True to his Texas roots, Trent Clark reports to work most days wearing Wrangler jeans and western boots. No cowboy hat though.
"That's only for concerts," he explained.
Clark doesn't have much spare time for live music events these days. The 19-year-old center fielder, the Milwaukee Brewers' first-round draft pick in 2015, is busy practicing his craft with the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, dreaming of playing down the road at Miller Park one day.
A year ago, Clark was preparing to graduate from high school in North Richland Hills, a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas. He had a baseball scholarship in place at Texas Tech but with the MLB draft looming there was little chance he'd be attending classes that fall.
After calling Clark's name with the 15th overall pick, the Brewers gave him 2.7 million reasons to relinquish his college scholarship. He signed for $2.7 million, the second-largest draft bonus in franchise history.
What does a teenager do with that kind of sudden wealth, you ask?
"I surrounded myself with the right people who knew how to handle that money," Clark said. "We invested it. I was 18 years old; I didn't know how to handle it. You surround yourself with the right people. I helped my family out, too."
The Brewers were thrilled that Clark was still on the board when their turn came. A highly advanced offensive performer for his age, the left-handed-hitter immediately jumped into the top five of the organization's rapidly improving group of prospects.
But Clark's professional career nearly ended shortly after it began. In a frightening play in his second game in the Arizona Rookie League, Clark crashed headfirst into the outfield wall attempting to chase down a deep drive. His forehead struck the concrete just below the padding and he was knocked unconscious.
"The ball flies a little bit more in Arizona (in the dry air) and I turned around and started to run, but I tripped at the warning track," Clark recalled. "I tried to keep myself up and went face-first into the wall. I don't remember anything after that."
When Clark came to, he was lying on a stretcher, wearing a neck brace, being attended to by paramedics. He was put into an ambulance that was driven onto the field and taken to a hospital. During that solemn ride, Clark couldn't help wondering if he was done as a baseball player.
"They thought my neck might be broken," he said. "You could tell everybody was really worried. It was scary. You don't know what you look like or what they're seeing. My head was swollen for a long time."
Almost miraculously, Clark escaped serious injury. No fractures or broken bones. No spinal or neck injury. He did suffer a concussion and had a headache that wouldn't quit for several days but in a mere 2 { weeks, he was back on the baseball diamond.
"I came back and picked up where I left off," he said. "I was fortunate."
Clark took to professional baseball as the Brewers expected he would. He reached base safely in his first 11 games. He put together a 14-game hitting streak. On July 9, he hit for cycle with five RBI and four runs scored. With a .422 on-base percentage in 43 games, he was promoted to the advanced rookie club in Helena, Mont., to play the final two weeks of the season.
Altogether, Clark batted .309 in 55 games with seven doubles, six triples, two home runs, 21 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. Showing a mature approach at the plate that belied his youth, he struck out only 44 times while drawing 39 walks.
Clark accomplished all of that while using an unorthodox grip on the bat that makes some scouts nervous. Rather than wrapping the fingers and thumb of his top hand around the bat in customary fashion, he holds his thumb up and rests it on the handle, more of a golf grip.
Clark began holding the bat in that fashion as a high school freshman, and had good reason for doing it.
"I weighed 145 pounds and the bats got too big on me too fast," he explained. "The bat moved around too much in my hand and I couldn't control the barrel. The hitting coach said during BP (batting practice) to put my thumbs on the bat and see if I could get the feel for the bat in my fingers.
"I liked the way it felt. I stayed with it in BP and took it into games. I've used it ever since."
The Brewers were well aware that Clark held the bat that way before drafting him. Doing basic things differently makes baseball folks a bit wary, so he was encouraged last fall during instructional league to give the conventional grip a try. The primary concern was whether the "thumbs up" grip might rob Clark of some power.
"I'm stronger now, of course, so I went to a natural grip and it felt fine," he said. "It's different for me but it's still hitting. I was just a little less comfortable so I went back to the way I'd been doing it the last four years.
"We were trying to find out if it was limiting me at all. The conclusion I came to was that it didn't affect me. It's part of my game. It doesn't affect the way I swing the bat or my bat path. They said they are fine with it."
Despite Clark's strong rookie-ball year, the Brewers took into consideration his youth and opted to keep him in extended spring training this year rather than beginning the season in Wisconsin. The good news from an organizational standpoint was that it allowed more development time with instructors.
The bad news for the player, however, is that extended camp is about as exciting as watching corn grow. Campers play games against other organizations but they are scheduled for mid-morning to avoid the hottest part of the scorching Arizona days and are attended, shall we say, sparsely.
"There aren't many fans," Clark said. "There are some scouts there. There are some family members there. It was still fun to play but it kind of drives you to get out of there.
"They tell you to play well and do what you're supposed to do and be ready when your opportunity comes because it can happen at any time."
Clark's time came a few weeks ago when he was assigned to the Timber Rattlers. He was immediately installed as the starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter but unfortunately strained a hamstring running the bases in his 12th game and landed on the disabled list.
Though Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson had only a dozen games to see Clark perform, the young player made a favorable impression.
"His ability to see pitches and know the strike zone is something that jumps out at you for a young player," Erickson said. "He's a prototype leadoff guy. He really likes to put pressure on the defense. He'll come out of the box really well on contact.
"On a routine single he'll take advantage of outfielders slow to the ball and get a hustle double. Any time you can put pressure on the defense, they have a tendency to rush and might make a mistake. And it hasn't been out of control. He has a pretty good sense of the game, the internal clock of it.
"Defensively, he has shown ability to go gap to gap. But, also, a couple of times he didn't get a good jump and balls dropped I thought he could get to. The main thing is to get him out there and experience the full season, the travel and day-to-day routine you have to go through."
Clark is not treated differently by Erickson and his staff because he is a first-round draft pick. But there is no hiding from that elite status. Teammates joke about borrowing money from him. Leather-lunged fans let him know about it when he makes an out, as if top prospects are supposed to bat 1.000.
Clark shrugs it all off in a manner befitting his calm demeanor. He grew up idolizing Stan Musial, not just because he was a great player but also because he was a classy individual. Not a bad role model for a Texas teenager finding his way in Wisconsin.
"Everybody knows who you are," he said. "That gives me the responsibility of holding up my end and working hard every day, to do what I can to get myself to the big leagues.
"I'm representing the Milwaukee Brewers so I need to represent them well and represent my family well. It's tough at times. If you do this, you have to love the game and I do love the game.
"I've learned a lot of things about myself, about how pro ball works. It's tough at first being away from home but you get used to it. I try to come to the clubhouse every day with a good attitude and go home with a good attitude."
Not a bad approach to any workday, with or without the cowboy hat.
About the Author
