Josh Clarke
From BR Bullpen
Joshua Baldwin Clarke (Pepper)
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 180 lb.
- Debut June 15, 1898
- Final Game May 23, 1911
- Born March 8, 1879 in Winfield, KS USA
- Died July 2, 1962 in Ventura, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Josh Clarke played 5 seasons in the big leagues, spread out from 1898 to 1911. He never was in the majors for two seasons in a row.
However, he was an above average hitter who had most of his at-bats during the dead-ball era. When he played for the 1905 St. Louis Cardinals, he hit .257 on a team that hit .248. Although he appeared in only 50 games, he was third on the team in home runs.
In 1908, with the 1908 Cleveland Naps, he hit .242 on a team that hit .239, and he had by far the most walks on the team although his power was below average. He also added 37 stolen bases.
In 1911, with the 1911 Boston Rustlers of the National League, his batting average was below average but he made up for it with an on-base percentage and a slugging percentage that were above the team averages.
He spent most of his career as a left fielder, where his defensive stats were average.
Transaction information shows that when he came to the big leagues or left them, he was usually coming from or going to the American Association. He played for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1905-07, and also played for St. Paul and Columbus.
The brother of Hall of Famer Fred Clarke, Josh made his major league debut at age 19 with the Louisville Colonels when Fred Clarke was a young player-manager there. However, while Fred went on to manage for many years, Josh was only on the team that one time. When Josh was a rookie, it was Honus Wagner's second season.
