John Gibson Clarkson (July 1, 1861 – February 4, 1909) was a

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

right-handed

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, Clarkson played for the

Worcester Ruby Legs The Worcester Worcesters were a 19th-century Major League Baseball team from 1880 to 1882 in the National League. The team is referred to, at times, as the Brown Stockings or the Ruby Legs; however, no contemporary sources from the time exist th ...

(1882), Chicago White Stockings (1884–1887),

Boston Beaneaters Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

(1888–1892), and

Cleveland Spiders The Cleveland Spiders were an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The team competed at the major league level from 1887 to 1899, first for two seasons as a member of the now-defunct American Association (AA), followe ...

(1892–1894). He was elected to the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

in 1963.

Career overview

Clarkson compiled a career 328–178 record, placing him twelfth on the MLB list of all-time wins. Clarkson pitched over 600 innings in a season twice and won a career-high 53 games in 1885. In MLB history, only

Charles Radbourn Charles Gardner Radbourn (December 11, 1854 – February 5, 1897), nicknamed "Old Hoss", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for Buffalo (1880), Providence (1881–1885), ...

has won more games in a single season (59 in 1884). In just five seasons from 1885 to 1889, Clarkson won 209 games. Clarkson had a wide variety of curve balls and was considered to be a calculating, scientific pitcher who carefully analyzed every hitter's weaknesses. Hall of Fame hitter

Sam Thompson Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...

said of Clarkson: "I faced him in scores of games and I can truthfully say that never in all that time did I get a pitch that came where I expected it or in the way in which I guessed it was coming."National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Hall of Famer detail
at www.baseballhalloffame.org At the time Clarkson retired from the game, he was the winningest pitcher in National League history. Aside from being a great pitcher, Clarkson was also a fair hitter. His 24 career home runs ranks 7th on the

List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers In baseball, a home run (HR) is typically a fair hit that passes over an outfield fence or into the stands at a distance from home plate of 250 feet or more, which entitles the batter to legally touch all bases and score without liability.Offici ...

. He also had 232 career RBIs and 254 runs scored. Total Baseball ranked Clarkson as the fourth best pitcher of all time behind Hall of Famers Cy Young, Christy Mathewson and Lefty Grove,Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Players: John Clarkson
at www.19cbaseball.com though

Bill James George William James (born October 5, 1949) is an American baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics. ...

ranks him lower at number 42 in his '' The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract''. Clarkson's election to the

in 1963 was by the Veterans Committee.

Early years

Born in

, Clarkson was one of five sons of a prosperous jeweler. Clarkson had two brothers who were also major league pitchers:

Dad Clarkson Arthur Hamilton "Dad" Clarkson (August 31, 1866 – February 5, 1911) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1896. He played for the New York Giants, Boston Beaneaters, St. Louis Browns, and Baltimore Orioles. Biography Clarkson was ...

and Walter Clarkson. The three Clarkson brothers rank third in wins by brothers behind the Niekro and Perry brothers. The Clarkson's also had two maternal cousins, Walter Hackett and Mortimer "Mert" Hackett who played professional baseball. After attending business school and playing semipro ball, Clarkson signed as a free agent with

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

of the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

in 1882. Clarkson played his first major league game at age 20 on May 2, 1882. He played in three games for the Ruby Legs, finishing with a 1–2 record in 24 innings. The Worcester team folded after the 1882 season, and Clarkson pitched in the minors the following two years.

Chicago White Stockings (1884–1887)

Chicago manager

Cap Anson Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 ...

saw Clarkson pitching for

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

in the Northwest League in 1884. On August 24, 1884, the White Stockings purchased him from Saginaw. The White Stockings finished in fifth place in 1884, but Clarkson put in a strong performance, going 10–3 in 13 starts after being acquired from Saginaw. His .769 win percentage was the second best in the league, and his 2.14 ERA was sixth best. Clarkson was known to be extremely sensitive to criticism. Shortly after his death in 1909, former Chicago player/manager

noted that "not many know what amount of encouragement it took to keep him going." Anson recalled: "Scold him, find fault with him, and he would not pitch at all. Say to him after a game: 'Grand work, John, I will probably use you again tomorrow, for we've got to have that game,' and he would go out the next day and stand all batters on their heads.'" Alfred H. Spink, ''The National Game'' (1910), ''quoted in'' Bill James, '' The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' (2001), p. 873.

