The San Francisco Giants will officially retire Will Clark’s No. 22 jersey on July 30, 2022 at Oracle Park, Clark announced on KNBR Wednesday morning.
“The Thrill” spent the first eight seasons of his career with San Francisco. During that time, he made five All-Star teams. He also led the National League in RBI in 1988 and slugging percentage in 1991. Clark finished in the top-five in MVP voting four times with SF.
In 1989, Clark led the Giants to the World Series against Oakland. He won NLCS MVP by hitting 13-for-20 (.650) with two home runs, three doubles, and a triple. During those five games, he drove in eight runs en route to a 1.882 OPS.
Nine of San Francisco’s 11 retired numbers are enshrined in the Hall of Fame, with the exceptions being Barry Bonds and Clark. It’s possible players like Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey could be on deck.
Clark has remained close with the Giants organization through the years and currently serves as a special assistant in the front office. The organization is running a promotion parallel to Clark’s jersey retirement — “The Thrill 22 Plan” — which amounts to a modified season ticket package that includes Opening Day, Clark’s ceremony, Willie Mac Day and other big games.
The Giants wanted to hold a jersey retirement ceremony for Clark originally in 2020, but the pandemic thwarted that. SF tried again last season but postponed again for related reasons.