Sports Radio Service


		Babo was reason for the Thrill leaving in 93 By Ken Gimblin and Joe Cronin January 30, 2009

	SAN FRANCISCO--After Will Clark was re-introduced to the San Francisco media on Wednesday after the Giants announced his installment of being named team assistant to the front office the Thrill said he was thrilled, "It's a very proud moment, because I was not a player in (Arizona) organization. When I come back to San Francisco, that was my longest-tenured team (1985-1993). It was the team I grew up with, the team I made it to the World Series with, and another playoff with. I love a lot of fond memories." said Clark. One fond memory that Clark will not reflect on is his last year in San Francisco which was 1993 the first year of Barry Bonds. Bonds and Clark shared the marquee together and it was a clash of the big egos in the clubhouse. After the Giants posted a sensational 103 win season under manager Dusty Baker only to lose the National League West before the last two days of the season. It was a well known secret that Bonds and Clark had no love loss for each other. At the conclusion of the season Bonds and his then agent met with former team owners Walter Shorentein who played a key role in keeping the Giants in San Francisco owning 51% of the team and former team managing partner Peter Magowan who wanted to cater to anything that Bonds wanted. While green at owning a baseball team Magowan wanted Bonds and it was his idea to bring him to San Francisco before the 1993 season at the behest of Willie Mays and Bonds father Bobby. Magowan was star struck during that time just like he was for most of Bonds tenure in San Francisco. After the 93 season Bonds and his agent met with Shorenstein and Magowan and said that Babo wanted Clark out. They haggled and and Shorenstien emphasised that if it wasn't for both not one of them the team would have never have got so close to winning the N.L. West in 1993. Magowan and Bonds were seeing eye to eye on making a trade for Will Clark based on the fact that Bonds was not happy with Clark's way of carrying himself in the clubhouse and that this was going to be Bonds' clubhouse and it soon was. Magowan and Bonds had it their way as Clark was sent packing and headed to Texas for the 94 season. Shorentein who thought he was betrayed after saving the team from leaving San Francisco, helping Magowan in keeping the Giants in town, was disappointed that he was bogarted into giving up a productive player and a fan favorite player like Clark by a surly Bonds. Shorentsein was so upset by the transaction that he sold his 51% of his share to get out of ownership from the Giants and that he wanted nothing to do with the team after they had had such a great run at the N.L. West in 1993 only to be told to give up one of the team's star players. Fast forward to 2009, Magowan stepped down last year due to the Mitchell report stating Magowan admitted Bonds told him he used steroids and Magowan later told Mitchell he mis spoke and that inferiated the Giants board of directors that Magowan was voted off and replaced by William Neukom as the team managing partner. Yes at the time in 1993 Clark and Bonds were a great combination but in the clubhouse of big egos Clark was the odd man out now with Magowan stepped aside and Bonds long gone Will Clark is back to try and instill some of that thrill in the younger ball players that he carried around himself. Joe Cronin and Ken Gimblin cover Giants baseball for Sportstalk Radio for 2009