Will Clark believes Rafael Devers situation has been blown ‘out of proportion' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Giants icon Will Clark believes the drama surrounding the team’s acquisition of star designated hitter Rafael Devers has ballooned into something completely unnecessary.
In talking to KNBR’s Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher on Friday, Clark explained how he is attempting to move past the harsh language he used with Red Sox announcer Will Flemming — who shared a private conversation he had with Clark during the San Francisco-Boston series on June 20-22 about Devers skipping practice at first base with on a radio show — and the situation overall.
“I think that this story has gotten blown way out of proportion,” Clark told Murphy and Boucher. “I said some stuff that I shouldn’t have said. And also … Will Flemming said a few things as well. I have reached out to Will; we talked about it; we hashed it out.
“It’s going to be water under the bridge.”
Clark, a retired six-time MLB All-Star, grew irritated after Flemming pushed the negative narrative surrounding Devers — which the former eight-year Giants first baseman already addressed multiple times, detailing how Devers didn’t want to practice at first in front of the Red Sox dugout amid the media frenzy — while making public what was a private conversation.
Here is what Flemming said Monday on WEEI Sports Radio’s “WEEI Afternoons.”
“We were in San Francisco right after that trade happened,” Flemming said. “They don’t yet know what is going to happen with the player. I was there the second day. Will Clark was there to work on ground balls with him at first base, and Rafi didn’t show up.
“So that’s the person that these guys [the Red Sox] have been dealing with for a long time.”
Flemming, brother of Giants broadcaster Dave Flemming, told the public that Devers is against playing first base in San Francisco, as he was in Boston, painting a poor picture of the three-time MLB All-Star.
That claim appears to be false. Giants manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that Devers should see time at first after the MLB All-Star break, and Devers told reporters through San Francisco interpreter Erwin Higueros on June 20 that he “can’t wait to start playing [at first base].”
Clark subsequently went off on Flemming in Thursday’s episode of the “Deuces Wild” podcast he co-hosts with retired big-leaguer Eric Byrnes.
“Will Flemming, you can go f—k off, motherf—ker,” Clark said. “You want to f—king take a conversation that we’re having and then blow it out of proportion because you’re a f—king East Coast piece of s—t reporter. F—k off.”
The two quotes set the stage for what Clark said he “hashed out” with Flemming and will become “water under the bridge,” according to the former San Francisco star.
It is probably best for Clark to move on from the feud with Flemming.
