Hap Collard

Earl Clinton Collard

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut April 23, 1927
• Final Game September 22, 1930
• Born August 29, 1898 in Williams, Arizona Territory USA
• Died July 9, 1968 in Jamestown, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Hap Collard spent nine seasons in professional baseball from 1924 to 1932.

A pitcher, Hap started his career with the Augusta Tygers of the Class B South Atlantic League in 1924. He finished with a 15-10 record and a 3.04 ERA in 31 games in his first season. Collard moved up to the San Antonio Bears of the Class A Texas League in 1925 and went 11-5 in 37 games. Hap had another good year in 1926, going 18-9 with a 3.46 ERA while appearing in 29 games for the Evansville Hubs of the Three-I League.

Hap debuted with the Cleveland Indians on April 23, 1927. He appeared in four games, recording a 5.06 ERA in 5 1/3 innings, and spent the rest of the season in the Class A Southern Association with the New Orleans Pelicans, going 13-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 24 outings. He was back in the bigs for one game in 1928, giving up four hits and four walks in four innings. He spent the rest of the season with the Seattle Indians of the AA Pacific Coast League, going 5-23 in 31 games. He was 5-9 with Seattle in 1929 before moving to the Shreveport Sports of the Texas League in midseason. Hap went 10-2 the rest of the year for the Sports, giving him a 15-11 overall record. On October 7, 1929, the Philadelphia Phillies picked him in the Rule 5 draft.

Hap posted a 6-12 record and a 6.30 ERA in 30 appearances for the 1930 Phillies, in the Year of the Hitter, and the Baker Bowl club finished dead last in the National League with a 52-102 record. Collard finished his career in the minors with the Fort Worth Panthers of the Texas League and Sacramento Senators of the Pacific Coast League, going 6-11 in 1931 before two final appearances in 1932. For his minor league career, he finished 83-73 in 223 games (1,427 innings). In the bigs, Hap finished with a 6-12 record and 6.80 ERA in 30 appearances.

After baseball, Hap was a cattle rancher in Tuolumne County, CA, and the longtime owner of the Smoke Cafe in Jamestown. He died from a heart attack at 69 on July 7, 1968 at his home in Jamestown, CA and was interred at the Casa Bonita Mausoleum in Stockton, CA.