Dad Clarkson

Arthur Hamilton Clarkson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut August 20, 1891
• Final Game August 8, 1896
• Born August 31, 1866 in Cambridge, MA USA
• Died February 5, 1911 in Somerville, MA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Arthur "Dad" Clarkson pitched 96 big league games. He is the brother of John and Walter Clarkson and cousin of Mert and Walter Hackett.

Dad's career overlapped with that of his brother, and Hall of Famer, John Clarkson, but another brother, Walter, did not pitch in the majors until years after. John and Dad were on the same team with the Boston Beaneaters in 1892, a team that won the pennant, although Dad pitched only one game, a victory in which he gave up only one run in 7 innings. During his major league career, he was used a total of seven times as a fill-in umpire, all in the National League between 1893 and 1896.

Dad's best year in the majors came in 1893 when he went 12-9 with a 3.48 ERA for a St. Louis Browns team that finished well under .500 (57-75). Dad was the only pitcher on the team with a winning record, narrowly missing being joined by Kid Gleason, who went 21-22. He finished his career with the famously-successful 19th century Baltimore Orioles, who won the pennant both years he was with them. In 1895, he went 12-3 in part of a season (the Orioles had released Kid Gleason before picking up Clarkson), but in 1896, despite going 4-2, Dad's ERA was worse than the team average. In 1897, the Cambridge team approached Clarkson to play for them, but he turned them down.

After his major league days, he was signed to pitch in Milwaukee by manager Connie Mack. The book Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball claims that Dad "never got into playing shape and was inconsistent except in his drinking".

Notable Achievements

• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (1894 & 1895)