Tyler Clippard - Amateur Career

Amateur Career

Clippard was born in Lexington, Kentucky. His family moved to Florida when he was a toddler. Clippard played baseball in Little League; in eleven years, he won seven district titles, but was never able to reach the Little League World Series. He learned to pitch when he was eight years old. In 2001, he was a member of the Palm Harbor team that won the Senior League World Series.

Clippard began his high school career at Palm Harbor University High School in Palm Harbor, Florida. After failing to make the varsity baseball team in his first two seasons, he transferred to J. W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, where he played for the school's baseball team. As a junior, in 2002, he won six games. He was named to the All-Conference first team.

In 2003, his senior season, Clippard had a 1–1 record with an 0.81 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 17 1⁄₃ innings pitched. However, he was dismissed from the school's baseball team after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Clippard transferred to Dunedin High School in Dunedin, Florida, which had a nationally ranked baseball team. Clippard attempted to play for their team, but the move was blocked by the Florida High School Athletic Association, as players are not allowed to transfer during the course of a season, nor are they allowed to transfer to avoid sanctions given for disciplinary reasons. After taking classes at Dunedin for a month, Clippard transferred back to Mitchell in order to graduate from high school with his friends.

Clippard competed for the Central Florida Renegades in Connie Mack Baseball, an amateur 18-and-under competition organized by the American Amateur Baseball Congress. He earned pitcher of the week honors in the Florida State Elite Baseball League in June 2003.

Clippard also played golf at Mitchell. As a sophomore, in 2001, Clippard was named one of the ten best golfers in Pasco County. He registered the best individual score in the Sunshine Athletic Conference tournament that year. He was named to the All-Conference first team as a junior and to the All-County as a senior, and helped lead Mitchell to victory in the Sunshine Athletic Conference tournament during his senior year.