Jim Clark calls 3,500th game for RubberDucks

“Hello baseball fans everywhere."

Double-A Akron RubberDucks broadcaster Jim Clark has started every game for the past 30 seasons with those four words. They serve as a tribute to longtime Cleveland broadcaster Jimmy Dudley, as well as evidence that Clark’s childhood dream has come true.

“As a kid, probably age 8 or 9, we had great guys calling Cleveland baseball back in those days,” said Clark, who grew up listening to Dudley. “I just thought, ‘That’s what I want to do someday. If I can’t play this game, I want to be part of it like that.’”

When Akron faced off against Harrisburg on July 7, it marked Clark's 3,500th game as the voice of the Guardians' Double-A affiliate. For the occasion, he threw out the first pitch and was honored by the crowd at Canal Park, a much bigger venue than where his broadcasting career began.

Friday July 7th, 2023: Broadcaster Jim Clark’s 3500th game called in his 30th season with the organization. @JimClarkPBP pic.twitter.com/fBeZpWCw2z

— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) July 7, 2023

“When I was small, I had this thing called Bob Feller’s Big League Baseball game, a baseball game with a spinner on it,” Clark said. “I would sit as a kid and play my games and I always tried to broadcast those games.”

He has come a long way from broadcasting board games in his living room. With the RubberDucks -- formerly the Aeros -- he has witnessed six Eastern League titles, as well as the Minor League development of countless Cleveland prospects.

“Winning the first championship was pretty special,” Clark said. “But the biggest part was when my kids and wife [Michelle] traveled with me throughout the summers when she was done teaching all through their childhood.”

The family trips were a byproduct of two years in Canton, when the club didn’t have a radio station. Before the hiatus, traveling with the team was just part of the job for Clark, but that all changed once his son Brook was born.

“We took our first road trip to Bowie, and I got on the bus after the game thinking, ‘Man, I miss my son, I miss my wife,’” Clark said. “It had been so long since I had done that, and we sat on the bus for like two hours and I thought, 'I can’t do this.’”

Eventually, the Clarks found a solution. Former broadcast partner Todd Bell pitched in, packing for Brook and bringing the eldest son to Harrisburg -- Akron's next stop on the road trip. Michelle followed once school ended for the summer. And that kicked off 12 years worth of family memories of the sights and scenes at various ballparks and the surrounding areas.

“One of our favorite trips was always to Binghamton because when we went to Binghamton, the Hall of Fame was an hour up the road,” Clark said. “We spent tons of days in Cooperstown, and they just cherished it as I do.”

Brook and youngest son Austin also served as bat boys for the team. As they got older and played college and independent league ball, the sons got tips from Cleveland coaches on playing at the next level.

And back in the booth, Clark remained the voice for hundreds of big moments, none more important in his mind than when Venezuelan right-hander Carlos Carrasco toed the rubber in 2019.

“When Carlos Carrasco was -- and still is -- battling leukemia, he came and rehabbed with us,” Clark said. “Calling that inning and him striking out the last batter and getting a standing ovation, that was really special.”

There have been countless other unforgettable moments in the booth for Clark -- from interviewing his favorite Cleveland ballplayers to broadcasting football games with Brook as color commentator. So while the official game tally now may be over 3,500 games, the memories themselves are unlimited.