Dave Clark is a former professional baseball player who played for several teams during his career. He was born on September 3, 1962, in Tupelo, Mississippi, and grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. Clark attended Jackson State University, where he played college baseball and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the seventh round of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.
Clark made his Major League debut with the Indians in 1986 and played for them for two seasons before being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1988. He played for the Cubs for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 1990. Clark played for the Royals for two seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992.
Clark played for the Pirates for four seasons and was a key player on their 1992 National League Championship team. He hit a game-winning home run in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves, which helped the Pirates advance to the World Series. Clark played for the Pirates until 1995, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Clark played for the Dodgers for one season before being traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1996. He played for the Tigers for two seasons before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1998. Clark played for the Red Sox for one season before being traded back to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999.
Clark played for the Pirates for one more season before retiring from baseball in 2000. After retiring, Clark became a coach and manager in the minor leagues. He was the manager of the West Michigan Whitecaps, a Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, from 2003 to 2004. He was also a coach for the Toledo Mud Hens, a Triple-A affiliate of the Tigers, from 2005 to 2006.
In 2007, Clark was hired as the first base coach for the Houston Astros. He was promoted to third base coach in 2009 and served in that role until 2012. Clark was also the interim manager of the Astros for the final 13 games of the 2009 season after the firing of manager Cecil Cooper.
Clark left the Astros after the 2012 season and became the bench coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. He served in that role for two seasons before being let go by the Pirates after the 2014 season.
Overall, Dave Clark had a successful baseball career as a player and coach. He played for several teams during his career and was a key player on the Pirates' 1992 National League Championship team. After retiring, he became a coach and manager in the minor leagues and later served as a coach and interim manager for the Houston Astros.
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