2021 National Free Signer - Jack Clark

Jack Clark was another of the free signers, and another guy who I had already gotten through a paid signing for my 1987 set.  So, I selected a variety of cards to get him to sign, starting with the above 1992 Topps.  I had this card set aside for a while, since it was the next on my list of his cards that I wanted to add to my album.  1992 Topps has some really nice shots in the set, and this one is right at the top of them, I believe.

I also had Clark sign his 1988 Topps, 1989 Score and 1991 Fleer.  The card slid a bit on my scanner, so it turned out a bit crooked.

Clark was really nice, and when I mentioned to him that my dad drag raced for over 40 years (Clark, a former drag racer, himself), and when I told him who my dad is, Clark asked me to get Dad's autograph for him.  That was really cool, especially since Clark gave me his phone number to do so.

TTM Success - Jack Clark

The second of the four players I got from my much delayed private signing was Jack Clark.  I needed him for the 87 set, and in the end the card turned out really well.

Clark (b. 1955) played in the majors from 1975 to 1992 for the Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Padres and Red Sox.  He had 1,826 hits, 340 home runs and a .267 batting average.  He was a 4-time All Star (1978, 1979, 1985 and 1987) and finished a career-best 3rd in the NL MVP voting.  Clark appeared on the 1998 Hall of Fame ballot, but only received 1.8% of the vote.

Toward the end of his playing career, Clark tried his hand at drag racing.  He ran a Top Fuel team in 1991; a car that was driven by the late, great, Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen.  McEwen would win the final national event of his career in Clark's dragster.  In 1992, Clark took over driving, but didn't fare too well.  He wound up filing for bankruptcy and sold off his race team.

I sent to the private signing the same time as Ozzie Smith (March 3) and got the card back on August 29, for a 179-day TAT.