Fred Clarke
Fred Clarke | |
---|---|
Outfielder / Manager | |
Born: October 3, 1872 Winterset, Iowa, U.S. | |
Died: August 14, 1960 Winfield, Kansas, U.S. | (aged 87)|
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 30, 1894, for the Louisville Colonels | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 23, 1915, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .312 |
Hits | 2,672 |
Home runs | 67 |
Runs batted in | 1,015 |
Stolen bases | 506 |
Managerial record | 1,602–1,181 |
Winning % | .576 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 1945 |
Election method | Old-Timers Committee |
Fred Clifford Clarke (October 3, 1872 – August 14, 1960) was an American Major League Baseball player from 1894 to 1915 and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.
Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise history, Clarke was the
Early life and career
Fred Clarke was born on a farm near
Clarke was discovered in the
Pittsburgh
In 1900, Clarke joined the
In the 1909 World Series, Clarke batted only .211 but hit both of Pittsburgh's home runs and had more home runs and RBI than any player on either team. Clarke also set a record for most walks for one player in a World Series game with four in Game 7.
On August 23, 1910, Clarke recorded four assists from the outfield in one game, tying a Major League record. The following season, his last as a regular player, 38-year-old Clarke made 10 putouts in left field in one game on April 25, 1911.[1][3] Clarke played just 12 more games after 1911, the last three as the oldest active player in the majors.
Clarke finished his career with a .312 batting average and is seventh on the all-time triples list with 220.[7] He led his team to four National League pennants (1901, 1902, 1903 and 1909) and one World Series championship (1909). The 1902 Pirates lost only 36 games under Clarke's guidance, tying a modern-era record. In 1912, Clarke passed Cap Anson and Frank Selee, giving him the Major League record for wins by a manager. Clarke's record, in turn, was broken by John McGraw in 1918. In addition to the four pennants and one World Series, Clarke managed Pittsburgh to five second-place seasons, three third-place seasons, and two 100-win seasons.
After his playing days
After his managing days ended in 1915, Clarke returned to his "Little Pirate Ranch" near Winfield, Kansas, which he had purchased with a down payment during his first year in the majors.[1] He made a considerable fortune when oil was discovered on his property. In 1924, he bought a minority stake in the Pirates and was named the team's vice president. He was also allowed to sit in the dugout during games, making him manager Bill McKechnie's bench coach in all but name. The Pirates won the World Series the following year.[8][3]
During the 1926 season, several players felt that Clarke was trying to undermine McKechnie and become manager once again. When slumping veteran (and eventual Hall of Famer) Max Carey got word that Clarke tried to pressure McKechnie into benching him, Carey demanded that Clarke be removed from the bench. He was supported by Babe Adams, the only player on the 1909 world champions still on the team, as well as another veteran, Carson Bigbee. McKechnie initially appeared to side with Carey, Adams and Bigbee, but was forced to recant rather than risk appearing to criticize the front office. A resolution calling for Clarke's removal from the bench only garnered the support of three other players. Ownership struck fast and hard; on August 13, the Pirates released Adams and Bigbee, and waived Carey. They finished 84–69, third in the league behind the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds, and McKechnie lost his job.[8]
Fred Clarke was selected to the
Hall of Fame voting
Year | Votes | Percent | |
---|---|---|---|
1936 | BBWAA | 1 | 0.4% |
Veterans | 9 | ||
1937 | 22 | 10.9% | |
1938 | 63 | 24.0% | |
1939 | 59 | 21.5% | |
1942 | 58 | 24.9% | |
1945 | BBWAA | 53 | 21.5% |
Old-Timers | Unanimous |
Managerial record
Team | From | To | Regular season record | Post–season record | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | L | Win % | G | W | L | Win % | |||
Louisville Colonels | 1897 | 1899 | 392 | 180 | 212 | .459 | — | |||
Pittsburgh Pirates | 1900 | 1915 | 2391 | 1422 | 969 | .595 | 15 | 7 | 8 | .467 |
Total | 2783 | 1602 | 1181 | .576 | 15 | 7 | 8 | .467 | ||
Ref.:[10] |
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball player-managers
- List of Major League Baseball managers by wins
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
References
- ^ Des Moines Register. Archived from the originalon 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
- ^ a b Baseball Digest, 1948, by Bill Bryson of The Des Moines Register.
- ^ a b c d Eckhouse, Morris A. "Fred Clarke". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
- ^ Fred Clarke Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- ISBN 0-312-32222-4.
- ^ Kavanagh, Jack. "Chick Fraser". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
- ^ "Career Leaders for Triples". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
- ^ a b James, Bill (1997). The Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers. Diversion Books.
- Des Moines Register. Archived from the originalon 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
- ^ "Fred Clarke". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
External links
- Fred Clarke at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Fred Clarke managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- Fred Clarke at Find a Grave