Fred Clarke
The history of Pittsburgh baseball would not be the same without Fred Clarke. When the National League paired down to eight teams in 1900, Clarke led his best players from Louisville to Steeltown, setting the foundation for a decade of success in Pittsburgh. He managed the Bucs to the first three modern NL pennants, four pennants in all, and finished second five times. He was no slouch as a player either, earning Hall of Fame election due to his batting (career .312), baserunning (506 steals), and tremendous throwing arm. He batted in front of Honus Wagner, forming one of the most feared duos in baseball in the early 20th century.
Played For
Louisville Colonels (1894-1899)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-1915)
Managed
Louisville Colonels (1897-1899)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-1915)
All-Time Rankings
Fred Clarke ranks #18 among the Top 50 all-time at LF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1903
Despite missing time due to injuries, Clarke led the National League in slugging (.532), and OPS (.946) in 1903, as he led the Pirates to the first modern World Series. He also paced the league in doubles (32), and finished second to teammate Honus Wagner in the batting race (.351). Another season of note for Clarke include 1897 when he batted .390 (losing the crown to Willie Keeler) and finished in the top five in OBP, SLG, OPS, hits, and total bases.
Description
Fred Clarke was one of those people who were born without the ability to kiss anyone's ass. He would tell you exactly what he thought, even if you didn't ask. As a result of that character trait, Clarke had more than his share of run-ins with teammates and opposing players. As a manager, he especially had little patience with pitchers who couldn't get the ball over the plate.
Where He Played
Left field (more than 2,100 games).
As a Manager
Clarke won more games (1,602), managed more games (2,829), and has the highest winning percentage (.576) of any Pirate manager.
Born
Fred Clifford Clarke was born on October 3, 1872, in Winterset, IA.
Died
August 14, 1960, Winfield, KS
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: PIT
Major League Debut
June 30, 1894
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1894
Coming soon...
Nicknames
Cap
Similar Players
Roberto Clemente
Related Players
Honus Wagner, Deacon Phillippe, Tommy Leach, Claude Ritchey, Max Carey
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1936 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1936 |
Veterans |
9 |
% |
1937 |
BBWAA |
22 |
10.9% |
1938 |
BBWAA |
63 |
24.0% |
1939 |
BBWAA |
59 |
21.5% |
1942 |
BBWAA |
58 |
24.9% |
1945 |
BBWAA |
53 |
21.5% |
1945 |
Old Timers |
|
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1903 World Series
1909 World Series
Milestones
Had Clarke played 20 years later, during the offensive boom of the 1920s and 1930s, he most assuredly would have reached 3,000 hits. He collected 2,672 during his career, spent primarily in the dead ball era.
Batting Feats
- July 23, 1901: Cycle...
- May 7, 1903: Cycle...
Notes
According to research done by SABR member Maria Vaccaro, Fred Clarke wore "smoked glasses hinged to bill of cap" in 1911 or about that time. It would be one of the earliest documented cases of a player using "flip-down" sunglasses on the field in the majors.
Hitting Streaks
35 games (1895)
Replaced
As a rookie in 1894 with Louisville, 21-year old Clarke replaced Larry Twitchell in left field.
Replaced By
21-year old Max Carey worked his way into left field in 1911 part-time, and by 1912 full-time. Carey went on to a Hall of Fame career, giving the Pirates a Hall of Famer in left field for more than 20 years in a row. Later, Clarke was instrumental in getting rid of Carey, with whom he had several disagreements with.
Best Strength as a Player
The measure of a power-hitter in Clarke's day was the number of triples he hit. Clarke clubbed 220 and finished in the top ten in that category 11 times. He was a very good hitter with power.
Largest Weakness as a Player
He was somewhat injury-prone.
Learn More about Fred Clarke
Search Amazon.com for Books about Fred Clarke ⇒
Search for Fred Clarke at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
