Phil Clark (clarkph01)
From BR Bullpen
Philip James Clark
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
[edit] Biographical Information
Before the 1951 season the St. Louis Cardinals signed Phil Clark an 18 year old righthander as an amateur free agent. He was assigned to the class D Albany Cardinals, his home town, and proceeded to win 18 and lose only 7 with a 2.96 ERA.
After almost two years (1952-53) in the Military Service during the Korean War he returned to the Albany team in time to get in a few outings in 1953 and went 1-3 in this short time. Phil would spend the next four years in the minors, becoming the bullpen ace for the Houston Buffaloes in 1957 with a 16-6 record and a 1.83 ERA in 63 games.
Phil would get his chance with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958 and 1959, but made it into only seven contests both years and lost his only two decisions. During 1958 while in the minors, he went 10-6 for the Omaha Cardinals, he was on the same staff with Bob Gibson (3-4) and Bob Blaylock who led the American Association in strikeouts with 193.
Clark would continue in baseball through 1961 finishing his ten year career with the Omaha Dodgers and the Macon Peaches. His minor league stats show that he appeared in 355 games, winning 77 and losing 56 with a 3.27 ERA.
In major league pitcher turned author Jim Brosnan's 1961 best selling book The Long Season, Phil was featured prominately as Brosnan's roommate and friend while the two were with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Phil left baseball in 1961 to pursue a degree in education at the University of Georgia and is now retired after thirty years as a high school teacher in Albany, GA.
[edit] Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page
