Need Some Autograph Help -Josh Clarke

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I have a 1937 Clinton Owls baseball with a signature of Josh B. Clarke on it. There was no Clarke that played for the 1937 Owls so I'm wondering if this is the Josh Clarke who played in the major leagues intermittently from 1898-1911 and appears in the T206 set. If it is the same...I wonder what he was doing in Clinton, Iowa in 1937...Coaching?

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

That's really interesting. Same middle intial as Fred Clarke's brother. I have never handled a Josh Clarke signature, so can't be of any help. Perhaps Tom Hufford can weigh in on this one if he catches it. He would be the most likely to know.

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Posted By: George Dreher

That is the signature of Josh Clarke, brother of HOFer Fred Clarke. Maybe he was a coach for Clinton?

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

George do you have his autograph so I can compare it? I found one auction lot in a google search that contained a Josh Clarke autograph, but they didn't show a picture. He died in 1962 so it's probably not extremely difficult to find, but I'm more curious than anything else as to why he's signed a Clinton Owls ball.

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Posted By: George Dreher

Dan, I have seen his signature twice in the past and was going by memory. You might contact Harold Shigley's grandson for an example. Harold's collection had the signature of nearly every player in MLB history from 1900 all the way to the mid 20th century, even autographs of guys who only had 1 at bat. His eBay ID is vespertin.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Thanks George