Conversations with the Herd: Phil Clarke

By: Brian Frank

Phil Clarke’s road to Sahlen Field began with an incredible amateur career, including a Tennessee high school state championship and an NCAA championship.

In four seasons at Christian Presbyterian Academy (CPA) in Nashville, Clarke helped the Lions reach four consecutive state tournaments, winning the Tennessee state championship in 2015. His senior season, Clarke was Tennessee’s Class 2-A Mr. Baseball, The Tennessean’s Player of the Year, and a Perfect Game All-American selection.

“You know, coming from a school like CPA, it's a great place, but the baseball program hadn't really achieved much,” Clarke said in a recent interview with The Herd Chronicles when asked what stands out about his time playing high school baseball. “Our coach, Larry Nesbitt, was kind of just getting started, and before him, they didn't achieve much. I don't think they ever went to a state tournament. So, just going to the state tournament all four years I was there – and we won my sophomore year. I would say winning was my highlight, but the two years after that, my junior and senior year, coming into my own and kind of forming relationships and understanding that baseball was more than wins and losses would be the biggest thing I learned in high school.”

Clarke has a history of winning. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

Clarke, who’s now caught 284 games professionally, began catching when he was at CPA.

“I started catching my sophomore year of high school,” he said. “When Vanderbilt started recruiting me, they thought it might be a good idea to transition to catcher. My high school coach agreed. It was kind of what we were hearing from a lot of schools. So, I just gave it a shot.”

The move behind the plate was clearly a success, as Clarke went on to play at one of the most elite college baseball programs in the country, Vanderbilt University. He made an immediate impact his freshman season with the Commodores. He slashed .294/.382/.450 with six home runs in 58 games and was named a Freshman All-American.

“The biggest thing I had to learn was time management,” Clarke said of his adjustment to playing college baseball. “A school like Vanderbilt, doing school work and baseball, it definitely was a little bit of an adjustment. Being surrounded by elite players every day, it was something I wasn't really used to and it was just really cool getting to know those guys. It was an honor being able to play right away, for sure. I wasn't necessarily expecting it, because I was still new at catcher, but being able to fit me in at DH and catch a little bit – it was pretty awesome.”

Clarke played for legendary head coach Tom Corbin at Vanderbilt. Corbin has transformed the Vanderbilt program into a college baseball powerhouse since he arrived in Nashville in 2003. Under Corbin’s stewardship, the Commodores have been to the College World Series five times, won the national championship twice, and are the number one overall seed heading into this year’s tournament.

“It was incredible,” Clarke said of playing for Corbin. “The life lessons you learn there are second to none. How to build a culture, how to be a part of a culture, just how to be a part of something bigger than yourself. It was more than just the baseball that I learned there. But yeah, just seeing how he runs a team, how he builds a team, and life lessons that I'll never forget.”

Vanderbilt had a magical season during Clarke’s sophomore year, with a loaded roster featuring JJ Bleday, Austin Martin, Stephen Scott, Kumar Rocker, Drake Fellows, and Jake Eder. Clarke noticed early on that the Commodores had something special.

“The fall of 2018, we kind of were sitting around in the locker room one day and we're like – we're going to win the national championship,” he recalled. “There's no reason we shouldn't. We had so many guys who played as freshmen the year before, that had that year of SEC experience under their belt, and then combined with a lot of seniors for a Vanderbilt team. Vanderbilt teams usually don't have too many seniors. We had a lot of senior leadership, just so much talent. Combining that together, we knew that with the offense we had, the pitching we had, that there was something special there, for sure.”

Clarke slashed .308/.388/.480 with nine home runs and 70 RBIs in 70 games, helping to lead Vanderbilt to a 59-12 record. After winning the South Eastern Conference regular season championship, they advanced to the final game of the S.E.C. tournament, a high scoring affair against Ole Miss that went to the bottom of the ninth inning tied 10-10. Clarke stepped to the plate in the final frame and delivered an RBI single to give Vanderbilt an 11-10 walk-off win and the S.E.C. tournament championship.  

“In the seventh inning of that game, I struck out with the bases loaded and I remember just being furious,” Clarke remembered. “Our hitting coach, Mike Baxter, came up to me and was like, you're going to win it in the ninth. I kind of shrugged him off. I was like, yeah, yeah.”

“I was coming up (in the ninth inning), and they had two guys warming up in the bullpen,” Clarke continued. “Parker Caracci, a former Blue Jay, was one of them, and they made a pitching change. I went up to Coach Baxter, and I said, ‘Caracci, right?’ And he said no, (it was) the other guy (Ryan Olenek) that was coming in, and I’d never faced him. We didn't have anything on him, because he was kind of a position player that pitched too. So, going into that at bat, I was like I’ve got to put something in play. So, I'm just trying to hit something hard up the middle, get something good to hit. I didn't necessarily know exactly what he was going to throw me. And, yeah, first pitch I just got something hanging up in the middle and just put a good swing on it.”

