF. I just have a few questions to ask the Diamondbacks:
A) How can Arizona waste him on the bench when they desperately need more offense??
B) If Tracy can play OF, why haven't they moved him there already so Clark can get some more ABs at 1B??
C) If this Jackson kid is so good, why don't they trade one of their 3 above average 1B?? If Clark is just going to be on the bench, why not trade him to strengthen another position??

Here's a quote from the Diamondback's manager:
"Right-handed, left-handed, he starts, he comes off the bench,'' Melvin said. "You look at his numbers, if you don't look at his at-bats, you would think he was playing every day.''

THEN WHY ISN'T HE!!!! No wonder arizona can score runs!!!!!

[The Loveable Losers]

The absolute funniest part is his runs scored too. This is a guy with a .370 obp. That's pretty darned good. He's scored TWENTY FRICKIN' RUNS!!! Doing some simple math that means that his teammates have driven him in a whopping 5 times in the 59 times or so he's been a baserunner (61 hits + 13 walks - 15 hr's). That's just over 8% of the time he's on base he scores. Either this guy runs slower than John Kruk does NOW or the DBacks can NOT drive in runs if their name isn't Tony Clark.

Hey, just noticed that Tony Clark is only .2% worse at driving HIMSELF in as his team is at driving him in when he gets on base. That's pathetic.

[Dmville]

I believe they do pinch run for him late in the game at times in close games, so that would be part of it.

[The Loveable Losers]

That must be a hell of a lot of pinch running

[Kingctb27]

That must be a hell of a lot of pinch running

lol,

[The Loveable Losers]

Wait...did they put the Babe Ruth rule in for him or something where every time he gets a hit they can pinch run for him but keep him in the game?

[thehat]

I think the D-Backs have spotted Clark beautifully and gotten great production in the process.

Play him regularly and he's a way below avg BA guy with power who probably gets hurt, based on his durability ledger.

Instead, he's been started in favorable matchups and logging only a couple starts per week has kept him healthy.

[Octavian]

THEN WHY ISN'T HE!!!! No wonder arizona can score runs!!!!!

Because he's a career .268 hitter, he hasn't played more than 126 games in five years, he hasn't hit more than 16 home runs in that same span, he has had ONE season with more than 275 at bats in that span... in his career he's batted in over 100 only twice; his third and fourth year's respectively. He gets hurt if he plays everyday, it's a not a risk... it's a promise. His numbers are great if he can stay healthy, but he can't. He's the best pinch hitter in baseball this year, but that's all he is. If you think Tony Clark is an everyday first basemen you're fooling yourself. He's playing way, way above his head and if he played everyday... not only would he get hurt, his numbers wouldn't be even close to that. Over the span of 400 some at bats in the course of a season, you would end up seeing around .270/23/80 and that would be a GOOD year for him.

Don't be fooled by his monster numbers, they're not what they seem.

[Big Papi's Pimps]

THEN WHY ISN'T HE!!!! No wonder arizona can score runs!!!!!

Don't be fooled by his monster numbers, they're not what they seem.

All the same, if his numbers are bloated for this year then why not trade him to get an everyday starter that can hit the broad side of a barn??

[stumpak]

Clark is putting up the gaudy BA and HRs only because he is teeing off against mostly lefthanded pitchers. If he was facing the regular mix of righties, rest assured his numbers would drop. This is like Dellucci or most other guys that platoon--you don't really want them to play full time because their production is near worthless when the pitcher is throwing from the other side.