View source for Webbo Clarke

{{short description|Panamanian baseball player (born 1928)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name       = Webbo Clarke
| image      = Webbo Clarke.jpeg
| position   = [[Pitcher]]
| number     = 
| bats       = Left
| throws     = Left
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1928|6|8}}
| birth_place = [[Colón, Panama]]
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1970|6|14|1928|6|8}}
| death_place = [[Cristóbal, Colón]], [[Panama]]
|debutleague = NgL
|debutdate=
|debutyear=1946
|debutteam=[[Cleveland Buckeyes]]
|debut2league = MLB
| debut2date  = September 4
| debut2year  = 1955
| debut2team  = Washington Senators
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate  = September 24
| finalyear  = 1955
| finalteam  = Washington Senators
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label = [[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
| stat1value = 0–0
| stat3label = [[Strikeout]]s
| stat3value = 9
| stat2label = [[Earned run average]]
| stat2value = 4.64
| stat4label=[[Innings pitched]]
|stat4value= 21{{fraction|1|3}}
| teams      = 
;Negro leagues
*[[Cleveland Buckeyes]] (1946–1948)
*[[Memphis Red Sox]] (1950–1951)
;Major League Baseball
*[[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1955}})
|highlights=
* 5× [[East–West All-Star Game|NgL All-Star]] (1946–1948, 1950–1951)
}}
'''Vibert Ernesto "Webbo" Clarke''' (June 8, 1928 – June 14, 1970) was a [[Panama]]nian professional [[baseball]] [[pitcher]]. Born in  [[Colón, Panama|Colón]], Clarke was left-handed and played in the [[Negro leagues]] and also made seven [[games pitched|appearances]] for the {{baseball year|1955}}  [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] of [[Major League Baseball]].  He stood {{convert|6|ft}} tall and weighed {{convert|165|lb}}.

==Career==
Before signing with Washington in 1955, Clarke pitched in the [[Negro leagues]], including service with the [[Cleveland Buckeyes]] and [[Memphis Red Sox]].  In his first season in the Senators' system, Clarke compiled a [[win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] of 16–12 in 33 games (32 as a [[starting pitcher]]), with an [[earned run average]] of 3.40 in 262 [[innings pitched]] for the [[Charlotte Hornets (baseball)|Charlotte Hornets]] of the Class A [[South Atlantic League (1904–1963)|Sally League]].

The performance earned him a promotion to the Senators' 40-man roster in September.  Among his seven games with Washington, he made two starts: September 10 against the [[Kansas City Athletics]] and September 16 against the [[Baltimore Orioles]]. His debut start was the better of the two.  He pitched seven innings and gave up four [[run (baseball)|runs]], all [[earned run|earned]], and four [[hit (baseball)|hits]], one of them a [[solo home run]] by Kansas City's [[Gus Zernial]].  He held a 5–1 lead through seven innings, but [[base on balls|walked]] the [[bases loaded]] in the eighth frame and was removed from the game.  The Senators' [[relief pitcher]]s, [[Chuck Stobbs]] and [[Pedro Ramos]], then gave up the tying runs and ultimately lost the game, 8–6.<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1955/B09100WS11955.htm 1955-9-10 box score] from [[Retrosheet]]</ref>  Clarke's seventh and last MLB game, September 24 against the Orioles, was his finest: appearing in relief, he set down all nine Baltimore batters he faced over three innings.<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1955/B09241WS11955.htm 1955-9-24 box score] from [[Retrosheet]]</ref>

During his MLB trial, Clarke allowed 17 hits, 11 earned runs and 14 walks in {{frac|21|1|3}} innings pitched, with nine [[strikeout]]s, no [[decision (baseball)|decisions]] to his record and an ERA of 4.64.

He returned to [[minor league baseball]] in 1956–1957 to finish his North American pro career, going only 14–32 and losing a combined 20 games in 1956 in the Sally League and [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]].

Webbo Clarke died at age 42 in [[Cristóbal, Colón]], in his native Panama.

==See also==
* [[List of Negro league baseball players who played in Major League Baseball]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=c/clarkwe01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm=clarke001vib}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Webbo}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:1970 deaths]]
[[Category:Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Colón, Panama]]
[[Category:Carta Vieja Yankees players]]
[[Category:Charlotte Hornets (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Buckeyes players]]
[[Category:Dallas Eagles players]]
[[Category:Diablos Rojos del México players]]
[[Category:Louisville Buckeyes players]]
[[Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from Panama]]
[[Category:20th-century Panamanian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Memphis Red Sox players]]
[[Category:Mexican League baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Negro league baseball players from Panama]]
[[Category:New York Black Yankees players]]
[[Category:Panamanian baseball players]]
[[Category:Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Mexico]]
[[Category:Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:Springfield Giants players]]
[[Category:Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo players]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

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