Walking-off Ole Miss

Vanderbilt then advanced through the NCAA tournament to the College World Series in Omaha. Clarke was red-hot throughout the tournament. He went 9-for-25 (.360) in six games in Omaha, and 6-for-13 (.462) during the finals against Michigan, including a three-hit performance in the final game.

“It was incredible,” he beamed. “I mean, you say the stats, but I think that the stats were so good because I was just so freed up playing for something so big and so much bigger than myself.”

After dropping the first game of the finals to Michigan, the Commodores battled back to win the second game 4-1 behind a tremendous performance by starting pitcher Kumar Rocker. The Commodores then became NCAA champions when they beat Michigan 8-2 in the winner-take-all third game.

“I think in the seventh inning, we had a feeling like, you know, we can't blow it, but I think we're going to win the national championship,” Clarke remembered, “So, just focusing on each out. Jake Eder coming in and closing it. I don't know if I was fully there, honestly. I just remember seeing the ball go up in the air for the last out, and Pat DeMarco catching it, and being like – oh my gosh, national champions.”

“Just an incredible experience being with those guys all year, through the fall, through the middle of the spring, just all the ups and downs and being able to culminate that with the national championship. It honestly still hasn't really sunk in. When people ask me about it, even six years later, it still doesn't really feel real.”

National Champions

Prior to the Super Regionals that season, Clarke was selected by the Blue Jays in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft.

“It just all kind of happened so fast and was just a dream come true honestly,” he remembered. “The Blue Jays were a team that I had talked to a lot in high school, a team that I kind of built a relationship with our area scout, Nate Murray, and I was super excited to come there. I didn't know much about Canada, but my roommate at Vanderbilt was from the Toronto area, so that was exciting too. I got to celebrate with him and ask him about Toronto, and ask him about Canada.”

He was assigned to the Vancouver Canadians, who were the Blue Jays Low-A affiliate at the time to begin his professional career. In 37 games with the 2019 Canadians, Clarke slashed .257/.359/.333, while playing for current Bisons manager Casey Candaele.

“It was definitely an adjustment, getting used to the pro ball schedule, the individuality of professional baseball, the travel, it was all an adjustment,” he said. “But, you know, Casey was great. Having him as my first manager is such a… I mean, not many people can say they had a guy like that be their first professional manager. So, yeah. I mean, just super cool. And what a cool city. Vancouver is amazing.”

After the 2020 minor-league baseball season was cancelled due to the pandemic, Clarke returned to the Canadians in 2021. However, due to minor-league realignment, Vancouver was now the Blue Jays High-A affiliate. Also, similar to what happened to their parent club that season, the Canadians were unable to play home games in Vancouver due to the U.S-Canada border being shut down. They instead played at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, Oregon, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ High-A affiliate, the Hillsboro Hops.

“Obviously we would have loved to be in Vancouver,” Clarke said. “But it was a great experience, because we had 140 games or so, and like 80 of them were home games in Hillsboro, because when we would play Hillsboro, it would be at the same stadium. There are only six or eight teams in that league. It was an awesome experience. Hillsboro is a really cool town. It's a really cool city.”

Stepping to the plate at Sahlen Field. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

Clarke spent 2022, 2023, and the beginning of the 2024 season in Double-A New Hampshire. He believes he improved both offensively and defensively at Double-A.

“I think defensively, putting more value into catching and game planning, working with the pitchers, seeing that that's a way to pass to the big leagues,” he said. “You know, being a trustworthy catcher, a guy who's prepared with relationships with the pitchers. So, I put in a lot of effort to become better defensively.”

“I think offensively, just kind of learning how to deal with failure, deal with the fact that you're going to see 98, 99 (mph) in Double-A. Good stuff every night, and you have to be on you’re A-game, and you have to compete every at-bat. You can't lose focus. I think my biggest improvement from ‘22 to ‘23 was being able to ride the wave. Ride those lows, figure out how to become addicted to your process, and understand what true failure and true success are. I think that was a huge point of growth for me too.”

He spent the majority of last season with the Herd after he was promoted to Triple-A in early June. He expected to begin this season behind the plate at Sahlen Field, but a shoulder injury in spring training meant he had to begin the season on the injured list. Since returning to the Bisons’ lineup in mid-May, he’s been swinging a hot bat.

“I’m happy to be back in Buffalo,” he said. “I had that period down in Florida and was hurt and I’m just super grateful to be back and playing free baseball right now. So, I’m doing what I can, trying to see the ball well, and put a good swing on it.”