Bob Clarke

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Bob Clarke was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Baltimore Black Sox. In 705 career games, he hit .217 with 462 hits, 7 home runs, and 185 RBI. Bob Clarke was an All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

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

AVG .217
HR 7
RBI 185
H 462
OPS .544
PIV -8,070
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'10" / 175 lb
Born
1/8/1903 in Richmond, VA, USA
Died
1971 in Newark, NJ, USA
Awards
All-Star

Full name: Robert Alfred Clarke

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Bob Clarke — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1115.0 1016.0 90.0 211.0 37.0 4.0 1.0 64.0 79.0 9.0 4.0 .208 .267 .255 .522

Pitching

Bob Clarke — Pitching
W L GS CG GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP
0 1 1 0 0 0 6.1 7 6 6 2 0 0 8.53 1.10

Career Batting Statistics

Bob Clarke — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
705 2,131 210 462 78 7 7 185 16 156 12 .217 .274 .270 .544 -8,070

Career AVG .217 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — 20.9% below league average.

Career OBP .274 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 19.3% below league average.

Career SLG .270 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 30.2% below league average.

Career OPS .544 vs. league average .726 across their career seasons — 25.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bob Clarke Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1923 BBS ECL 21 63 5 14 3 1 0 4 1 4 3 .222 .282 (-21%) .344 (-22%) .390 (-23%) .734 (-22%) -240.5
1925 BBS ECL 35 89 8 14 2 0 0 2 0 7 0 .157 .288 (-45%) .349 (-37%) .407 (-56%) .756 (-47%) -698.1
1926 BBS ECL 44 108 7 22 4 1 1 13 3 12 1 .204 .279 (-27%) .345 (-15%) .390 (-26%) .735 (-21%) -355.6
1927 BBS ECL 48 140 15 33 6 1 1 15 3 8 0 .236 .282 (-16%) .344 (-17%) .392 (-20%) .736 (-18%) -427.1
1928 BBS ECL 41 124 20 36 7 0 2 15 1 11 0 .290 .280 (+3%) .342 (+4%) .395 (avg) .737 (+2%) 67.9
1929 BBS ANL 72 230 34 61 11 1 0 23 2 12 0 .265 .289 (-8%) .353 (-13%) .415 (-23%) .769 (-18%) -705.2
1930 BBS IND 22 66 8 23 5 0 0 8 1 8 0 .348 .293 (+19%) .354 (+18%) .429 (-1%) .784 (+8%) 118.3
1931 BBS IND 41 128 9 23 1 1 0 6 1 6 1 .180 .276 (-35%) .338 (-36%) .388 (-48%) .726 (-42%) -868.0
1932 BBS EWL 45 144 14 29 6 0 2 21 2 14 0 .201 .275 (-27%) .335 (-19%) .391 (-27%) .726 (-23%) -532.2
1933 NBY IND 12 44 5 12 3 0 0 2 0 3 0 .273 — — — — 0.0
1934 NBY IND 22 71 6 13 4 0 1 5 0 5 0 .183 .278 (-34%) .340 (-30%) .392 (-28%) .733 (-29%) -348.1
1935 NBY IND 9 31 4 7 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 .226 — — — — 0.0
1936 NBY NN2 22 64 4 5 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 .078 .283 (-72%) .349 (-59%) .404 (-81%) .753 (-70%) -749.5
1937 NBY NN2 28 92 10 19 5 0 0 8 0 5 0 .207 .276 (-25%) .342 (-26%) .398 (-34%) .740 (-30%) -459.3
1938 NBY NN2 11 34 1 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 .147 — — — — 0.0
1939 NBY NN2 23 78 5 17 1 0 0 10 0 7 2 .218 .274 (-21%) .342 (-17%) .393 (-41%) .735 (-30%) -367.5
1940 NBY NN2 17 54 2 11 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 .204 .267 (-24%) .335 (-35%) .387 (-47%) .722 (-42%) -356.9
1941 BEG NN2 30 88 11 22 5 0 0 10 0 11 0 .250 .262 (-5%) .332 (avg) .373 (-18%) .705 (-9%) -106.8
1942 BEG NN2 35 111 8 20 1 0 0 7 1 6 4 .180 .253 (-29%) .323 (-27%) .349 (-46%) .672 (-37%) -603.3
1943 BEG NN2 43 129 12 29 4 0 0 11 0 11 0 .225 .255 (-12%) .324 (-12%) .346 (-26%) .671 (-19%) -363.4
1943 PS NN2 2 7 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .429 — — — — -363.4
1944 BEG NN2 16 55 8 16 4 1 0 8 0 3 0 .291 .261 (+11%) .325 (+1%) .357 (+12%) .683 (+6%) 36.5
1945 BEG NN2 19 56 1 9 0 0 0 3 1 6 0 .161 .260 (-38%) .328 (-26%) .354 (-55%) .683 (-41%) -338.1
1946 BEG NN2 46 124 11 19 5 0 0 8 0 9 0 .153 .256 (-40%) .328 (-34%) .358 (-46%) .687 (-40%) -773.1
1948 NBY NN2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 25 seasons 705 2,131 210 462 78 7 7 185 16 156 12 .217 — — — — -8,433

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.

