Horace Clarke
From BR Bullpen
Horace Meredith Clarke
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 178 lb.
- Debut May 13, 1965
- Final Game September 15, 1974
- Born June 2, 1940 in Frederiksted, V.I.
[edit] Biographical Information
The late 1960s and early 1970s are often referred to derisively as the "Horace Clarke Era" for the New York Yankees. Horace was a leadoff man. He played all through the eclipse of baseball's greatest franchise. So, mainly for worse the light-hitting second baseman became the scapegoat.
In 1968, the Year of the Pitcher, Clarke had a staggering nine extra-base hits in 579 at-bats. He was at best a "pesky" hitter -- in 1970 Horace broke up three no-hitters in the 9th inning - by Joe Niekro, Sonny Siebert, and Jim Rooker. He had speed and good range (although he was criticized for holding the ball on double plays).
It was Clarke who was to have batted with 2 out in the top of the 9th and the Yanks trailing the Washington Senators 7-5 when the fans at RFK Stadium stormed the field and caused the forfeiture of the final game the expansion Senators played in Washington, DC.
Horace Clarke was the fifth man from the Virgin Islands to play major-league baseball. After he retired, he became a government-paid instructor in the local baseball programs on St. Croix, partnering with Elmo Plaskett. Their star pupils were Jerry Browne and Midre Cummings.
