Kimball High School faces the future #1 draft pick for the Texas Rangers, David Clyde. 3 Telephone interview between David Clyde and the author, January 3, 2023. He struck out eight Boston hitters, including future Hall of Famers Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski, and Orlando Cepeda. Unfortunately, Clyde's career did not progress as most thought it would. ''Short sure wasn't going to send him down without getting some people in the ballpark to see him. [3], Clyde began the 1974 season with a 30 record,[9] then became embroiled in controversy following a dispute between new manager Billy Martin and general manager Bobby Brown. Clyde's career made him the "poster-boy" for bringing up young players prematurely and dealing with arm injuries. With that selection passing up such future stars as Robin Yount, Dave Winfield and Fred Lynn the Rangers chose a left-handed pitching phenom from Westchester High School in Houston. Former Teacher at Arlington ISD. [8] He was traded back to the Rangers after the 1979 season, but injured his shoulder for the second time, and was released prior to the 1980 season with the Rangers claiming that Clyde was "damaged goods". He learned it the hard way. But did. Looking back, it may have been better if I had gone right into the minors after school, said Clyde at the time. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. 37 Bob Nold, Confidence Important for Reborn Clyde, Akron Beacon Journal, March 27, 1978: 24. The rookie recognized the reason behind his struggles. 2 The teenage phenom singlehandedly galvanized a fan base and saved a Rangers franchise that was in dire financial straits. Short regularly staged promotions in an attempt to lure fans, including Bat Night, T-shirt Night, Keychain Night, and even Pantyhose Night. He wouldnt know a release point from a whooping crane.31 Because the Rangers were surprisingly in playoff contention during the second half, Clydes usage became sporadic, alternating between long relief and spot starts. Bob Short, cashing in on David's appeal at the gate, was able to get out of the ownership racket, selling the team to Brad Corbett while David was floundering. Clyde, who last pitched in the majors in 1979, receives an annual benefit of $8,750 per year (before taxes).53. Clyde, who was selected No. Draft: Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round (1st) of the 1973 MLB June Amateur Draft from Westchester HS (Houston, TX). [4][5] Clyde later called it his most memorable game in his Major League career. You can follow the team links in the chart above to locate common statistics (singles), Clyde High School 1015 Race St, Clyde, Ohio | (419) 547-9511 # 12,987 in National Rankings Overall Score 27.21 /100 quick stats Grades 9-12 Total Enrollment 642 Student-Teacher Ratio 16:1. I decided I just didnt want to do baseball anymore, he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. Two sellouts, however, for a team that was averaging roughly 6,000 fans a game caught Short's attention, and the 18-year-old Clyde became a mainstay in the Rangers rotation, his starts juggled so that 12 of his 18 starts were at Arlington Stadium. During his senior season, Clyde registered an 18-0 record, 0.18 ERA, and struck out a whopping 328 batters in 148 innings.9 His combination of an overpowering fastball, baffling curveball, and pinpoint control had scouts buzzing. As expected, the Rangers selected him with the first overall pick, passing over the likes of Robin Yount and Dave Winfield. [6] He played for the Sacramento Solons in 1976, and the Tucson Toros, both of the Pacific Coast League, in 1977 where he had a 57 record with a 5.84 ERA. HE'S certainly the best-known former major league pitcher with an 18-33 career record. Short personally had nothing to lose and a lot to gain at the turnstiles by putting his newly acquired teenage prodigy on the mound. It was supposed to be a quick shot in the arm for a financially strapped franchise that just a year earlier had moved from Washington, D.C., and whose owner, Bob Short, was in jeopardy of having to turn it over to the American League. Many thanks to him. On top of his physical maladies and poor pitching, Clyde divorced his second wife, Patty. The Rangers held the lead when Clyde departed, and Bill Gogolewski pitched the final four frames to secure the rookies first win. He never had the advantage of going to the minors and pitching against kids his own age. 9 Harold McKinney, Clyde Could Solve Two Ranger Problems, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 10, 1973: 39. [2][3] After signing his contract, Clyde stated that his career goal was to "become the greatest pitcher ever". David Clyde Trades & Transactions: 06 . For one month, Clyde was the best pitcher on my staff, recalled Herzog. He got off to an abysmal start, losing all four decisions while registering an 8.67 ERA in five starts before being shut down again. I got more instruction here the first day than I got in five years with Texas, said Clyde at the time.41. Find out more. This is not what I wanted to do,' '' he recalled. Per TMZ Sports, Richlands head coach Tom Rife confronted a man . Clyde joined the Rangers on the road and was thrust into action on the teams next homestand. Because of poor control and blister problems, Clyde failed to make it past the third inning in each of his first three September starts. He was 18-33 with a 4.63 ERA, arm problems finally forcing his retirement. All rights reserved. Former teammate Tom Grieve said that keeping Clyde in the roster was the "dumbest thing you could ever do to a high school pitcher. Clyde attempted to make a comeback with the Houston Astros but was unsuccessful. Clyde was hardly put in a position to succeed with Martin at the helm. . Clyde is one of just three high school pitchers drafted first overall (the other two being Brien Taylor and Brady Aiken) and the only one to make it to MLB. Copyright 1999- Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. As Herzog bluntly wrote in his memoir White Rat, Bob Short was a fast-buck artist, a man who would do anything for a buck, a man who never had a long-term plan in his life. Clydes standout ability to throw a baseball was evident early on. us. Retired as of 6/1/18. I know the situation and I know what he needs. Clyde spent the winter working out in Houston and went to spring training poised for a homecoming. On January 4, 1980, the Indians traded Clydealong with Jim Norrisback to the Rangers for Gary Gray, Larry McCall, and minor-leaguer Mike Bucci. