Harlond Clift
| Harlond Clift | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Third baseman | |||
|
Born: August 12, 1912 El Reno, Oklahoma | |||
|
Died: April 27, 1992 (aged 79) Yakima, Washington | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| April 17, 1934, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 20, 1945, for the Washington Senators | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .272 | ||
| Home runs | 178 | ||
| Runs batted in | 829 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
Harlond Benton "Darkie" Clift (August 12, 1912 – April 27, 1992) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman for the St. Louis Browns (1934–1943) and the Washington Senators (1943–1945). He was an All-Star for the American League in 1937.
Early life
Clift was born in El Reno, Oklahoma. He tried out for the St. Louis Browns in 1931 and sustained an unusual injury during the tryout. While reaching to field a ball, Clift stepped on his own glove, which caused him to trip and roll forward. He broke his collarbone in the fall. Nonetheless, the Browns signed Clift and he made his major-league debut in 1934.[1]
Career
In the 1937 season, he set single-season records of 50 double plays and 405 assists that stood until 1971.
Clift was traded to the Washington Senators in 1943. A serious case of the mumps and a horse-riding injury hampered Clift's play late in his career.[1] In 12 seasons, Clift played in 1,582 games, and had 1,558 hits in 5,730 at bats for a .272 batting average. Clift was one of the first power-hitting third basemen, posting his offensive numbers at a time when players at that position were more valued for their fielding. However, Clift was also regarded as a superb fielder.
Clift's nickname, "Darkie", has what Bill James referred to as "a rather unpleasant derviation":[1] One of his Browns teammates, Alan Strange, misheard Clift's first name and thought that it was Harlem, a predominantly black area in New York.[2]
Clift died in Yakima, Washington, at the age of 79.[3]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 James, Bill (2010). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. Simon and Schuster. p. 563. ISBN 9781439106938.
- ↑ Weeks, Jonathan (2012). Cellar Dwellers: The Worst Teams in Baseball History. Scarecrow Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780810885325.
- ↑ Ex-Brownie Clift dies
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)