MLB stars shine on Clark baseball

The 18-year hiatus of Clark's baseball team has not stopped it from gaining attention from the likes of Major League Baseball players such as Richie Sexson, Randy Myers, Alan Embree and Tom McGraw.

The four players have spent a combined 44 years in the MLB, two resulting in World Series championships and six All-Star appearances.

Myers has been back repeatedly, not only helping the players gain professional knowledge of the game but also bringing baseball back as a permanent fixture to the campus.

"His main help has been bringing the program back," Clark head coach Don Freeman said. "He plans on coming out and helping the pitchers a little bit."

Although many would consider professional athletes on the same turf as Hollywood's celebrities, players and coaches of the Clark baseball team think of them as regular, everyday people.

"Randy's pretty intense," first baseman Nick Coale said. "Actually, both of them are really nice guys. It wasn't too intimidating."

"You don't have to be something exceptional to do exceptional things," Freeman said. "Exceptional things are done by normal people that do things really well."

With most players soaking in the moments with the former pros, infielder Andy Breshears believes it means much more.

"The future is what I think of," Breshears said. "You see pro guys come here and people get excited and they get the baseball vibe going again back at Clark."

This is the first season for Clark baseball since the sport was removed in 1992. Freeman doesn't believe exposing this type of talent to the team gives them an advantage over the rest of the league, however.

"I don't know if it gives them an edge," Freeman said. "These guys are just normal guys."

Sexson came to help during the fall with the players. He is most known for his power throughout his career, belting a 503-foot home run for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004. He has 308 career home runs with five separate teams.

Embree won the 2004 World Series with the Boston Red Sox and is currently a free agent. He has spent 18 years in the Majors with 11 different squads.

Embree has not been able to participate in the Clark workouts, but is planning on coming this spring.

Myers twice won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year as one of the top relievers in the game and the 1990 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds.

Before becoming an elite pitcher in the major leagues, Myers attended Clark and graduated in 1983, but was not fixated on a baseball career.

"He came to Clark College to be a mechanic," Freeman said. "He turned out for baseball because some of his buddies were there and he just happened to improve drastically … He really thinks a lot of Clark College and the opportunity he was given. He knows there has to be other guys where the same type of thing can happen."

Contact Kyle Bliquez at k.bliquez@students.clark.edu