A 53-win season in 1885

In 1885, Clarkson became Chicago's principal starting pitcher. In a remarkable feat of durability, Clarkson appeared in 70 games that year, pitched 623 innings and threw 68 complete games. He also won 53 games with an ERA of 1.85 (

Adjusted ERA+ Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...

of 165). On July 27, 1885, he pitched the only no-hitter of his career with a 4–0 win over the Providence Grays. His 50th win of the season occurred on September 19, 1885, a 10–3 victory over Boston. The White Stockings won the 1885 National League pennant with 83 wins, 53 of which came from Clarkson. Clarkson started three games in the

1885 World Series The 1885 World Series (the "World's Championship") was an end-of-the-year playoff series between the National League champion Chicago White Stockings and American Association champion St. Louis Browns. The Series was played in four cities ( Chic ...

against the St. Louis Browns, with a record of 1–1 and an ERA of 1.12, allowing only two earned runs in 16 innings. Clarkson's performance in 1885 led the National League in wins (53) and strikeouts (308) and ranks as one of the most remarkable in major league history. * His 53 wins is the second highest single season total in MLB history. * His 68 complete games is the seventh highest single season total in MLB history. * His 70 games started is the eighth most in MLB history. * His 632 innings pitched is the eighth most in MLB history.

A 36-win season in 1886

In 1886, Clarkson shared the pitching load with Jim McCormick and Jocko Flynn, each of whom won at least 23 games and pitched over 250 innings. Clarkson had a record of 36–17, with 50 complete games and an ERA of 2.41 (

of 150) in innings pitched. He also led the league with a career-high 313 strikeouts. On August 8, 1886, Clarkson struck out a team-record 16 batters against Kansas City. The 1886 White Stockings finished with a record of 90–34 with a winning percentage of .726 that ranks as one of the highest in baseball history. After winning the National League pennant by games over the

Detroit Wolverines The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th-century Major League Baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant (and winning the p ...

, the White Stockings faced the St. Louis Browns in the World Series for the second consecutive year. Clarkson pitched four games (three of which were complete games) in the

1886 World Series The 1886 World Series was won by the St. Louis Browns (later the Cardinals) of the American Association over the Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs) of the National League, four games to two. The series was played on six consecutive days ru ...

. He had a record of 2–2 with 28 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.04 in 31 innings pitched. The sixth game, at St. Louis, was considered one of the greatest games ever played to that time. With the Browns ahead three games to two, Anson called on Clarkson to start his fourth game in six days. Clarkson responded with seven shutout innings, but gave up three runs in the eighth inning, and the game went to extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Browns' center fielder

Curt Welch Curtis Benton Welch (February 10, 1862 – August 29, 1896) was a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Toledo Blue Stockings, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Louisville Colonels. Career ...

singled (only the fourth hit off Clarkson) and moved to third on a sacrifice. Welch and Browns’ third base coach

Arlie Latham Walter Arlington Latham (March 15, 1860 – November 29, 1952) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from through for the Buffalo Bisons, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and ...

tried to distract Clarkson with heckling and faking moves toward home. When Welch finally attempted the steal, Chicago's catcher,

King Kelly Michael Joseph "King" Kelly (December 31, 1857 – November 8, 1894), also commonly known as "$10,000 Kelly", was an American outfielder, catcher, and manager in various professional American baseball leagues including the National League, Inter ...

, had called for a pitchout, but Clarkson threw a wild pitch, and Welch scored the World Series winning run.

A 38-win season in 1887

In 1887, Clarkson was 38–21 for Chicago with 56 complete games and a 3.08 ERA. However,

was sold to Boston before the season began, and the team began a decline, dropping to third place in 1887. Clarkson, always a touchy temperament, reportedly became more difficult to handle after Kelly's departure.

Boston Beaneaters (1888–1892)

A 33-win season in 1888

On April 3, 1888, the White Stockings sold Clarkson to the

for $10,000—a huge sum at the time. Clarkson followed teammate

, who had been sold from Chicago to Boston the previous year. Boston had paid $10,000 apiece for Kelly and Clarkson, and they became known as the "$20,000 Battery." Clarkson pitched five great seasons for Boston. He was 33–20 in 1888, starting 54 games and pitching 53 complete games with an ERA of 2.76.

