The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-14
FRED CLARK TO CLOSE GREAT
 DIAMOND CAREER THIS SEASON

put the Giants one game out of first place. The Pirates finished second in 1900, the first year Clarke was in command. holding this same position in 1905, 1909 and 1912 They fn- ished third in 1908, 1910 and 1011. The present season threatens to end the long run Of first division teams at Pittsburgh. though it is still possi- ble that the Pittsburg team may crowd into the first four.
 As 8 player CIarke's name will go down in history as one, of the great est in the game. In his prime he was a remarkable batsman and he closed his active career on the diamond with a mark of .324 for 1o1 games in 1911, his eighteenth consecutive, season in the major league. Getting away with a mark of .2T5 in 1894 when he joined the Louisville team in midseason, he followed with marks Of 300 or bet ter in ten of the twelve succeeding seasons, missing the select circle by a point in 1905, and getting .281 in
 1900, his first season at Pittsburgh. Clarke is one of the players who can claim distinction as a 400 batSman
 having reached the high mark of .406 in 1897. In two other campaigns he batted abvoe .35O. In his eight cen years of active service he finish ed in the charmed circle eleven times and never batted as low as .260.
 Great as Clarke was with the will low his batting never outshone his ability in the field. Up to the time of his retirement he was among the best
 outf1elders in the game. rated solely from the standpoint of fielding. In the A1l-Star National league teams named in SpaJding's Guide for the fve-year periods between 1900-1905 and 1905- 1910, Clarke got the call each time ability to play the batsrnan.' and he could cover ground and throw with
 the best. of them.
 His fielding records while with the Louisville club are difficult to under
 stand in view of the great differences
 burgh figures. Different scoring meth ods may have caused the difference. Tn four of the five campaigns at Louis vile for which figures are available
 Clarke made great records for assists and remarkably poor in error-nna.king
 generally showing more errors than assists.
 The winter between the seasons of 1911 and 1912 Clarke announced that he was through with baseball. Tho remark was not taken seriously, as Clarke had just completed 8. most successful year as fielder and bats.
 man. He made several wagers that he would not take part in a game l during the season of 1912, and he won
 them all, refusing to go in even as a pinch hitter Since that time he has gone in a few times to pinch nit. T but has been too inactive as g, player to be included in the playing records The baseball career Of the Pirate chieftain dates back to 1899, when he Joined the Hastings, Neb., team at the I.age of 19. He finished that season wit the St. Joseph, Mo. Independents and the following spring he joined | the St. Joseph team of the Kansas State leaguee. In naidseason of 1898
 he went to the Montgomery. Ala team of the Southern league, Tor the first two months of the season of 1894 he was with the Savannah, Ga. team, and then he was purchased by Louis vile, at that time in the National league, Since June, 1894, Clarke has been a prominent figure in the Ma tional league.