David Clyde, who had been drafted first overall earlier in the month, makes his debut with the Texas Rangers

draft

On June 27, 1973, Twenty days after pitching his high school team, Houston’s Westchester High School to a state championship, 18-year-old David Clyde, who had been drafted first overall in the 1973 amateur draft earlier in the month, makes his debut with the Texas Rangers. The largest crowd of the year pack Arlington Stadium, a sell out crowd of 35,698. The, $125,000 bonus baby didn’t disappoint, he walks the first two Twins batters he faces, then gets Bobby Darwin, George Mitterwald and Joe Lis on swinging third strikes. Clyde goes five innings and gives up only one hit – a two-run home run by Mike Adams – walks seven and strikes out 8. He is the winner, 4 – 3.

More on Clyde:
Clyde was a high school phenom. In his senior year, Clyde was 18 and 0 and gave up 3 earned runs all year in 148 innings and threw 5 no-hitters. He was dubbed the next Sandy Koufax. Clyde was the most sought-after player in the country and the Rangers drafted Clyde with the # 1 draft pick in the 73 draft. The owner of the Rangers, Bob Short, had a team with lousy attendance and the plan was to use Clyde for a few games and then send him to the minors to work on his arm strength for the rigors of MLB. He, made his debut just 20 days after his last High School game against the Twins. He had a rough start but settled down and won his first-ever MLB start in front of the 1st sell-out crowd in Rangers history. Short and the Rangers abandoned the plan to send Clyde down to the minor leagues seeing they had a drawing card to bring fans to the ballpark . Many disagreed with Short as Clyde had pitched a full HS season. . He finished the 73 season with a 4 and 6 record.
 
In 1974 there again was a dispute about what was best for Clyde to develop. The dispute caused the Rangers GM to resign as manager Billy Martin wanted Clyde on the team. Clyde finished with a 3 and 9 record.
 
In 1975 after one start Clyde injured his shoulder. This injury was the beginning of the end of his MLB career . He would have shoulder surgery and then spend 3 years in the minors and was traded by the Rangers to the Indians in 1978. He would go 8 and 11 for the Indians in 1978. In 1979 he would tear his rotator cuff and pitched his last MLB game on Aug 7, 1979
 
He tried to comeback with the Astros but never made it back to the MLB. Clydes career was ruined by the financial mess of Bob Short . The Rangers averaged 6000 fans a game when Clyde didn’t pitch and Short was on the verge of bankruptcy so Clyde not only stayed but many games he was left in to please the fans according to Whitey Herzog .
 
Many felt if Clyde was handled correctly and developed slowly he would have had a good career . Clyde was never bitter about his handling. He overcame alcohol abuse and went to work for his father-in-law in the lumber business for 20 years.
 

Great article on David Clyde and where he is now.

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Texas Rangers 4, Minnesota Twins 3

Game Played: Wednesday, June 27, 1973 (N) at Arlington Stadium
Time of Game: 2:50
Attendance: 35698

Line Score

MIN A 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – 3 4 0
TEX A 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 x – 4 11 2 

Umpires: HP – Ron Luciano, 1B – Dave Phillips, 2B – Jerry Neudecker, 3B – Bill Haller

Box Score

Starting Lineups

Twins
1 Jerry Terrell SS
2 Rod Carew 2B
3 Bobby Darwin RF
4 George Mitterwald DH
5 Joe Lis 1B
6 Steve Braun 3B
7 Larry Hisle CF
8 Phil Roof C
9 Mike Adams LF
Jim Kaat P

Rangers
1 Dave Nelson 2B
2 Toby Harrah SS
3 Alex Johnson DH
4 Rico Carty LF
5 Jeff Burroughs RF
6 Vic Harris 3B
7 Jim Spencer 1B
8 Ken Suarez C
9 Elliott Maddox CF
David Clyde PPlay by Play

TWINS 1ST: Terrell walked; Debut game for David Clyde;
Carew walked [Terrell to second]; Darwin struck out; Mitterwald
struck out; Lis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Twins 0,
Rangers 0.

RANGERS 1ST: Nelson singled to left; Nelson stole second; Harrah
popped to shortstop; Johnson was credited with a single when a
runner was hit by the batted ball to third [Nelson out at third
(third unassisted)]; Carty forced Johnson (shortstop to second);
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Twins 0, Rangers 0.

TWINS 2ND: Braun walked; Braun was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Hisle walked; Hisle stole second; Roof was
called out on strikes; Adams homered [Hisle scored]; Terrell
walked; Terrell stole second [Terrell to third (error by
Suarez)]; Carew walked; Carew was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Twins 2, Rangers 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Burroughs walked; Harris singled to left [Burroughs
to second]; Spencer walked [Burroughs to third, Harris to
second]; Suarez popped to second; Maddox was called out on
strikes; Nelson singled to center [Burroughs scored, Harris
scored, Spencer out at third (center to third to second to
third)]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Twins 2, Rangers 2.

TWINS 3RD: Darwin grounded out (shortstop to first); Mitterwald
struck out; Lis popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Twins
2, Rangers 2.

RANGERS 3RD: Harrah doubled to left; Johnson singled to
shortstop [Harrah stayed at second]; Carty lined to right
[Harrah to third]; Burroughs walked [Johnson to second]; Harris
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Harrah scored]; Spencer flied out
to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Twins 2, Rangers 3.

TWINS 4TH: Braun flied out to center; Hisle was called out on
strikes; Roof struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Twins 2,
Rangers 3.

RANGERS 4TH: Suarez grounded out (third to first); Maddox
singled to center; Kaat threw a wild pitch [Maddox to second];
Nelson struck out (catcher to first); Harrah singled to center
[Maddox scored]; GOLTZ REPLACED KAAT (PITCHING); Johnson singled
to right [Harrah to second]; Carty grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Twins 2, Rangers 4.

TWINS 5TH: Adams popped to shortstop; Terrell struck out; Carew
walked; Darwin lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Twins 2,
Rangers 4.

RANGERS 5TH: Burroughs singled to center; Harris singled to
right [Burroughs to third]; Spencer struck out while Harris was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Suarez walked;
Maddox forced Suarez (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB. Twins 2, Rangers 4.

TWINS 6TH: GOGOLEWSKI REPLACED CLYDE (PITCHING); Mitterwald
grounded out (shortstop to first); Lis was called out on
strikes; Braun lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Twins
2, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 6TH: Nelson was called out on strikes; Harrah lined to
shortstop; Johnson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB. Twins 2, Rangers 4.

TWINS 7TH: Hisle struck out; Roof walked; HOLT BATTED FOR ADAMS;
Holt singled to center [Roof to second]; On a bunt Terrell
singled to second [Roof scored (error by Nelson) (unearned),
Holt to third, Terrell to second]; Carew was walked
intentionally; Darwin popped to second; OLIVA BATTED FOR
MITTERWALD; Oliva forced Carew (second to shortstop); 1 R (0
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Twins 3, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 7TH: OLIVA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); HOLT STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); Carty lined to left; Burroughs grounded out
(shortstop to first); Harris popped to third in foul territory;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Twins 3, Rangers 4.

TWINS 8TH: Lis grounded out (pitcher to first); Braun flied out
to center; Hisle singled to center; Roof forced Hisle (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Twins 3, Rangers 4.

RANGERS 8TH: Spencer grounded out (second to first); Suarez
struck out; Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB. Twins 3, Rangers 4.

TWINS 9TH: Holt popped to first; Terrell flied out to right;
Carew popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 3, Rangers 4.

Other Resources & Links

Baseball-Reference Box Score