Rafael Devers has exclusively been a designated hitter this season, despite what he and the teams that employ him have wanted. Devers, a former All-Star third baseman, lost his position in Boston when the team signed Alex Bregman and then traded him to the San Francisco Giants where he has also been reluctant to transition to first base.
On Tuesday, WEEI's Will Flemming revealed that Devers had stood up Giants legend Will Clark when he first arrived in San Francisco. While Devers was taking some reps at first ahead of the team's game on Tuesday night, the origin of Flemming's story surfaced.
Will Clark had told the story of Devers not coming out to practice with him not once, but three times during his first series in San Francisco. Clark told the story on his podcast with Eric Byrnes a week ago and even said he understood why Devers didn't come out to work with him.
"So Matt Williams and Bob Melvin want me to go out there and work with him around first base," said Clark. "No problem. And we weren't gonna like go through anything physical. We're just going to walk through and say hey look if the throw's coming from over there stand this way, if the throw's coming from over there, stand that way. It wasn't gonna be this big thing. And Friday, Saturday, Sunday he did not come early. At all. Period. Not at all. In fact, he didn't even hit on the field, right?"
Clark then explained exactly what he thought had happened that weekend.
"I know what the f--- happened," he continued. "I said he didn't want to go out and be at first base and be 20 feet in front of their frickin' dugout with what went on in Boston and now he's working with me at first base. He didn't want to have to go through all that bullsh-- through the press and the media. And so I completely understand. But Rafael Devers, next time I'm in San Francisco, your ass will be on the field at first base. Just letting you know that."
Clark went on to say that Devers would be on first even if it meant he had to grab him by the "back of the neck" and drag him out there himself.
Devers went 2-for-12 with a home run as the Giants won two of three games in that series vs. the Red Sox.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Will Clark Explains That Rafael Devers Actually Blew Him Off Three Times.
