Washington may not have had an Eddie Gaedel but few baseball cities can boast a 7 foot tall pitcher, a 40 year old Civil War rookie and an actor. Harry Corson Clarke was a very unlikely Senator.
The date, 28 August 1889, the Senators are in New York, Washington already riddled with injuries, takes on the Giants. The first game of a scheduled double header does not help.
Here is the New York World’s description of the series of injuries that befell the Senators in the first game. “The Washington’s suffered from a number of casualties in the first game. In the fourth inning Spider Clark had a finger smashed by a foul tip and was forced to leave in favor or Tom Daly. In the sixth inning a foul was hit into the right field, both John Carney and Sam Wise ran for the ball. Just as the latter closed his nippers on the ball he came into collision with Carney, and both players rolled over amid a cloud of dust. Wise sprang to his feet, but Carney lay where he fell until picked up. He finally pulled himself together and play was resumed, but the burly first baseman’s knee was badly wrenched, and in the seventh inning he gave way to Connie Mack. The latter met with an untimely doom on the very first ball he attempted to field. George Gore sent a rifle-shot grounder towards first, which Mack ran to meet with eagerness and both hands. The ball struck a hump in the ground and jumped directly against Mack’s left eye, putting him hors du combat. Carney then limped back into the field resumed his old position.”
Between innings a call was made for a replacement. While odd, and uncommon by this date, during the early years it did happen. The person selected was Harry Clarke. Clarke was an actor and well known. At 28 years of age he was in good physical condition and captain of the New York nine, an athletic team composed of actors.
Clarke put on his uniform and took his place in right field. Dummy Hoy is next to him in center. According to the World, “Hoy also covered a few hundred acres, and it was a difficult matter to lift a fly ball away from the little center-fielder.” That is good news for Clarke. The bad news for Clarke, the weather. “The day was cool and a rather brisk wind blew directly across the field, making fly balls something of an uncertain quantity.” No doubt the wind gave Clarke some anxiety as he could feel it blowing against him.
Here is the World’s write up of the game, “In the second game everybody was surprised to see Harry Clarke, of the Actors’ Club, figuring in right field in place of Ed Beecher, who covered first. On the very first ball to right field Harry covered himself with glory. In the second inning, with James O’Rourke on first, Arthur Whitney hit safe to right field. Clarke nailed the ball as it caromed off the fence, and by a lightning throw to second, superbly taken by Sam Wise, caught Arthur, who was making a spasmodic effort to turn a single into a two-bagger. In the sixth inning, with Tom Brown on second and John Ward on first. Danny Richardson sent a hot grounder to right. Spider Clark again corralled the ball and sent it home in time to cut Brown off at the plate.”
It was a good day for Clarke. He was 0 for 3 but had one put-out and two assists. So it was that Clarke the actor got to play a unique role. Clarke passed away in 1923.
