Henry Clarke, baseball player, 1897-1898

Henry Clarke

Born: 8/4/1875 in Bellevue, NE, USA

Died: 3/28/1950 in Colorado Springs, CO, USA

MLB Debut: 1897-06-26 | Final Game: 1898-07-05

Bats: R | Throws: R

Full name: Henry Tefft Clarke

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Biography

Henry Clarke was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1897 to 1906, although his major league tenure was brief, lasting just over a year from June 26, 1897, to July 5, 1898. Born in 1875, Clarke played during a transitional period in baseball characterized by the tail end of the deadball era, a time when pitching dominated the game and low-scoring contests were the norm. Despite his limited record, Clarke made his mark in the sport, finishing with a win-loss record of 1-4 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.99. Clarke's playing style reflected the typical approach of pitchers of his time, relying on accuracy and strategy rather than the overpowering velocity that would later characterize the position. Throughout his career, he recorded a total of 4 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to navigate challenging lineups, albeit without the luxury of saves, as he did not register any during his time in the majors. While his career statistics may not stand out in the annals of baseball history, Clarke remains a part of the rich tapestry of the game’s early years, contributing to the development of the pitcher’s role in a rapidly evolving sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 4 6 5 4 0 0 39.7 40 22 4 17 4 4.99 0

Career ERA 4.99 vs. league average 3.92 across their career seasons — 27.2% worse than 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
1897 CL4 NL 0 4 5 4 3 0 0 30.7 32 20 12 3 5.87 4.30 (-36%) -1529.2
1898 CHC NL 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 8 2 5 1 2.00 3.59 (+44%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
9 29 3 8 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 0.276 0.344 0.276 0.620 0.0

Career AVG .276 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .344 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .276 vs. league average .366 across their career seasons — 24.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.620 vs. league average 0.710 across their career seasons — 12.7% 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
1897 CL4 NL 7 25 3 7 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0.280 — — — — 0.0
1898 CHC NL 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 3 0 3 0 2 0
P 6 0 0 6 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1897 CL4 OF 2 0 3 0 2 0
1897 CL4 P 5 0 0 5 2 0
1898 CHN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1898 CHN P 1 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 6
Center Field 1
Right Field 2

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Chicago Chicago IL 1895, 1896, 1897
Williams College Williamstown MA 1894