Bill Clark (scout)

Bill Clark

• School University of Missouri
• High School Clinton High School

• Born August 18, 1932 in Clinton, MS USA

Biographical Information

Bill Clark scouted for 36 years, visiting over 40 countries, signing players from over 20 countries and holding over 1,000 tryouts.

Clark was an announcer and umpire at the semipro level. He served in the Korean War as an Army truck driver, doing transport. He went to college on the GI bill, studying journalism. He was an umpire in the Central Mexican League, Nebraska State League and Pioneer League and also became a scout for the Milwaukee Braves. He then was a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1967-1968), Seattle Pilots (1969), Cincinnati Reds (1970-1988), Atlanta Braves (1989-1999) and San Diego Padres (2000-2003). He signed or was involved in the signings of Jerry Bell, Bruce Chen, Freddy Guzmán, Andruw Jones, and Rafael Furcal, among others. He also tried to unionize scouts but the effort fell through.

After his scouting career ended, he continued to write for Columbia Daily Tribune. He is the author of three books, including a history of Missouri's Audubon Society. He also has been a basketball official for 38 years and a football official for 36 years. Additionally, he ran the Scouts Committee for the Society for American Baseball Research.

He is the 2012 recipient of the Legacy of Scouting Award by the Professional Scouts Association of Los Angeles. He is also the 2007 recipient of the Roland Hemond Award given by the Society for American Baseball Research in recognition of his lifetime commitment to professional baseball scouting.

Related Sites

• Bill Clark at the SABR Bio Project