Jay Clarke | |
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Catcher | |
Born: Anderdon Township (now Amherstburg, Ontario), Canada | December 15, 1882|
Died: June 15, 1949 River Rouge, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 66)|
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 26, 1905, for the Cleveland Naps | |
Last MLB appearance | |
April 24, 1920, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .254 |
Home runs | 6 |
Runs batted in | 127 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Member of the Canadian | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 1996 |
Jay Justin "Nig" Clarke (December 15, 1882 – June 15, 1949) was a Canadian professional baseball player. A catcher, Clarke played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Naps, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. In 506 career games, Clarke recorded a batting average of .254 and accumulated 20 triples, six home runs, and 127 runs batted in (RBI).
Born in Canada and raised in Michigan, Clarke began his baseball career in 1902, when he reportedly hit eight home runs in one game while playing for the Corsicana Oil Citys of the Texas League. From there, he spent two more seasons in the minor leagues before the Cleveland Naps signed him to a contract. Aside from a loan to the Detroit Tigers, he played for the Naps for six seasons. Clarke was then traded to the St. Louis Browns, where he played for one season. After several years in the minor leagues, Clarke joined the United States Marine Corps. He returned to the major leagues and played there until 1920, then continued playing for minor league teams until 1927. Clarke then retired from the game, rejoined the Marines, and moved to River Rouge, Michigan, where he lived until his death in 1949.