Sumpter Clarke
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1920-1924)
Sumpter Clarke was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1920 to 1924 for the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 5 seasons. In 37 career games, he hit .227 with 25 hits and 11 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
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- Died
- 3/16/1962 in Knoxville, TN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1920-09-27
- Last Game
- 1924-09-19
Full name: Sumpter Mills Clarke
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 110 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 13 | .227 | .267 | .300 | .567 | -373 |
Career AVG .227 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — 18.8% below league average.
Career OBP .267 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 21.6% below league average.
Career SLG .300 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 21.4% below league average.
Career OPS .567 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — 21.5% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | CHN | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1923 | CLE | AL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | CLE | AL | 35 | 104 | 17 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 12 | .231 | .283 (-19%) | .345 (-21%) | .389 (-21%) | .734 (-21%) | -372.8 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 37 | 110 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 13 | .227 | — | — | — | — | -373 | ||
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 (37 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 19 | 50 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 | .200 |
| Away | 18 | 60 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 5 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924-09-19 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-09-16 | CLE | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-09-14 | CLE | PHA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-09-13 | CLE | PHA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1924-09-11 | CLE | SLA | W | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1924-09-11 | CLE | SLA | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-09-07 | CLE | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-09-06 | CLE | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1924-09-05 | CLE | DET | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924-09-03 | CLE | SLA | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Center Field | 9 |
| Right Field | 22 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina | Columbia | SC | 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918 |
Sumpter Clarke: the record in brief
Sumpter Clarke played a first major league game on September 27, 1920 and a last one on September 19, 1924. The team column moves through the Chicago Cubs (1920) and the Cleveland Indians (1923 through 1924). The bio lists Clarke as an outfielder who batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. Clarke was born on October 18, 1897, in Savannah, GA, USA. The bio records the death on March 16, 1962, in Knoxville, TN, USA. Sumpter Clarke was the playing name; the full given name is Sumpter Mills.
The batting record for Clarke: 37 games, 25 hits in 110 at bats, and a .227 average; the totals also include 11 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .267 and .300 give Clarke a career OPS of .567. Over the seasons Clarke played, league hitters batted .280; the .227 career figure is 18.8% below that. The OPS comparison is .567 to a league .723, 21.5% below average. 1924 produced Clarke's most hits, 24 of them for the Cleveland Indians. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .231 in 1924, did not top the league's .283.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sumpter Clarke
- What years did Sumpter Clarke play?
- Sumpter Clarke played in Major League Baseball from 1920 to 1924.
- Was Sumpter Clarke a pitcher?
- No. Sumpter Clarke was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Sumpter Clarke hit?
- Sumpter Clarke hit 0 career home runs with 25 hits.
- What teams did Sumpter Clarke play for?
- Sumpter Clarke played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1920) and the Cleveland Indians (1923–1924).
- What were Sumpter Clarke's career stats?
- In 37 games, Sumpter Clarke had 25 hits, 11 RBI, and 17 runs, with a .227 batting average.
- What position did Sumpter Clarke play?
- Sumpter Clarke played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Sumpter Clarke and how much did he weigh?
- Sumpter Clarke was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- What was Sumpter Clarke's career batting average?
- Sumpter Clarke batted .227 over his career, with 25 hits in 110 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sumpter Clarke have?
- Sumpter Clarke drove in 11 runs in his career.
- Is Sumpter Clarke in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Sumpter Clarke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.