Fred Clarke via Library of Congress

I just finished the Honus Wagner biography and I’ve been thinking a lot about Fred Clarke.

You know, naturally.

Clarke, of course, is a Hall of Fame outfielder. But I’ll bet you don’t hear about him very much, do you?

If a player doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, you hear about that all the time. (How many times have you heard the names Bill Mazeroski or Chick Hafey? More than Clarke, right?). If he’s one of the all-time greats, he becomes immortalized. Clarke is stuck in between—not good enough to be remembered today and not bad enough to have his spot questioned.

Something else struck me about Clarke. Even if he never stepped up to the plate, he probably would have been a Hall of Famer. Completely independent of his Hall of Fame playing career, he was a Hall-worthy manager.

Clarke was named manager of a lousy Louisville Colonels team when he was just 24. After three seasons (the team improved in each), Barney Dreyfuss brought Clarke, Wagner, Rube Waddell, and Deacon Phillippe with him to Pittsburgh.

Clarke managed Pittsburgh through 1915, continuing as a full-time player through 1911. During that time, Pittsburgh won four pennants, but only played in two World Series (the pennants won 1901 and 1902 came before the World Series was introduced). The Pirates lost the first World Series to Boston in 1903, but won the championship in 1909. One has to think they would have had a good shot at another title in 1902, as the Pirates were 103-36.

Clarke’s teams finished 421 games over .500. Only five managers can boast a higher total (Earl Weaver was at 420). Only fourteen managers have won more than Clarke’s four pennants and just ten skippers (who managed for ten seasons or more) had a better winning percentage than Clarke’s .578.

I’m not here to debate whether or not managers have a place in the Hall of Fame. Obviously, Clarke benefited greatly from having Honus Wagner on his teams for nearly all of career. He was also lucky to have himself (as a player), Tommy Leach, and others. I am, however, confident in saying that a manager with Clarke’s credentials would be bound for Cooperstown, even with no playing career.

So, this led me to wonder… how many other men in baseball history have had a Hall-worthy playing career and a Hall-worthy managerial career?

Cap Anson

Cap Anson’s 348 games over .500 rank 11th all time, not quite on par with Clarke. But that’s partially a product of the short schedules played in the 19th century. Anson’s winning percentage was just about the same, however (.578). Anson’s teams won five pennants, but all came before the playoffs were introduced.

Anson was also a full-time manager for 19 of his 27 playing seasons. He certainly helped his own cause, collecting 3,435 hits, a 142 OPS+, and 91.1 WAR. He has a Hall Rating of 216, second all time among first basemen. His ranking among managers might be nearly as high.

Joe Torre

Joe Torre will have no problem gaining induction as a manager. He won four World Series with the Yankees (only three managers have won more) and made 15 playoff appearances (Bobby Cox is first with 16). His 2326 wins rank fifth all time. His .538 winning percentage isn’t off the charts, but his .605 percentage for the Yankees is what will get him in.

And that’s a shame.

What should have gotten him in is his playing career. As a catcher/first baseman/third baseman, Torre has a Hall Rating of 111, meaning he is somewhat comfortably deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame. He won an MVP, he collected 2342 hits and a 129 OPS+. He’ll coast into the Hall as a manager, but that only means that his Hall-worthy playing career will be forgotten.

Which reminds me of…

John McGraw

John McGraw is probably the best manager of all time. He managed 33 years and won at a .586 clip. He places second all time with 2763 wins. He won ten pennants and three World Series. His spot in the Hall of Fame is unquestioned.

But as a player, McGraw was nearly as impressive, if not for as long. He was done as a player before he turned 30, but posted a staggering 135 OPS+. This was powered by a ridiculous .466 on-base percentage.

.466.

McGraw had fewer than 5000 plate appearances, but still had a Hall Rating of 97. He would have easily had a Hall of Fame career if it lasted just a bit longer. In 1899, McGraw played 117 games, walked 124 times, hit .391, and posted a .547 OBP. He also stole 73 bases. That was John McGraw. Possibly the best manager in history—and he easily could have been one of the best third basemen, too.

Frank Chance

Frank Chance only managed eleven seasons, but he won four pennants, two World Series, and a boatload of games. His .593 winning percentage ranks sixth all time while his 298 games over .500 rank 17th, one game behind Leo Durocher (who managed 24 seasons). In his eight seasons with the Cubs, his winning percentage was a staggering .664.

Chance was a player/manager for ten seasons (including two seasons where he played sparingly while managing the Yankees). He had a fairly short playing career, playing in 100 games only six times. But when he played, he played big. He had a 135 OPS+ and 43.5 WAR in just over 5000 plate appearances.

Chance (with Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers) is often dismissed as a weak Hall of Famer. His Hall Rating is 93—not quite Hall-worthy, but not an embarrassment (especially considering his career length). He’s in the Hall of Fame as a player, but his managerial career might be even more impressive.

There are other Hall of Fame players like Bill Terry, Joe Cronin, Hughie Jennings, and Red Schoendienst who had solid managerial careers. I don’t know if they were quite Hall-worthy, though.

Am I missing anyone?