Mel Clark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mel Clark |
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: July 7, 1926 Letart, West Virginia |
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| Died: May 1, 2014 (aged 87) West Columbia, West Virginia |
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| debut | |||
| September 11, 1951, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 1, 1957, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .277 | ||
| Home runs | 3 | ||
| Runs batted in | 63 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Melvin Earl Clark (July 7, 1926 – May 1, 2014) was an American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). MLB is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada.
Mel Clark played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1951 to 1955. He also played for the Detroit Tigers in 1957. In total, he played in 215 big league games. He threw and batted with his right hand. Clark was 6 feet (183 cm) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Mel Clark was born in Letart, West Virginia. He went to Wahama High School. After high school, he served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was in the Pacific Theater, which was where the war was fought in the Pacific Ocean.
After the war, Clark went to Ohio University. In 1947, the Philadelphia Phillies signed him to play baseball. He spent five years playing in their farm system. A farm system is where young players develop their skills before playing in the big leagues.
Joining the Major Leagues
In September 1951, Mel Clark was called up to the Phillies. He started his MLB career very well. In his first 14 times at bat, he got seven hits. A hit is when a batter safely reaches a base after hitting the ball.
One of these hits was his first big-league home run. He hit it on September 12 against Howie Pollet. Pollet was a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Playing for the Phillies
Mel Clark spent the next three years (1952, 1953, and 1954) as a spare outfielder for the Phillies. A spare outfielder is a player who can fill in when needed.
In his first two full years, he had a strong batting average. He hit .335 in 1952 and .298 in 1953. A batting average shows how often a player gets a hit.
Facing Challenges
In 1953, Mel Clark hurt his knee. This injury affected his playing. His batting average dropped to .240 in 1954.
In 1955, his batting average was only .156 in ten games. Because of this, the Phillies sent him to Triple-A Syracuse. Triple-A is the highest level in the minor leagues, just below MLB.
Later Career
In July 1956, the Phillies traded Mel Clark to the Washington Senators. He played half a season in Triple-A for them. Then, the Senators sold his contract to the Detroit Tigers.
In 1957, Clark played five games for the Tigers. He had seven times at bat. After that, he returned to the minor leagues. He played two more seasons there before ending his professional baseball career.
Career Statistics
During his time in Major League Baseball, Mel Clark had 182 hits. He achieved this in 656 times at bat. He also hit 29 doubles and 15 triples. A double means he reached second base on a hit, and a triple means he reached third base. He also hit three home runs.
