Mel Clark
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951-1957)
Mel Clark was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1957 for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 7 seasons. In 215 career games, he hit .277 with 182 hits, 3 home runs, and 63 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 5/1/2014 in West Columbia, WV, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-09-11
- Last Game
- 1957-05-01
Full name: Melvin Earl Clark
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215 | 656 | 82 | 182 | 29 | 15 | 3 | 63 | 3 | 37 | 61 | .277 | .318 | .381 | .699 | -173 |
Career AVG .277 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +7.1% above league average.
Career OBP .318 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .381 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .699 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | PHI | NL | 10 | 31 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .323 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | PHI | NL | 47 | 155 | 20 | 52 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 13 | .335 | .252 (+33%) | .326 (+11%) | .369 (+20%) | .696 (+16%) | 365.7 |
| 1953 | PHI | NL | 60 | 198 | 31 | 59 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 17 | .298 | .264 (+13%) | .335 (+1%) | .397 (-2%) | .733 (-1%) | -61.9 |
| 1954 | PHI | NL | 83 | 233 | 26 | 56 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 17 | 21 | .240 | .261 (-8%) | .333 (-13%) | .390 (-10%) | .723 (-11%) | -477.3 |
| 1955 | PHI | NL | 10 | 32 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .156 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 215 | 656 | 82 | 182 | 29 | 15 | 3 | 63 | 3 | 37 | 61 | .277 | — | — | — | — | -173 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (214 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 114 | 331 | 40 | 86 | 0 | 28 | .260 |
| Away | 100 | 325 | 43 | 96 | 3 | 35 | .295 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-05-01 | DET | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-04-27 | DET | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-04-22 | DET | KC1 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-04-18 | DET | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-04-17 | DET | KC1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955-05-10 | PHI | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955-05-08 | PHI | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955-05-04 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955-04-30 | PHI | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955-04-24 | PHI | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 36 |
| Right Field | 134 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio University | Athens | OH | 1947 |
Mel Clark: the record in brief
Mel Clark's major league career runs from a debut on September 11, 1951 to a final game on May 1, 1957. The season rows list, in order, the Philadelphia Phillies (1951 to 1955) and the Detroit Tigers (1957). Clark, an outfielder by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds. Clark was born on July 7, 1924, in Letart, WV, USA. Clark's death is recorded on May 1, 2014, in West Columbia, WV, USA. Clark's full given name, per the bio, is Melvin Earl Clark.
Across 215 games at the plate, Clark's career line reads 182 hits in 656 at bats for a .277 average, along with 3 homers and 63 RBI. The on-base percentage is .318 and the slugging percentage .381, for an OPS of .699. The league as a whole hit .259 across Clark's seasons, which puts the .277 career mark 7.1% above average. 1953 produced Clark's most hits, 59 of them for the Philadelphia Phillies. The RBI column peaks at 24 in 1954. 1952 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .335 against a league .252, a 33% edge.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mel Clark
- What years did Mel Clark play?
- Mel Clark played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1957.
- Was Mel Clark a pitcher?
- No. Mel Clark was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Mel Clark hit?
- Mel Clark hit 3 career home runs with 182 hits.
- What teams did Mel Clark play for?
- Mel Clark played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1951–1955) and the Detroit Tigers (1957).
- What were Mel Clark's career stats?
- In 215 games, Mel Clark had 182 hits, 3 home runs, 63 RBI, 82 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .277 batting average.
- What position did Mel Clark play?
- Mel Clark played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Mel Clark and how much did he weigh?
- Mel Clark was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Mel Clark hit each season?
- Mel Clark's home runs by season: 1 in 1951, 1 in 1952, 0 in 1953, 1 in 1954, 0 in 1955, and 0 in 1957. His most in one season was 1, in 1951, 1952, and 1954.
- What was Mel Clark's career batting average?
- Mel Clark batted .277 over his career, with 182 hits in 656 at bats.
- How many RBI did Mel Clark have?
- Mel Clark drove in 63 runs in his career.
- Is Mel Clark in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mel Clark has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.