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 11:02PM. The Rangers, in their second year in Texas after Short relocated the Washington Senators, had failed to capture the attention of north Texas in their inaugural season and were in desperate need of a gate attraction. 47 Merron, The Riseand Fall of a Phenom.. The top selection in the June 1973 baseball draft, Clyde, who had pitched nine no-hitters for Westchester High School in Houston, signed for a $125,000 bonus. Although he was born in Kansas City, he played his high school ball in Houston and was somewhat of a local legend. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. [6] The Rangers averaged a near-capacity crowd in Clyde's six home starts, but 6,000 fans for the other 75 home dates. Forty years ago Thursday, Clyde made the jump from pitching for Westchester High School in Houston to pitching in the big leagues, starting for the Texas Rangers against the Minnesota Twins just 19 days after receiving his high-school diploma. While his debut and early days helped put Dallas on the map as a baseball town, this was little comfort to him, as it came with the heavy cost of not having a successful and thriving career. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. 1 overall by the Texas Rangers on June 5, 1973, out of. 51 Mike Lane, The Lonely Ranger, Columbian (Vancouver, WA), July 15, 1981: 28. Clyde was 18 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 27, 1973, with the Texas Rangers. He tried a comeback with Houston in 1981, but after going 4-10 at Triple-A Tucson he called it quits. The 19-year-old hurler came out of the gate hot, registering a 3-0 record and 2.43 ERA through his first six starts, including three complete games. After walking the first two batters he faced (Jerry Terrell and Rod Carew), Clyde struck out Bobby Darwin, George Mitterwald and Joe Lis in succession. High School: Westchester HS (Houston, TX), School: Texas A&M University (College Station, TX), Debut: Clyde was the crown jewel in the 1973 Draft, no question about that. "His legacy is when you see a young kid get drafted and someone in an organization declares, 'He's not going to be another David Clyde," the late Hal Keller, the Rangers scouting director at the time, said more than once in the ensuing years. David Clyde, Westchester (Houston), 1973 It may be a bit unfair to call Clyde a bust as a professional player considering that injuries and overuse as a young prospect led to an early exit from the Major Leagues. David Clyde should know the inner game. He made his first start of the season on May 16 versus the As, a complete game gem in which he allowed two runs on four hits. David Clyde played for 2 teams; the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians. [2][6] He worked in his father-in-law's lumber business in Tomball, Texas for 20 years, which he called one of the best periods of his life, giving him a "peace of mind". I stood out from day one with the ability to throw hard.3, Clydes passion was baseball, though he also lettered in basketball and football at Houstons Westchester High School. 49 Michael A. Lutz, David Clyde Was He Treated Fairly? Wichita Falls Times, May 8, 1980: 26. In 19 starts, he compiled a 4-10 record and 6.85 ERA while walking more batters than he struck out. On June 7, 1973, at age 18 and fresh out of Westchester High School in Houston, David was selected by the Texas Rangers as the #1 overall pick in the Major League Draft. [13] In a 2003 interview with The New York Times, Herzog criticized Bob Short, stating that "(Short) sure wasn't going to send him down without getting some people in the ballpark to see him. ''It's hard to imagine all this is going on. 4 Jeff Merron, The Riseand Fall of a Phenom, ESPN.com, May 30, 2003, http://a.espncdn.com/mlb/s/2003/0529/1560431.html, accessed December 22, 2022. High School: Westchester High School (Houston, TX) College: None Attended . Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. 31 Merron, The Riseand Fall of a Phenom.. I know I can teach pitching and I know I can teach the inner game.''. Did you know that: Walt the Clyde Frazier were a Graduate From David T Howard High School In Atlanta Vanishing Atlanta Who remember Art Fowlers job was to get drunk with Billy on the road, recalled Shropshire. April 22, 1955 According to my calculations, on the extra gate receipts alone, in two starts Ill make back David Clydes entire goddamn signing bonus, remarked Short.18 Clyde breezed through the first four innings while striking out five and facing the minimum. He has tried at times to get back into the professional game, but the calls have gone unanswered. At Westchester High School in Houston, Clyde had pitched five no-hitters, including two perfect games. However, he quite simply ranks as statistically the greatest pitcher in high school history. In 121 innings pitched during the regular season, he whiffed 248 and allowed three earned runs for a microscopic 0.16 ERA.6 When Clyde faced off against Bellaires Jim Gideon in the state tournament, local sportswriters could not recall a matchup of better prep arms. David Eugene Clyde was born on April 22, 1955, in Kansas City, Kansas. With the Rangers muddled in attendance woes and a local boy entering the fold who could butts in seats, it was agreed David would make his first two appearances as a professional on a big league mound, then report to the minors. "If they ever start an Instructional League Hall of Fame, I'll be a charter member." A deal back to Texas proved unhelpful as his shoulder crapped out a second time. With an eventual 57-105 record, the Rangers finished last in the American League West. ''I'd have to say that David Clyde was one of the best young left-handed pitchers I've ever seen,'' Herzog said. 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