Cardinals trade 4 players for Jack Clark

On February 1 1985 — In an effort to add some much-needed power to a lineup essentially composed of speedsters, the St. Louis Cardinals trade Outfielder David Green, Shortstop Jose Uribe (who is still known as “Jose Gonzalez”), Pitcher Dave LaPoint, and utility player Gary Rajsich to the San Francisco Giants for slugger Jack Clark. Clark will help lead St Louis to the World Series in 1985 and 1987 and in 1987 he will finish 3rd in MVP voting.

Uribe will become a long term shortstop playing nearly 1,000 games for for the Giants, putting up a 8.7 WAR, mostly based on his defense. All the others will play only for the Giants in 1985.

Clark will have great seasons in 85 & 87, he was mostly injured in 1986. In 1987 Clark posted career highs in HR (35), RBI (106), Runs (93), OPS, OPS+, OBP and Slg. Clark hit and epic homerun in 1985.

Jack Clark finished off the Dodgers with a ninth-inning blast that sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.

With two outs in the ninth and the Cardinals trailing by a run, Clark hit a three-run homer off Tom Niedenfuer on October 16, 1985, to give St. Louis a 7-5 win and a six-game series victory over the Dodgers. Until Clark’s home run, the Dodgers had led the entire game.  More on this game

He will become a free agent after 1987 and play for a handful of teams but never match his 1987 season.