# Buster Clarkson
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Buster_Clarkson
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Buster_Clarkson.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Clarkson
> Source revision: 1334725159
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|American baseball player (1915-1989)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name = Buster Clarkson
| image = Buster Clarkson Brewers.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| team =
| number =
| position = [Shortstop](/source/Shortstop)/[Third baseman](/source/Third_baseman)
| positionplain =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|03|13}}
| birth_place= [Hopkins, South Carolina](/source/Hopkins%2C_South_Carolina), US
| death_date = {{death date and age|1989|01|18|1915|03|13}}
| death_place= [Jeannette, Pennsylvania](/source/Jeannette%2C_Pennsylvania), US
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
|debutleague = NgL
| debutdate =
| debutyear = 1938
| debutteam = Pittsburgh Crawfords
|debut2league = MLB
| debut2date = April 30
| debut2year = 1952
| debut2team = Boston Braves
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = June 22
| finalyear = 1952
| finalteam = Boston Braves
| statyear =
|statleague = MLB{{efn|On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball declared the Negro leagues, from the span of 1920–1948, to be a "Major League".[{{cite web|title=MLB officially designates the Negro Leagues as 'Major League'|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-officially-designates-the-negro-leagues-as-major-league|website=MLB.com|date=December 16, 2020|accessdate=May 29, 2024}}] Clarkson's statistics reflect his time in the Negro leagues from 1938-1946.}}
| stat1label = [Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
| stat1value = .309
| stat2label = [Home run](/source/Home_run)s
| stat2value = 24
| stat3label = [Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in)
| stat3value = 139
| stat4label =
| stat4value =
| stat5label =
| stat5value =
| stat6label =
| stat6value =
| awards =
| teams =
;Negro leagues
* [Pittsburgh/Toledo/Indianapolis Crawfords](/source/Pittsburgh_Crawfords) ({{by|1938}}–{{by|1940}})
* [Newark Eagles](/source/Newark_Eagles) ({{by|1940}})
* [Philadelphia Stars](/source/Philadelphia_Stars_(baseball)) ({{by|1942}}, {{by|1946}}, {{by|1949}})
;Major League Baseball
* [Boston Braves](/source/Boston_Braves_(baseball)) ({{mlby|1952}})
}}
'''James Buster Clarkson''' (March 13, 1915 – January 18, 1989) was an American [baseball](/source/baseball) player who played briefly in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) and had a long career in the [Negro leagues](/source/Negro_league_baseball), the [minor leagues](/source/Minor_league_baseball), and the [Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League](/source/Puerto_Rican_Professional_Baseball_League).[Some sources actually say he was born in 1913 instead of 1915.] He is also known as '''Buzz'''.
==Playing career==
Clarkson was a native of [Hopkins, South Carolina](/source/Hopkins%2C_South_Carolina), where he grew up practicing baseball. In the Negro leagues, he played [shortstop](/source/shortstop) for the [Crawfords](/source/Pittsburgh_Crawfords) in [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh%2C_Ohio) in 1937–38, in [Toledo](/source/Toledo%2C_Ohio) in 1939, and in [Indianapolis](/source/Indianapolis%2C_Indiana) in early 1940, where the team folded. He also briefly played in 1940 for the [Newark Eagles](/source/Newark_Eagles) before signing with the [Mexican League](/source/Liga_Mexicana_de_Beisbol), where he played in 1940–41 and 1946–47. In 1942 he returned to the Negro leagues, playing for the [Philadelphia Stars](/source/Philadelphia_Stars_(baseball)) and hitting .360. He spent 1943–45 serving in the [US Army](/source/US_Army) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II).[{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.baseballinwartime.com/negro.htm |title=Negro Leaguers Who Served With The Armed Forces in WWII |publisher=baseballinwartime.com |date= |accessdate=October 7, 2020}}] He played part of the 1946 season with Philadelphia and returned to play with them again in 1949-50. In 1948, he played in the independent [Canadian Provincial League](/source/Canadian_Provincial_League).[Johnson, p. 69.]
In 1950 at age 35, Clarkson entered the minor leagues with the [Milwaukee Brewers](/source/Milwaukee_Brewers_(minor_league_baseball_team)) of the [American Association](/source/American_Association_(20th_century)). He played [third base](/source/third_baseman) and shortstop, hitting .302 in 1950 and .343 in 1951.