Bay City and Saginaw both joined the Northwestern League in 1883, and both teams went in search of professional talent to help bolster their lineups. Both clubs were blessed with good fortune as they each unearthed pitching gems that would become the cornerstones of their teams, and each of them would play a large part in Bay City's base ball history.
The Saginaws were fortunate enough to employ a twenty-two year old young man named
After a brief stint with the Ruby Legs Clarkson found his way to the Midwest and to Saginaw in order to hone his skills in the newly formed minor league. In 1883 Clarkson would become the league's most dominant pitcher, and he would play a large part in Saginaw's run towards the league championship. In the following season Clarkson would become the property of the Chicago White Stockings of the National League. The White Stockings were easily one of the most talented teams in the Major Leagues and they were home to some of the nineteenth century's most well known players such as
Clarkson must have clearly felt comfortable back in his home state, because he helped lead the Beaneaters to the league championship in 1891, 1892, and 1893. In 1893 rule changes helped to bring the career of Clarkson to a halt. Previous to 1893 the pitching distance had been a mere 50 feet from home to the pitcher's box. In 1893 the distance was pushed back to its now familiar distance of 60 feet and 6 inches. Clarkson was unable to adjust to the longer pitching distance and he retired at the age of 34.
In his illustrious career Clarkson had completed 94% of his starts, and he won over 30 games in a season 6 different times, but it was in retirement that he made his impact on Bay City. After leaving the Major League Clarkson would make his way back to the Midwest, but this time he would settle in Bay City. It is here that Clarkson made a home for himself, and he became a member of the business community. He and his wife Ella resided at 1102 Center Ave. and he ran a retail cigar and tobacco shop on the Phoenix Block. There is little doubt that as a member of his adopted community Clarkson helped to promote the game of base ball in Bay City, and he may have had more than just a hand in helping to bring the professional game back to the city on the river in 1907. It was in that year that the Bay City Cardinals began play in the Southern Michigan League. In 1909 the city built a new home for its Cardinal team at the end of the trolley line on Center Avenue. The city fathers found it only fitting to name the new ballpark after its number one base ball citizen John G. Clarkson, but three months prior to the dedication ceremony John died in an insane asylum in Massachusetts where he had been seeking treatment. John's wife Ella would represent the family at the ceremony, and the ballpark would carry her husband's name until professional base ball ceased to be played in Bay City in the 1930's. Clarkson's name would not be forgotten after the closing of the ballpark on Center Avenue, because in 1963 he was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame 101 years after his birth.
To say that the Bay City club did not play up to the level of expectations would be an understatement. The Bay City team narrowly escaped the basement of the Northwestern League edging out the Quincy club for seventh place in the eight team league. The lone bright spot to the season was when Foutz defeated Clarkson in their only pitching match-up of the year. The Saginaws would prove to be the better team throughout the season, but on that day the Independents thrashed Clarkson by a score of 7 tallies to 3.