Former Wichita State catcher Cody Clark prepared baseball’s best bullpen for the Royals’ World Series title

The Kansas City Royals bullpen is like any other in that relievers get bored and relievers like to play pranks.

“Kelvin Hererra and (Danny) Duffy are kind of the jokesters of the group,” said Cody Clark, a former Wichita State baseball player and Royals bullpen catcher. “If somebody goes into the bathroom, you can take one of the stretch bands and lock them in there. There’s no way to get out. Cups of water hanging on the door is one of the go-to ones.”

The Royals bullpen is unlike most others, in that the relievers rarely give up runs and Wade Davis’ presence looms over every opposing team.

“He’s the best pitcher in baseball,” Clark said.

Clark ended his second season with the Royals after Tuesday’s parade, riding in a Chevrolet Silverado, name and position on the side panel, with Jordan, his wife, and daughter Finley, 1,

“She slept through the whole thing,” he said.

No problem, Finley. You can look at hundreds of pictures and videos in a few years. The memories of the 2015 World Series champions are plentiful. Clark, who played at WSU in 2003 after transferring from Arkansas, saw it all from bullpens in Kansas City, Houston, Toronto and New York.

“It was just an incredible ride,” he said. “Last year, we were really happy to get to the playoffs and didn’t know what to expect. This year, there was just really a special focus that the guys had. This year, they weren’t going to be denied. Down four runs in the eighth inning against Houston … they were going to do it this year.”

Clark’s main duties are in the bullpen, warming up the starting pitcher 30 minutes before the game and helping relievers get loose as needed. He helped bench coach Don Wakamatsu make out the lineup cards that go to various coaches before each game — Wakamatsu provides the calligraphy on the one posted in the dugout — after manager Ned Yost decides his batting order. Clark throws batting practice before each game.

All those experiences are helpful for his future in coaching, following the lead of Doug Clark, his father, who coached at Arkansas and Central Arkansas. Cody Clark, who earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors at WSU, played professionally from 2003-2013 after Texas drafted him in the 11th round. He spent six of those seasons in the Royals organization and played 16 games in 2013 with the Houston Astros.

After his playing career, the Royals offered him a minor-league coaching job. A few days later, the job of bullpen catcher opened and Clark accepted.

“Bullpen catching is something you can’t do long-term,” he said. “But it’s something I look forward to for a few years, because I didn’t spend a lot of time in the big leagues when I played, so it’s a chance for me to get some experienced at the big-league level and see how things run.”

For the past two seasons, that meant tending to a history-making collection of arms. Hererra, Davis, Greg Holland, Luke Hochevar — they all got hot and prepared to shut down the late innings with Clark catching fastballs and sliders.

“They’re guys that would throw every day if they were asked to, no matter if they’re not feeling great that day,” Clark said. “They’re a really focused group. Not to mention that their stuff is really good.”

Working with Davis convinced Clark that nobody wipes out batters with more devastating stuff and with more calm. Davis, a former starter, studies hitters more than many relievers and combines that preparation with swing-and-miss stuff.

“He can put the ball where ever he wants to,” Clark said. “He’s got an amazing cutter and his curveball is good. He’s got three plus pitches.”

Fans see Davis as a no-nonsense guy who rarely breaks character on the mound and gives quiet, short answers to most questions. Like many pitchers, he invokes a no-chatter rule when he is preparing for his inning of work late in a game.

“He was a hard guy to get to know when I first got here,” Clark said. “Because he is so reserved and doesn’t let his guard down easily. Once you get to know him, he’s like everybody else.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Former Wichita State catcher Cody Clark prepared baseball’s best bullpen for the Royals’ World Series title."