SF Giants legend Will Clark expresses disappointment in the demotion of a young outfielder

The SF Giants made an unpopular move on Wednesday by demoting young outfielder Luis Matos back to Triple-A. Count Will Clark as one of the many people who were disappointed in that decision.

SF Giants legend Will Clark expresses disappointment in the demotion of a young outfielder

Clark was on the Murph and Markus Show on KNBR on Thursday morning to chat about all things Giants baseball. He was asked about Matos' demotion and did not hold back:

Not a big fan of that decision. I love Matos. He's going to be one of the future outfielders in this organization. Somebody gave me an opportunity, they stuck with me. I’m a big believer in that. You have to stick with the young guys

The longtime Giants first baseman immediately made a name for himself, homering off of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan is his first major league at-bat. That will buy you some time in the majors.

Clark had a solid rookie campaign in 1986, slashing .287/.343/.444 (117 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 41 RBI in 458 plate appearances. He led San Francisco to a World Series appearance in 1989 and he remained with the club through the 1992 season.

The left-handed bat went on to play for the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals in the seven years following his departure from the Giants before hanging up his cleats for good after the 2000 season.

The power-hitting bat has a unique experience in baseball and can speak to the difficulties in playing through failure that is inherent with the game. It is always interesting to his take and it is one that is valued within the organization. Plus, it bears mentioning that Clark is a fan of Matos.

Matos was called up at the beginning of May and made an impact right away. He collected 11 RBI in a two-game stretch against the Colorado Rockies before winning NL Player of the Week honors. It was starting to look like the young outfielder would be here to stay.

However, Matos' numbers began to take a nosedive shortly thereafter. In his last 13 games, he tallied nine hits, all singles, in 59 plate appearances. Overall, he has a .577 OPS with two home runs in 89 plate appearances.

Perhaps, the Giants should have been more patient. Playing time is earned, but if they had a stronger lineup, there would have been less need for him to perform. That did not come to fruition and Matos will work on his approach in Triple-A. It was an unpopular move and you can count a Giants legend as one of the many who were dissatisfied.