David Clyde

The son of a telephone executive, Clyde was born in Kansas City, Kansas, the eldest of four brothers. After living for a time in New Jersey, his family moved to Houston, Texas in 1969. During his senior year at Westchester, Clyde had a stellar record of 18–0, giving up only three earned runs in 148 innings pitched, while pitching five no-hitters and setting 14 national high school records. After signing his contract, Clyde stated that his career goal was to "become the greatest pitcher ever". == Major League career ==

Prior to the draft, the Texas Rangers held the second lowest attendance in the American League, ahead of only the Cleveland Indians despite having Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams as manager at one point. They had moved from Washington, D.C., two years prior, and owner Bob Short expanded Arlington Stadium an extra 20,000 seats. Clyde later called it his most memorable game in his Major League career. Clyde then pitched well in his second start against the Chicago White Sox, pitching six innings before a finger blister forced him out of the game. However, with his performance in the two starts, the Rangers dropped all plans to send him to the minors. The youngest player to play in a major league game in 1973, Clyde pitched a total of eighteen games (all starts) that season, finishing with a record of 4–8, with a 5.01 earned run average (ERA). Questioned about the difference between high school or professional baseball, Clyde stated that MLB hitters "see the ball better, thus they make contact more often". Clyde also finished fourth in the American League with 11 wild pitches. He pitched in nine games with the Indians in 1979 (3–4, 5.91 ERA) before tearing his rotator cuff and was demoted to the minors, playing in what would be his last Major League game on August 7, 1979. In his five-year career, Clyde had an 18–33 win–loss record with a 4.63 earned run average and 228 strikeouts in 84 games pitched. == Legacy ==

Named a "sensation", Clyde's unsuccessful career made him the "poster-boy" for bringing up young players. In a 2003 interview with The New York Times, Herzog criticized Bob Short, stating that "(Short) sure wasn't going to send him down without getting some people in the ballpark to see him. The kid should have gone to the minors after two starts." One week before the thirtieth anniversary of his first career game, Clyde threw the ceremonial first pitch to his ex–teammate Ken Suarez during an Rangers-Astros game. == Personal life ==

Following the problems Clyde had during the 1974 and 1975 seasons, he became dependent on alcohol, which he later called "the lowest point of my life". He had two failed marriages, the first one with his high school sweetheart, before settling down with his third wife, Robin, having two boys, Ryan and Reed, and a daughter, Lauren. He worked in his father-in-law's lumber business in Tomball, Texas for 20 years, which he called one of the best periods of his life, giving him a "peace of mind". He retired in 2003 as vice president of the company and worked as a coach for a local youth baseball team. He is now a caregiver for his elderly father. ==See also==