Perhaps because of his unusual name, Horace Clarke became a symbol for the leaner years of the Yankees in the late 60s and early 70s. Clarke, though, wasn’t a bad player. In fact, in 1969, he hit .285 with 33 stolen bases.
Clarke just had the unfortunate timing that his career didn’t occur a few years earlier or later. Here’s to you, Horace.
You have struck a nerve. Yankee broadcasters sometimes referred to him as “Hoss.” Yankees tried to play Bobby Murcer next to him at SS. Jerry Kenny, too. Gene Michael eventually got the job. Roy White often batted cleanup. Everything would have been fine had Celerino Sanchez lived up to the hype at 3B.