A 49-win season in 1889

The 1889 season was Clarkson's best for Boston. He started a career-high 72 games and had an astounding record of 49–19 with 68 complete games, 284 strikeouts, and a 2.73 ERA in 620 innings pitched. While Clarkson's 1889 numbers are comparable to those he posted in 1885, the game and distance to the plate had changed, and no other pitcher pitched nearly as many games or innings as Clarkson in 1889. As a measure of his dominance, Clarkson's 49 wins were 11 more than any other pitcher; his 620 innings were 200 more than any other pitcher; and his 68 complete games were 22 more than any other pitcher. He also had twice as many shutouts as the next best pitcher. He was only the fourth pitcher to win the pitching Triple Crown, by leading the National League in wins, ERA and strikeouts. On June 4, 1889, Clarkson became the first pitcher in major league history to throw an

immaculate inning In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the minimum possible number of pitche ...

, striking out all three batters on a total of nine pitches in the third inning of a 4–2 win over the Philadelphia Quakers.

Later years in Boston

Clarkson became involved in the players' rebellion in 1890, but then opted to remain with the Beaneaters. In 1891, Clarkson helped lead the Beaneaters to the National League pennant. Clarkson led the team with a 33–19 record, 47 complete games, and innings pitched. During a game that carried into the dusk hours, Clarkson once pitched a lemon to the plate to persuade the umpire,

Jack Kerins Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name ...

to call the game due to darkness. Kerins called the lemon a strike, and when shown by Boston's catcher that he had called a lemon a strike, Kerins finally called the game.

Cleveland Spiders (1892–1893)

On June 30, 1892, after 16 starts and an 8–6 record, Boston's new manager, Frank Selee, released Clarkson. He was signed as a free agent by the

. Clarkson went 17–10 for the remainder of the 1892 season, for a season record of 25–16. Clarkson was no longer the ace with the Spiders. The Spiders’ pitching staff included

Cy Young Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...

, who won 36 games in 1892 and 34 games in 1893. In 1893, Clarkson had the first losing record of his career, finishing 16–17 with a career-high ERA of 4.45. After the 1893 season, Clarkson went on a hunting trip with his close friend

Charlie Bennett Charles Wesley Bennett (November 21, 1854 – February 24, 1927) was an American professional baseball player from 1875 or 1876 through the 1893 season. He played 15 years in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, with the Milwaukee G ...

, who had been his catcher from 1888 to 1890. Bennett got off the train in

Wellsville, Kansas Wellsville is a city in Franklin County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,953. History Wellsville was platted in 1870. The community was named after D.L. Wells, a railroad construction engineer. ...

and when he tried to reboard, Bennett slipped and fell under the train's wheels. Bennett lost both of his legs in the accident. Clarkson witnessed the incident, and it was said to have severely affected his already unstable nature. In 1894, Clarkson pitched his final year in the major leagues, playing his last game on July 12, 1894, and finishing 8–10 in 18 starts for the Spiders.

Life after baseball

After his baseball career ended, Clarkson moved to

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Met ...

and ran a cigar store there until 1906.TheDeadballEra.com :: JOHN CLARKSON'S OBIT
at www.thedeadballera.com In either 1905 or 1906, Clarkson suffered a breakdown, was declared insane, and was committed to an insane asylum. Clarkson spent much of the next three years in mental hospitals. During a visit with family in 1909, Clarkson fell seriously ill, and was admitted to the McLean Hospital in

Belmont, Massachusetts Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It is a western suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, United States; and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town's population stood at 27,29 ...

, a well-known psychiatric clinic. He died there, of pneumonia, February 4, 1909, aged 47.

Notable Achievements

* National League pitching Triple Crown (1889) * National League ERA leader (1889) * National League wins leader (1885, 1887 and 1889) * National League winning percentage leader (1889) * National League innings pitched leader (1885 and 1887–1889) * National League strikeouts leader (1885, 1887 and 1889) * National League complete games leader (1885, 1887 and 1889) * Six 30-win seasons (1885–1889 and 1891) * Two 40-win seasons (1885 and 1889) * 53 wins in 1885 is second most in MLB history * Two seasons with 600 innings pitched (1885 and 1889) * Two 300 strikeout seasons (1885 and 1886)

Notes

External links

*
''New York Times'' Obituary for Clarkson

BaseballLibrary.com Profile

Top 100 Cubbies Site Profile of Clarkson

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarkson, John 1861 births 1909 deaths National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Massachusetts 19th-century baseball players Worcester Ruby Legs players Chicago White Stockings players Boston Beaneaters players Cleveland Spiders players National League Pitching Triple Crown winners National League ERA champions National League strikeout champions National League wins champions Sportspeople from Bay City, Michigan Deaths from pneumonia in Massachusetts East Saginaw Grays players Saginaw Greys players McLean Hospital patients