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Thursday, July 23, 1998
Rangers' Greer and Clark are two of a kind
By ALLAN TAYLOR
Scripps Howard News Service
It makes sense that Rusty Greer's locker sits beside Will Clark's
inside the Texas Rangers' clubhouse at The Ballpark in Arlington,
Tex.
Surely these two down-to-earth ballplayers were destined to
be partners - both reared in the Deep South, blessed with picture-perfect
left-handed swings and fitted with the toughness characteristic
of baseball's old-timers.
But the two are not without differences. Whenever the two are
together, for example, Clark is the one doing all the talking.
And as American League pitchers have been finding out, it's the
quiet ones you have to watch.
Greer is a lifetime .310 hitter, including a career-best .332
average with 100 RBI in 1996. Still, Manager Johnny Oates deadpans
that Greer might never overcome his first big-league mistake -
"which was sitting by Will."
Clark was a bona fide star at Mississippi State, where he played
in the College World Series and frequently appeared on ESPN. Greer
grew up in Albertville, Ala. and attended the University of Montevallo,
at the time an NAIA program, where the usual audience consisted
of a few students and parents in folding chairs.
Clark dubbed himself "Will the Thrill" when he was
the big man on campus in Starkville, Miss. Greer's teammates have
settled on "Rojo" - employing Spanish to describe the
outfielder's "red" crewcut.
While a rookie with the San Francisco Giants in 1986, Clark
inscribed the mantra "Once you realize I'm God, we'll get
along just fine" above his locker. As for Greer, Oates recalls
"he didn't even say 'boo' his first year (in the majors)."
"You can tell that Rusty was brought up to respect authority
- maybe even to a fault," Oates says. "Sometimes it's
tough for me to even joke with him, because he's so careful with
figures of authority. I'll say something that will have Will rolling,
and then I tell Rusty the same thing and he just looks at me."
While Greer may never rival Clark's chattiness, he has shown
signs of loosening up. At age 29, he no longer is the clubhouse
wallflower he once was.
"He's becoming more vocal now," Oates says. "He
certainly hasn't changed when it comes to playing the game hard
every day. But what has changed is the way he's starting to express
himself more in the dugout and off the field."
Some of that expression surfaced in early June, when Greer
was sidelined for five games with a rib cage injury. His batting
average was less than .260. Greer sought out Oates, promising
a return to .300 and a return to the productivity the team had
come to expect from the No. 3 spot.
So far, he's keeping that promise. Since June 1, Greer has
batted .346, raising his season's average to .301 with eight homers
and 60 RBIs.
"My leadership role on this team is increasing,"
Greer says. Then he rolls his eyes and nods toward Clark, who
is blowing kisses and commenting on the tan line of a half-dressed
Lee Stevens, the team's designated hitter.
"But it's tough to be the rah-rah guy when you've got
someone like Will Clark sitting in the next locker. He's in another
league when it comes to that kind of stuff."
Kidding aside, Greer credits a large part of his development
to Clark. That includes issues as delicate as heading off team
conflicts to practical advice, such as cutting back on batting
practice to cope with the sweltering Texas heat.
"I've tried to learn from Will, watch the way he goes
about the game," Greer says. "He's shown me a lot about
picking your times to say stuff and picking your times to relax."
The 34-year-old Clark, in turn, doesn't seem to mind the perception
that Greer is, in some terms, a protigi.
"Baseball is a game of passing down the torch and Rusty,
needless to say, is next in line," Clark says. "In four
years, he's matured not only in terms of playing baseball but
also about things like handling the press. He's done a lot of
nice things and he's got a good future in this game."
Still, Clark admits he can't comprehend Greer's virtual vow
of silence on the field: "I don't think that I've ever seen
Rusty question an umpire's call - and some of those calls have
been like Whew!"
Midway through his fifth quiet season in the big leagues, Greer
has generated plenty of talk - both from fans who relish his intensity
and effort and from opposing teams who see him as one of the steadiest
young hitters in the game.
Two seasons ago, when a shaky bullpen threatened to cost the
Rangers their first division title, Greer's name came up daily
in trade rumors. But General Manager Doug Melvin refused to part
with his outfielder, and his patience paid off, as Texas held
off Seattle to win the AL West.
Now the Rangers find themselves in another pennant race - they
lead the AL West by 11/2 games over the Anaheim Angels - and again
Melvin's on the prowl for pitching, this time starters. With the
Rangers' farm system offering little trade bait, conventional
wisdom says Melvin might have to deal one of his offensive cogs
to add a quality arm to the rotation.
Greer might be viewed as one of the team's untouchables, along
with slugger Juan Gonzalez and catcher Ivan Rodriguez. But Oates
says no.
"I've never had an untouchable player," Oates says.
"Now I've had some that might be really expensive, but not
untouchable.
"Truth is, we have people asking about Rusty and Juan
and Pudge every day, but it depends on what they're offering."
Greer, with two years remaining on a contract that pays him
$3.3 million per season, won't speculate on trade talk.
"My job is to go out and play left field," he says.
"Doug Melvin is only going to do things that make this ballclub
better. Doug's done a good job of putting together a team that
can win. I hope I'm here for a long time."
Batting in front of Gonzalez, Greer's on-base percentage could
play a role in erasing one of baseball's longstanding records.
Gonzalez, with 110 RBI, remains on pace to challenge Hack Wilson's
single-season mark of 191 RBI.
With Gonzalez on such a torrid streak, Greer admits he isn't
above modifying his approach at the plate. If that means thinking
more like a leadoff man, and trying to coax a walk, so be it.
"I want to put up good numbers, because that's what keeps
you around the game, but you also have to be a team player,"
he says. "So while I try to take advantage of every opportunity
to drive in runs, I know that sometimes I need to be on base for
Juan. He's a guy who can do a lot of damage. When he comes to
the plate, he's already in scoring position."
(Allan Taylor writes for The Post-Herald Birmingham, Ala.)
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