Harlond Clift
In 12 seasons, Harlond Clift played for a winning team just twice. The All-Star third baseman suffered with the Browns and Senators, and was traded the year before St. Louis finally won their first pennant. Blessed with power and a keen batting eye, Clift belted 20 or more homers four times and walked 100 times or more on six occasions. He scored 90 runs or more in each of his first nine seasons and set a single-season mark for homers by a third baseman twice.
Played For
St. Louis Browns (1934-1943)
Washington Senators (1943-1945)
All-Time Rankings
Harlond Clift ranks #35 among the Top 50 all-time at 3B. Rankings ⇒
Factoids
Harlond Clift's 309 career double plays are the most by a third basemen.
Where He Played
Clift was the best defensive third baseman in the American League in the 1930s. In 1937, his 50 double plays and 405 assists established records that were unsurpassed for 34 years, and his 637 total chances that season are still the second most since 1900.
Born
Harlond Benton Clift was born on August 12, 1912, in ElReno, OK.
Died
April 27, 1992, Yakima, WA
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 3B
Primary Team: SLA
Major League Debut
April 17, 1934
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1934
Phil Cavarretta
Rudy York
Harlond Clift
Augie Galan
Frank McCormick
Frenchy Bordagaray
Zeke Bonura
Al Benton
Denny Galehouse
Nicknames
Darkie
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
After his trade to the Senators in August of 1943, Clift suffered from an unidentified illness that held him to just eight games. He did not report to the team until July in 1944, after he suffered an injury to his right shoulder when he fell from a horse at his cattle ranch in Yakima, WA. When he did return (after having voluntarily retired) he hit just .159 and was replaced in the lineup after just a few weeks. The Sporting News reported in August that he was contemplating retirement due to the shoulder and a "failure to regain his batting eye." Clift couldn't decide if he wanted to play in 1945, but finally reported in late March and was in the lineup to start the season. After an early show of his old power stroke, Clift nosedived and his batting average was floating around .200 when he was benched in August. He was used sparingly the remainder of the year and retired at the end of the '45 season.
Hitting Streaks
20 games (1937)
Transactions
August 18, 1943: Traded by the St. Louis Browns with Johnny Niggeling to the Washington Senators for Ellis Clary, Ox Miller, and cash.
February 9, 1946: Released by the Washington Senators.
At one point in the early 1940s, the Browns offered Clift to the Indians in a straight-up deal of third basemen for Ken Keltner. Cleveland GM Alva Bradley was so insulted that it strained the relationship between the two teams for a few seasons.
All-Star Selections
1937 AL
Replaced
Art Scharein
Replaced By
Hillis Layne in 1945, and Cecil Travis the next season.
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting for power
Largest Weakness as a Player
He was a mediocre basestealer.
Learn More about Harlond Clift
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