Raised in South Charlotte, newly–welcomed volunteer assistant coach Chris Clare has been playing baseball his whole life.
“I went to school at Charlotte Catholic and realized I was good enough to play in college. I tried really hard to actually play at Winthrop, but never got offers, so I went to High Point University,” Clare said.
After playing for three years for a team in the same conference as Winthrop, Clare earned a batting average of .320 and was soon selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 21st round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
“I played in the minors for about five seasons, and I was able to go play in Australia for a season. Then I was considered a ‘COVID casualty,’ so a lot of people got released from the minor leagues when COVID hit,” Clare said.
Clare was unable to play in all of 2020 but was then offered an independent contract to play in Iowa in 2021.
“I played really well, but I could tell my career was going towards the coaching route. I was talking to a bunch of different colleges, different programs. Everyone who had an opening, I just called and put my name out there,” Clare said.
Clare’s previous hitting coach notified him about a coaching position available at Winthrop.
“I quickly gave [Coach Tom Riginos] a call and told him I was interested. He sat down and had an interview with me, and next thing you know, I got the job,” Clare said.
“I’ve been anxious to get started because I haven’t been around a college game for about six years, but I’m excited to be around that atmosphere and give the guys the knowledge that I have, and take some knowledge from them as well. You’re never done learning,” Clare said.
Fortunately, Clare was welcomed into the program with open arms, alleviating some of his worries.
“The coaching staff has been very welcoming and made me feel at home right from the beginning. As I mentioned I already knew TR, and then Austin [Hill] kind of took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. Coach Monday has also been super welcoming, and Eddie [Hill] has been helping out a lot. He’s just a great guy to be around,” Clare said.
The biggest adjustment for Clare has been knowing when to step back at times, recognizing that the Eagles are only in fall ball, not preparing for something as serious as the minor leagues.
“I try to think back on my days playing at High Point and the experiences I had and the coaching I had, and try to bring the best out of that for them,” he said.
Currently, the Eagles are spread out for their workouts during the week, as a combination of off-season and COVID-19 regulations limit the number of athletes and the number of hours at a time.
“While I am coaching, I like to work out and stay in shape with the team. I’ll do conditioning with them in the morning, bright and early. It’s cool to be on that side of things where they know I am a coach, but I’m still out there grinding with them and having that relationship,” Clare said.
Although there are no full-team functions at the moment, the team will compete in two scrimmages in October.
“I think a great coach is someone that the players can relate to and who can relate to the players. You don’t want to show up to the field and them be like, ‘Oh man, Chris is here,’ so I hope to bring some positivity and energy,” Clare said.
Even though Clare does not have a favorite baseball team now, as a child, he favored the Yankees, looking to Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner for inspiration.
“It wasn’t necessarily the all-stars out there, but it was the guys that looked like they loved the game, played really hard, and enjoyed themselves out there,” Clare said.
Aside from professional athletes motivating him, Clare constantly thinks about a quote he discovered while a freshman in college: “Faith over fear.”
“I take that aspect to everything I do in life, whether it’s outside of baseball and having faith in God and His plan, or in baseball having faith in the amount of work I put in,” Clare said.
“I think I have the same thought going into coaching, having faith in the guys over fear that they are going to make a mistake. I have faith in everything I teach them, and hopefully, that translates to good performance on the field.”
