Dave Clark is the only professional baseball player to pitch from crutches. “My story, is a story of doing things that you don’t think are quite possible to achieve,” Dave Clark.
As an infant in Corning, New York, Dave contracted polio that stunted his growth and left him without the full use of his legs. But despite that, and perhaps because of it, he was driven to excel in physical competition against so-called able-bodied people. Dave got his first professional shot from Pittsburgh Pirate scout, Art Gaines. That opportunity led Dave to a 10 year career of pitching that ended with an elbow dislocation in the Swedish Major Leagues.
Dave knew he couldn’t throw 90 miles an hour so he focused on the strengths he had. “I build on my strengths rather then worry about my weaknesses.” says Clark. Developing a nasty knuckleball mixed in with a 79 mph fastball and curveball is what would have him fool many batters over his career. It wasn’t all roses for the 5’2” pitcher propelled by his crutches. At times he was opposed by his teammates, coaches, leagues, and jeered by visiting fans. In the 1970s people did not necessarily want a “disabled” baseball player on the field. One newspaper article referred to Dave as a “pint-sized cripple,” and a visiting fan once yelled, “Get the crippled bastard out of there” when Dave came to the mound. Dave had to learn how to deal with these types of oppositions in pursuit of the ultimate goal of every pro player, the Major Leagues. Although Dave had White Sox owner Bill Veeck watching his career for an opportunity to pull Dave up to the Bigs, Dave never got that call. However, this is a man that would continue to dream, and not just dream… Dream & Do!
After Dave’s pitching ending injury he purchased one his former barnstorming teams and reinvented himself as a first baseman. You didn’t want to throw high to Dave at first base, but he held his own, as he seldom let any ball in the dirt get past. Dave managed and played for this historic team, The Indianapolis Clowns, until 1988. The Clowns were originally apart of the Historic Negro League. Famous Clowns include, Hank Aaron, Reese “Goose” Tatum, and Satchel Paige. Dave was the last owner of the Clowns, and that 1988 team was an end of a era as the last link of active teams to the Negro League.
The story does not end there with what Dave calls a “piss out” grounder to short on that final out of the Clowns era. Dave’s unique experience and personality paved the way to a successful coaching career. He spent ten years coaching and managing in the Swedish Major league, and managed three Championship Teams. Dave has scouted for 5 MLB teams and he did reach his goal of wearing a MLB uniform when he was a spring training pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves. Dave continues to coach part time for MLB International and his success as a coach is summed up with his own quote. “There’s a coaching axiom that I had all through my career. Coaches would tell you, ‘work on your weakness, make them better’. I don’t believe that. I didn’t carry that over to my coaching career either. I told my players, ‘strengths are what got you here, your strengths; if you work on your weaknesses your taking away time away from working on your strengths to make them stronger. Strengthen what your strong in; that’s what got your here in the first place.’”
