COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Baseball comes to life in Omaha each June. Across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, baseball is bigger than a game. It's a brotherhood. It's also a reflection of a years-long commitment by Spence Clemens.
"He does anything and everything we ask him to and he does it with a positive attitude and he just loves the camaraderie of being around the team," Thomas Jefferson High School Head Baseball Coach Tom Giles explained.
Clemens has been the team's manager for 14 seasons, including when Matt Raes was in high school. With his playing days behind him, Raes is now an Iowa State Trooper. He and Clemens have remained close.
"Little did I know when I met Spence, I would be a lifelong friend," Raes shared.
Clemens' lasting impact is symbolic of how he connects with players in real-time. Senior Tyler Huey says his encouragement keeps the team "locked in."
"He's always just telling us to be loud. He can whisper it. He can yell it. Always during games — smacking the inside of the dugout telling us (to) get loud," Huey said.
Coach Giles described how Clemens sets the tone — and ultimately — a standard for the Jackets.
"People don't cherish his role. It's like, he doesn't get all the credit. The players get the credit. The coaches get the credit. I don't know what we would do without Spence because he's a huge part of everything," said Giles.
In addition to baseball, Clemens is the manager for the basketball team — going on nine seasons.
"(Spence) is a one-of-a-kind guy," Raes said. "Hard to forget."
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