MILWAUKEE -- Whether it worked out or not, Matt Clark was going to live with his decision.
He was 27 years old and stuck playing in Double-A for an organization with not much use for him beyond minor-league filler. So, Clark asked for and was granted his release on June 25.
"You have to sit there and wait or do what I did and take a chance," Clark said. "Without anything else lined up, I was willing to sit at home the rest of the year."
The Milwaukee Brewers had Clark's name on their radar in the offseason. Bob Skube, hitting coach for Triple-A Nashville, had coached Clark in the minor leagues with the Padres and suggested the Brewers sign him in the winter. The fit just wasn't there, as Hunter Morris and Sean Halton were slated to play first base in Nashville.
But when Morris fractured his arm around the same time Clark was released by the Mets, Skube again recommended his former student to general manager Doug Melvin. This time, the Brewers signed him.
"The timing of it worked out," Melvin said.
Clark's gamble has paid off, as he's receiving a chance to contribute in the big leagues for a team chasing the postseason less than three months after feeling stuck in Double-A.
His long journey to the big leagues began with the Padres, the organization he was drafted by in the 12th round out of LSU in 2008. Clark hit 97 home runs with 358 RBI in his four full minor-league seasons with San Diego, including batting over .290 with at least 20 home runs in two years with Triple-A Tucson.
After the 2012 season, the Padres sold Clark's contract to the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.
Clark hit .238 with 25 home runs and 70 RBI in his lone season with Chunichi, playing with former big leaguers Hector Luna, Brad Bergesen and Daniel Cabrera.
"It was a great experience," Clark said. "Being able to play in front of 50,000 every night, it basically feels like here. It feels like the postseason every day over there. There's a win or go home mentality. If you lose it is like the end of the world, but if you win, it is the greatest day ever. To play through that was a great experience.
"I was one of the youngest guys in the league, so I had to establish myself before they would put me in the lineup every day. Once they did, it was easier to get in there and do what I normally do."
Clark returned stateside this past offseason, signing a minor-league deal with the Mets. He received 31 at-bats in big-league spring training, but was sent to Double-A Binghamton to begin the year.
Like he always has, Clark hit well in Binghamton, batting .297 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 67 games. But Clark sensed where he was on the organizational depth chart. The Mets' Triple-A team was covered at first base and Lucas Duda had established himself as the club's big-league first baseman.
"It was not a very good situation I was in," Clark said. "I felt like they were just leaving me there just to leave me there. No matter what I did, it didn't seem like it was going to be enough to get me anywhere with them. I had to make a decision, and it worked out for the best."
Clark produced immediately for the Sounds, as the left-handed hitter batted .313 with 16 home runs and 37 RBI in 53 games.
The Brewers have struggled to fill the void at first base since Prince Fielder left following the 2011 season. When rosters expanded in September, Melvin decided to see what he had in Clark, whose father, Terry, pitched one season (1997) for the Brewers general manager when he held the same position in Texas.
"You don't know until you find out," Melvin said. "You have to find out. Sometimes they find it a little bit later. A lot of it is just opportunity.
"Triple-A scouting, to me, can be as hard as the other (levels). When you are at the lower levels, the phenom kids stand out. What you don't want to do at Triple-A is miss on the Casey McGehees. Our thing is -- is Matt Clark another four-A player or could he be Garrett Jones? Could he be Casey McGehee? Their time comes later. (Baltimore's) Steve Pearce is having a big year this year and he was outrighted earlier on this year. Those are the tough ones to identify. You don't want to miss on a guy."
Clark has already made an impression with the Brewers, becoming just the third player in franchise history to hit three home runs in his first nine games with the club.
By homering in each of his last three starts, Clark is fourth player in baseball since 1914 to go deep in each of his first three major-league games in which he receives three or more plate appearances (joining Chick Fullis, Dave Kingman and Carlos Quentin).
"It has allowed me to relax, kind of take a deep breath and get back to my plan of what I normally do," Clark said of receiving playing time as a September call-up. "It has eased my mind a lot, especially getting a couple of starts in a row.
"I'm glad they are showing some confidence in me. I'm hoping to go out there and contribute to a win."
Clark's first big-league home run came last Wednesday against Miami, extending Milwaukee's one-run lead to a 3-1 advantage in the seventh inning. One day later, he helped the Brewers build upon their lead with a solo shot in the fourth.
His biggest contribution came Sunday, when he turned a 3-1 game into a rout by blasting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds.
"He sure is (making an impact)," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I like what he's doing on defense, also. He looks like he handles himself well there. We'll see. Keep getting him out there and see what happens."
With Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds a combined 5 for 37 (.135) in September, Clark will likely continue to receive starts at first base against right-handed pitchers over the final 12 games of the season.
The Brewers will enter yet another offseason needing to find either a short-term or a long-term solution at first base. There have been many players who have reached the big leagues for the first time in their late 20s and proceeded to have nice careers. But for every one of those, there are hundreds of players who provide merely a flash in the pan.
Whether Clark can put himself into the mix at first base for 2015 remains to be seen.
"You are always trying to make an impression, no matter where you are," Clark said. "Hopefully I get the chance and do well. You can't really control much after that."
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