Career Pitching Statistics

Bob Clarke — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 0 3 1 0 0 0 12.1 10 6 0 3 8 4.38 0.0

Career ERA 4.38 vs. league average 4.10 across their career seasons — 6.8% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bob Clarke — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1923 BBS ECL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3.2 5 5 2 2 12.27 — 0.0
1938 NBY NN2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.2 1 0 0 2 0.00 — 0.0
1941 BEG NN2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 7.0 4 1 1 4 1.29 — 0.0
Career · 3 seasons 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 12.1 10 6 3 8 4.38 — 0

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 (272 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Bob Clarke — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1503963977032.194
Away1213392864018.189

Pitching — Home / Away

Bob Clarke — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Away16.176008.53

Last 10 Games — Batting

Bob Clarke — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1948-05-02 NY5PH5L 100000000
1946-09-15 BLGNW2W 000000000
1946-09-15 BLGNW2W 400000000
1946-09-10 BLGPH5W 300000010
1946-09-08 BLGPH5W 000000000
1946-09-03 BLGNY6L 300000000
1946-09-02 BLGHOML 000000000
1946-09-02 BLGHOML 200000010
1946-09-01 BLGHOMW 210000010
1946-09-01 BLGHOMW 300000010

Last 1 Games — Pitching

Bob Clarke — Last 1 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1938-09-01 NY5PH5 L 6.1766002

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Bob Clarke — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 10 5 60 3 0 3
3B 5 4 6 7 1 1
C 640 578 2886 445 92 57
OF 10 7 10 3 1 0
P 3 1 0 3 1 0
PH 1 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Bob Clarke — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1923 BBS C 19 17 80 13 3 2
1923 BBS P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1925 BBS 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1925 BBS C 31 1 0 0 0 0
1926 BBS C 30 30 142 25 8 4
1926 BBS OF 3 1 1 1 1 0
1927 BBS C 37 37 182 33 9 5
1927 BBS OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1928 BBS C 34 29 152 28 4 3
1928 BBS OF 1 1 0 1 0 0
1929 BBS 1B 3 2 22 2 0 0
1929 BBS C 68 61 262 47 12 6
1929 BBS OF 1 1 3 0 0 0
1930 BBS C 22 20 83 18 1 3
1931 BBS 1B 2 1 10 0 0 1
1931 BBS C 40 37 170 25 6 2
1932 BBS 1B 1 1 13 0 0 1
1932 BBS 3B 2 2 4 5 0 0
1932 BBS C 39 36 198 37 12 5
1932 BBS OF 2 2 3 0 0 0
1933 NBY C 12 12 68 8 2 0
1934 NBY C 22 22 125 21 1 2
1935 NBY 1B 1 1 6 0 0 1
1935 NBY C 8 8 68 7 2 0
1936 NBY 3B 1 1 2 0 1 1
1936 NBY C 19 18 94 13 1 2
1937 NBY C 28 27 127 22 3 5
1938 NBY 1B 1 0 8 1 0 0
1938 NBY 3B 2 1 0 2 0 0
1938 NBY C 8 8 30 4 3 1
1938 NBY OF 1 1 2 1 0 0
1938 NBY P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1939 NBY C 22 22 109 19 5 3
1940 NBY C 16 16 71 8 1 1
1941 BEG C 29 27 148 21 3 2
1941 BEG P 1 1 0 2 1 0
1942 BEG C 35 34 191 24 0 1
1943 BEG 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1943 BEG C 40 40 197 24 7 2
1943 BEG OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1943 PS C 2 2 17 1 3 0
1944 BEG C 16 16 85 11 1 2
1945 BEG C 18 16 93 11 2 2
1946 BEG C 45 42 194 25 3 4
1948 NBY PH 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Bob Clarke Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 3
Catcher 640
First Base 10
Third Base 5
Left Field 3
Center Field 1
Right Field 6

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

  1. 98
    Tom Needham
    .209 avg, 8 HR
  2. 96
    Roxy Walters
    .222 avg, 0 HR
  3. 95
    Jeff Torborg
    .214 avg, 8 HR
  4. 94
    Gabby Street
    .208 avg, 2 HR
  5. 93
    Walter Blair
    .217 avg, 3 HR
  6. 92
    Red Kleinow
    .213 avg, 3 HR

Bob Clarke: the record in brief

The season rows for Bob Clarke begin in 1923. Club by club, the record runs the Baltimore Black Sox (1923 to 1932), the New York Black Yankees (1933 through 1948), the Baltimore Elite Giants (1941 through 1946), and the Philadelphia Stars (1943). Born on January 8, 1903, in Richmond, VA, USA, Clarke is listed as a catcher and batted and threw right-handed. Clarke's listed size is 5'10" and 175 pounds. The bio records the death in 1971, in Newark, NJ, USA. Clarke's full given name, per the bio, is Robert Alfred Clarke.

Clarke finished with 462 hits from 2,131 at bats in 705 games, which works out to .217; the totals also include 7 homers and 185 runs batted in. Clarke got on base at a .274 rate and slugged .270 (.544 OPS). Measured against the leagues Clarke played in, the .217 career average compares with a .274 league average over the same seasons, 20.9% below the league. The hits column peaks at 61, in 1929.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Clarke

Was Bob Clarke a pitcher?
No. Bob Clarke was a position player (Catcher), though he did pitch in 3 career games.
How many home runs did Bob Clarke hit?
Bob Clarke hit 7 career home runs with 462 hits.
What was Bob Clarke's career batting average?
Bob Clarke batted .217 over his career, with 462 hits in 2,131 at bats.
How many RBI did Bob Clarke have?
Bob Clarke drove in 185 runs in his career.
What was Bob Clarke's career ERA?
Bob Clarke finished with a 4.38 career ERA, going 1-0 with 8 strikeouts.
Is Bob Clarke in the Hall of Fame?
No. Bob Clarke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.