John Clarkson (1963)


Date of Birth: 7/1/1861
Date of Death: 2/4/1909
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts

John Clarkson came from a baseball family, with two brothers who also pitched in the major leagues. He started his baseball career in semi-pro ball. In 1882, he was signed to the Worchester Ruby Legs of the National League and played in just three games with them before the team folded. The following two seasons, Clarkson played in the minor leagues.

Chicago White Stockings/Cubs

The Chicago White Stockings/Cubs bought Clarkson's contract in August, 1884, and he played with the team in 14 games that season. In 1885, his first full season in the major leagues, he played in 70 games with a 53-16 record, 308 strikeouts to 97 walks, 68 complete games, 10 shutouts, and a 1.85 ERA in 623.0 innings. That season, he led the National League in wins, strikeouts, games played, innings pitched, and complete games, a feat he repeated in 1887 while still with the White Stockings. He also led the NL in shutouts that year. Clarkson had the only no hitter of his career with the White Stockings in July, 1885.

A good fielding pitcher, Clarkson led the NL in assists in 1886 with 114. He also led the league in errors with 19. In 1887, he led all NL pitchers in assists with 125 and in putouts with 34.

Boston Beaneaters/Braves

Although Clarkson pitched well with the White Stockings, they sold his contract to the Boston Beaneaters/Braves in April, 1888. In his second season with the Beaneaters (1889), Clarkson won the National League Triple Crown for pitchers, leading the National League in ERA, wins, and strikeouts. That season, he had an ERA of 2.73, a 49-19 record, and 284 strikeouts to 203 walks in 620.0 innings in 73 games. He also led the NL in games played, innings pitched, complete games (68), and shutouts (8). He pitched in 200 more innings and in 22 more games than any other major league pitcher in 1889.

While with the Beaneaters, Clarkson continued to be a good defensive pitcher. In 1889, he led NL pitchers in assists with 172 and in putouts with 36. He also made the most errors with 27. He again led NL pitchers in assists in 1891 with 114.

Cleveland Spiders

In June, 1892, the Beaneaters released Clarkson after 16 games and he signed with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League, a team that folded after the 1899 season. He continued to pitch for Cleveland through the 1894 season.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Triple Crown
  • Led the NL in wins (3 times)
  • Led the NL in strikeouts (3 times)
  • Led the NL in games played (3 times)
  • Led the NL in innings pitched (3 times)
  • Led the NL in complete games (3 times)
  • Led the NL in shutouts (2 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Clarkson in 11 seasons (1884-1894) in the major leagues include:

  • 8 seasons with over 20 wins, with a high of 53 in 1885
  • 5 seasons with over 200 strikeouts, with 308 in 1885 and 313 in 1886
  • 6 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 1.85 in 1885

Career pitching statistics for Clarkson include:

  • 531 games played
  • 4,536.1 innings pitched
  • 328-178 win-loss record
  • 1,978 strikeouts to 1,191 walks
  • 2.81 ERA

Career fielding statistics for Clarkson as a pitcher include:

  • 531 games played
  • 1,143 assists
  • 44 double plays
  • 221 putouts
  • 162 errors
  • .894 fielding percentage

Postseason statistics for Clarkson include:

  • 3 postseasons
  • 64.0 innings pitched
  • 2-5 win-loss record
  • 52 strikeouts to 18 walks
  • 2.67 ERA

Post Playing Years

Clarkson ran a cigar store in Bay City, Michigan after retiring from baseball. He had a mental breakdown in 1905 or 1906 and he spent time in a mental hospital. He died from pneumonia on February 4, 1909, at the age of 47.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - John Clarkson
ESPN - John Clarkson
Baseball Reference - John Clarkson

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