(Updated April 28, 2020)
Though he appeared in only nine games for the Cardinals, Doug Clarey is a part of franchise lore because of an improbable home run.
On April 28, 1976, Clarey produced the only hit of his big-league career, a two-run home run in the 16th inning that gave the Cardinals a 4-2 victory over the Giants.
The storybook feat occurred on a Wednesday afternoon at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, just north of Clarey’s boyhood home in Los Altos. Among the 4,193 in attendance were Clarey’s parents, high school coach and friends.
“It’s something you always dream about ever since I was a little boy watching the Giants play and just wishing I could be one of them,” Clarey told The Sporting News.
Just a few days before his dramatic home run, Clarey had been playing in the Class A Florida State League.
Called by Cards
Clarey, a second baseman, began his professional career in the Twins organization. The Cardinals claimed him in the December 1974 minor-league draft.
After hitting .206 for the Cardinals’ Class AA Arkansas club in 1975, Clarey was demoted to Class A St. Petersburg in 1976.
He got a break when Cardinals second baseman Mike Tyson suffered a knee injury in early April 1976.
Though Vic Harris came off the bench to replace Tyson as the starting second baseman, the Cardinals wanted someone who could fill in as a reserve fielder for a few weeks. Clarey, known more for his glove than his bat, fit the need because he could join the club quickly without having to clear waivers.
On April 20, 1976, his 22nd birthday, Clarey made his big-league debut. Batting in the sixth inning for pitcher Mike Wallace, Clarey faced Jon Matlack of the Mets and struck out. Boxscore
Stay fair
Eight days later, at San Francisco, Clarey got his second at-bat.
In the 16th inning, with the score tied at 2-2, the Cardinals had Don Kessinger on first base and two outs when acting manager Preston Gomez sent Clarey to bat for pitcher Mike Proly against Giants left-hander Mike Caldwell. Gomez was filling in for manager Red Schoendienst, who was in St. Louis to be with his daughter, Colleen, who was undergoing surgery. An inning earlier, Gomez told Clarey he’d bat if the Cardinals got a runner on base in the 16th.
“I was looking for something over the plate, something to hit,” Clarey told the San Francisco Examiner.
With the count at 1-and-1, Caldwell delivered a low, inside pitch. Giants catcher Dave Rader told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch it was a slider.
A right-handed batter, Clarey lifted the ball over the left-field fence.
“At first, I thought it was going to hook foul,” Clarey told the Oakland Tribune. “I kept saying to myself, ‘Stay fair, stay fair.’ ”
As the ball cleared the eight-foot fence, Kessinger said, ‘I couldn’t run the bases for jumping up and down. I’m so thrilled for him and us both.”
Danny Frisella retired the Giants in order in the bottom half of the 16th, saving the victory and securing Clarey’s place in Cardinals legend. Boxscore
“That’s the greatest experience of my life right there,” Clarey said. “I just wanted to get a piece of the ball.”
Said Caldwell: “That was the lowest point of my career.”
Giants manager Bill Rigney said, “Mike got it inside and his game is away. He made a bad pitch.”
After the season, the Giants traded Caldwell to the Cardinals.
Hailing a hero
In the Oakland Tribune, Ed Schoenfeld wrote of Clarey, “He’s a virtual unknown, even to his own teammates.”
The Sporting News referred to Clarey as the Cardinals’ “Cinderella Man.”
When Clarey entered the Cardinals clubhouse, he received a standing ovation. He also got a kiss from his mother and a handshake from his father, who built him a baseball backstop in the yard when Doug was almost 3 years old.
Afterward, the happy Cardinals boarded a bus to go to the airport for a flight to Los Angeles. The last to get on the bus was backup catcher Ken Rudolph, who was stationed in the bullpen when Clarey hit his home run. Rudolph alertly chased down the youths who grabbed the home run ball and traded three baseballs for the prize, the Post-Dispatch reported.
Inside the bus, Rudolph called for attention and said to Clarey, “First, the good news. Here is your home run ball. Now the bad news. Those three balls I traded cost $5 apiece. You owe the club $15.”
Clarey was speechless and everyone laughed, the Post-Dispatch reported.
When the Cardinals returned to St. Louis from their West Coast trip, the club rewarded Clarey for his achievement by presenting him with a watch, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Clarey appeared in one more game, May 4 vs. the Braves, before being returned to the minor leagues. He hit .228 in 63 games for manager Ken Boyer’s Class AAA Tulsa team.
Thanks, Mike
In July, Tyson got hurt again, breaking a finger, and the Cardinals called back Clarey.
“I’m keeping you in the big leagues,” Tyson told Clarey. “You ought to give me half your pay.”
In his second stint with the 1976 Cardinals, Clarey appeared in five games but didn’t get a hit.
End of the line
In March 1977, the Cardinals traded Clarey to the Mets for outfielder Benny Ayala. The Mets assigned Clarey to Class AAA Tidewater and he batted .125 in 28 games before he was released. Clarey signed with the Brewers and was sent to Class AA Holyoke.
In 1978, his last season as a player, Clarey joined the Orioles’ organization and hit .226 in 138 games for Class AA Charlotte.
His final big-league numbers for the Cardinals: nine games, four at-bats, one hit.
The truest of stories. I’m 14, brother’s 13, younger sisters, Mom and Dad. Special treat(lived 2 hours away, only did this twice). Night game, stay in St. Louis, “businessman’s special” next afternoon. Innocently watching game, 6th inning, “pich hitting for the St. Louis Cardinals…”. There it was CLAREY in giant letters .(the significance, very unique spelling, there wasn’t a single c-l-a-r-e-y in the entire St. Louis phone book, we knew of none we weren’t related to). We freak. Remember it’s back in the dinosaur age when you didn’t find out roster moves and such until well after the fact. Strikes out on 3 pitches. Damn.
Next morning, Dad, my brother, and me are the first 3 in the stadium. Front row watching batting practice. Dad yells “hey Clarey!”. Doug Clarey walks towards us! Excited, embarrassed, a real major league ballplayer! Pleasant little conversation between my dad and a first-time major leaguer. Simple moment but still so surreal.
Dad’s been gone over 14 years. Doug hasn’t been in the bigs for 43. And I’m an old man now.
Thanks, Pat. I love your story and I’m grateful you shared it here.
I’m a Clarey go clareys go
We Clareys are good people
No doubt. Thanks for reading.
My curiosity got the best of me and with the help of baseball reference.com, I looked to see if there were any other Cardinals whose lone base hit was a homerun. Along with Doug Clarey, there is Don Ferrares June 22, 1962. Ron Allen August 17, 1972. Skeeter Barnes May 7, 1987. Mark Worrell June 5, 2008. There is also Luke Stuart who played for the Browns in 1921. I mention him because his only major league hit came at the expense of Waltor Johnson.
Thanks for researching and sharing the fun information you found, Phillip. The Luke Stuart home run vs. Walter Johnson is quite a special feat. Here is a piece I did on the Skeeter Barnes home run: https://retrosimba.com/2017/05/06/skeeter-barnes-began-cardinals-career-with-a-bang/ I also did one on the Mark Worrell home run https://retrosimba.com/2018/06/09/mark-worrell-and-his-cardinals-clout/