Fred Clarke
Fred Clifford Clarke (October 3, 1872 - August 14, 1960) was a Major League Baseball player and manager at the turn of the 20th century. He was an outfielder and left-handed batter.
Clarke joined the Louisville Colonels in 1894 and, in his second season, 1895, asserted himself as one of the team's best hitters, batting .347. In 1897 Clarke took over managerial duties, although the team struggled under his guidance for several years.
In 1900, Clarke joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager, roles he would embrace until his retirement in 1915. He finished his career with a .312 batting average and having led his team to four World Series appearances (1901, 1902, 1903 and 1909) and one championship (in 1909). The 1903 Pirates lost only 36 games under his guidance, a modern-era record.
Clarke was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
