Josh Clarke
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1898-1911)
Josh Clarke was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1911 for 4 teams, including the Louisville Colonels, a span of 14 seasons. In 223 career games, he hit .239 with 193 hits, 5 home runs, and 43 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,501.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 180 lb
- Died
- 7/2/1962 in Ventura, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1898-06-15
- Last Game
- 1911-05-23
Full name: Joshua Baldwin Clarke
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 223 | 809 | 118 | 193 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 43 | 51 | 135 | 139 | .239 | .351 | .302 | .653 | 1,501 |
Career AVG .239 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.
Career OBP .351 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — +11.1% above league average.
Career SLG .302 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 8.2% below league average.
Career OPS .653 vs. league average .644 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | LS3 | NL | 6 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1905 | SLN | NL | 50 | 167 | 31 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 27 | 31 | .257 | .248 (+4%) | .307 (+17%) | .322 (+9%) | .629 (+13%) | 449.4 |
| 1908 | CLE | AL | 131 | 492 | 70 | 119 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 37 | 76 | 84 | .242 | .240 (+1%) | .298 (+17%) | .306 (-9%) | .605 (+4%) | 785.1 |
| 1909 | CLE | AL | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1911 | BSN | NL | 32 | 120 | 16 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 22 | .233 | .266 (-12%) | .336 (+15%) | .356 (+3%) | .693 (+9%) | 266.6 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 223 | 809 | 118 | 193 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 43 | 51 | 135 | 139 | .239 | — | — | — | — | 1,501 | ||
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 (223 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 115 | 404 | 58 | 91 | 3 | 21 | .225 |
| Away | 108 | 408 | 62 | 102 | 2 | 10 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911-05-23 | BSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1911-05-19 | BSN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-05-17 | BSN | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1911-05-16 | BSN | PIT | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-05-15 | BSN | PIT | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1911-05-13 | BSN | PIT | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1911-05-12 | BSN | CIN | L | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-05-11 | BSN | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1911-05-10 | BSN | CIN | L | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1911-05-09 | BSN | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 16 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
| Left Field | 164 |
| Center Field | 8 |
| Right Field | 27 |
Josh Clarke: the record in brief
Between the debut on June 15, 1898 and the final game on May 23, 1911, Josh Clarke built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Louisville Colonels (1898), the St. Louis Cardinals (1905), the Cleveland Naps (1908 to 1909), and the Boston Rustlers (1911). Clarke is listed as an outfielder at 5 feet, 10 inches and 180 pounds. Clarke threw right-handed and batted left-handed, per the bio block. Clarke was born on March 8, 1879, in Winfield, KS, USA. Clarke's death is recorded on July 2, 1962, in Ventura, CA, USA. Josh Clarke was the playing name; the full given name is Joshua Baldwin.
In 223 games and 809 at bats, Clarke batted .239 with 193 hits, adding 5 home runs, 43 runs batted in, and 51 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .351 and the slugging percentage .302, for an OPS of .653. Over the seasons Clarke played, league hitters batted .253; the .239 career figure is 5.8% below that. The hits column peaks at 119, in 1908.
Frequently Asked Questions about Josh Clarke
- What years did Josh Clarke play?
- Josh Clarke played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1911.
- Was Josh Clarke a pitcher?
- No. Josh Clarke was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Josh Clarke hit?
- Josh Clarke hit 5 career home runs with 193 hits.
- What was Josh Clarke's career batting average?
- Josh Clarke batted .239 over his career, with 193 hits in 809 at bats.
- How many RBI did Josh Clarke have?
- Josh Clarke drove in 43 runs in his career.
- Is Josh Clarke in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Josh Clarke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.