Jack Clements
Encyclopedia
John J. "Jack" Clements (July 24, 1864 – May 23, 1941) was a baseball player who played for 17 seasons in the Major Leagues
. A catcher
for nearly his entire career, despite being left-handed
, Clements caught 1,073 games, almost four times as many as any other left-handed player in major league history and was the last left-hander to catch on a regular basis. He is credited with being the first catcher to wear a chest protector.
Born in Philadelphia, Clements began his major league career in 1884 in the Union Association
. He played as a catcher/outfielder
for the Philadelphia Keystones
until the team folded in August. Clements then went to the National League
, signing with the Philadelphia Quakers
to finish the year.
Clements spent the next 13 seasons with the Quakers (who became the Phillies in 1890), and became the team's regular catcher in 1888. He also served as a player-manager during part of the 1890 season when manager Harry Wright
suffered temporary blindness
. During the 1890s, he established himself as one of the National League's top hitters, finishing among the top 4 in batting average
on 3 occasions. Clements also hit for power, finishing second in the NL with 17 home runs in 1893 and finishing third in the NL with 13 in 1895. Also in 1895, he finished with a .394 batting average, the highest single-season average by a catcher in major league history.
After the 1897 season, Clements was traded to the St. Louis Browns
. He played one season for the Browns, during which he became the first player (of either handedness) to catch 1,000 games in his career.
Before the 1899 season, Clements was assigned to the Cleveland Spiders
. The move took place after Spiders owners Frank and Stanley Robison purchased the Browns and re-distributed players among the two franchises. Clements appeared in only 4 games for the Spiders before being released.
He played his final Major League season in 1900, playing in 16 games for the Boston Beaneaters
.
At the time of his retirement, he held the single-season and career records for home runs by a catcher. Both of his records were broken by Gabby Hartnett
in the 1920s; the single-season record fell in 1925 while the career record fell in 1928. Clements is also the only 19th century baseball player of prominence to retire with more home runs than triple
s.
He died of an illness in Norristown, Pennsylvania
in 1941, at age 76. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery
in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
.
In his Historical Baseball Abstract
, Bill James
ranked Clements as the 58th greatest catcher in baseball history.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. A catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for nearly his entire career, despite being left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
, Clements caught 1,073 games, almost four times as many as any other left-handed player in major league history and was the last left-hander to catch on a regular basis. He is credited with being the first catcher to wear a chest protector.
Born in Philadelphia, Clements began his major league career in 1884 in the Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
. He played as a catcher/outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the Philadelphia Keystones
Philadelphia Keystones
The Philadelphia Keystones was a professional baseball franchise. In 1884, they were a member of the short-lived Union Association. The team was owned by former player Tom Pratt....
until the team folded in August. Clements then went to the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, signing with the Philadelphia Quakers
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
to finish the year.
Clements spent the next 13 seasons with the Quakers (who became the Phillies in 1890), and became the team's regular catcher in 1888. He also served as a player-manager during part of the 1890 season when manager Harry Wright
Harry Wright
William Henry "Harry" Wright was an English-born American professional baseball player, manager, and developer. He assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball's first fully professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings...
suffered temporary blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. During the 1890s, he established himself as one of the National League's top hitters, finishing among the top 4 in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
on 3 occasions. Clements also hit for power, finishing second in the NL with 17 home runs in 1893 and finishing third in the NL with 13 in 1895. Also in 1895, he finished with a .394 batting average, the highest single-season average by a catcher in major league history.
After the 1897 season, Clements was traded to the St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. He played one season for the Browns, during which he became the first player (of either handedness) to catch 1,000 games in his career.
Before the 1899 season, Clements was assigned to the Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
. The move took place after Spiders owners Frank and Stanley Robison purchased the Browns and re-distributed players among the two franchises. Clements appeared in only 4 games for the Spiders before being released.
He played his final Major League season in 1900, playing in 16 games for the Boston Beaneaters
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
.
At the time of his retirement, he held the single-season and career records for home runs by a catcher. Both of his records were broken by Gabby Hartnett
Gabby Hartnett
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs. Until the career of Johnny Bench, Hartnett was considered the greatest catcher in the history of the National League...
in the 1920s; the single-season record fell in 1925 while the career record fell in 1928. Clements is also the only 19th century baseball player of prominence to retire with more home runs than triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s.
He died of an illness in Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
in 1941, at age 76. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery
Arlington Cemetery Co
Arlington Cemetery Co was founded in 1895. It is located on State Road in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania and occupies roughly .Arlington Cemetery consists of the Mount Vernon Office, Toppitzer Funeral Home, Williamsburg Chapel, The Museum of Mourning Art, The Garden Mausoleum, The Monticello Mausoleum,...
in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
In his Historical Baseball Abstract
The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was published in 1985 by Villard Books, followed by The New Bill James...
, Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
ranked Clements as the 58th greatest catcher in baseball history.