Dad Clarke

Born: 1/7/1865 in Oswego, NY, USA

Died: 6/3/1911 in Lorain, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1888-04-23 | Final Game: 1898-10-15

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: William H. Clarke

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Biography

Dad Clarke was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the Major Leagues from 1888 to 1898. Born in 1865, he made his debut during a time when baseball was transitioning from the late 19th century's deadball era into a more modern style of play. Throughout his career, Clarke accumulated a win-loss record of 44-51, showcasing his competitive spirit on the mound. He finished his career with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.16, a notable figure for pitchers of his time, which reflected the evolving offensive strategies in baseball. Clarke was known for his ability to strike out batters, totaling 175 strikeouts over his career, and he also contributed to his teams with three saves. His playing style emphasized pitching durability and adaptability, qualities essential for success during an era characterized by rapidly changing rules and the increasing popularity of the game. Although he may not have achieved the fame of some contemporaries, Dad Clarke's contributions to the sport during its formative years helped lay the groundwork for future generations of pitchers.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
44	51	121	92	77	2	3	850.3	1063	393	24	191	175	4.16	0

Career ERA 4.16 vs. league average 4.02 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1888	CHC	NL	1	0	2	2	1	0	0	16.0	23	9	6	6	5.06	2.95 (-72%)	-
1891	CL6	AA	1	2	5	3	2	0	0	23.0	32	16	16	3	6.26	3.52 (-78%)	-554.4
1894	NY1	NL	3	4	15	6	5	0	1	84.0	114	46	26	15	4.93	5.33 (+7%)	789.5
1895	NY1	NL	18	15	37	30	27	1	1	281.7	336	106	60	67	3.39	4.77 (+29%)	5109.2
1896	NY1	NL	17	24	48	40	33	1	1	351.0	431	166	60	66	4.26	4.36 (+2%)	4769.9
1897	NY1	NL	2	1	6	4	2	0	0	31.0	43	21	11	10	6.10	4.30 (-42%)	-35.1
1897	LS3	NL	2	4	7	6	6	0	0	54.7	74	24	10	7	3.95	4.30 (+8%)	-178.0
1898	LS3	NL	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	9.0	10	5	2	1	5.00	3.59 (-39%)	0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
123	360	41	78	5	4	1	28	1	28	50	0.217	0.277	0.261	0.538	-1455.7

Career AVG .217 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — 21.4% below league average.

Career OBP .277 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 18.8% below league average.

Career SLG .261 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — 29.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.538 vs. league average 0.711 across their career seasons — 24.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1888	CHC	NL	2	7	4	2	0	1	1	2	0	1	2	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1891	CL6	AA	5	10	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	5	0.100	—	—	—	—	0.0
1894	NY1	NL	16	37	4	8	2	1	0	3	1	4	4	0.216	—	—	—	—	0.0
1895	NY1	NL	37	121	16	29	2	1	0	10	0	8	15	0.240	.296 (-19%)	.361 (-19%)	.399 (-32%)	.761 (-26%)	-559.7
1896	NY1	NL	49	147	11	30	0	1	0	10	0	12	19	0.204	.290 (-30%)	.354 (-24%)	.387 (-44%)	.741 (-34%)	-896.0
1897	NY1	NL	6	13	4	3	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0.231	—	—	—	—	0.0
1897	LS3	NL	7	22	0	5	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	0.227	—	—	—	—	0.0
1898	LS3	NL	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0