Clarence Kraft

{{short description|American baseball player (1887–1958)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Clarence Kraft

|position=First baseman

|image=Clarence Kraft.jpg

|caption=Kraft in 1914

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{birth date|1887|6|9|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Evansville, Indiana

|death_date={{death date and age|1958|3|26|1887|6|9}}

|death_place=Fort Worth, Texas

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 1

|debutyear=1914

|debutteam=Boston Braves

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 15

|finalyear=1914

|finalteam=Boston Braves

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.333

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=0

|teams=

• Boston Braves ({{Baseball year|1914}})

}}

Clarence Otto Kraft (June 9, 1887 – March 26, 1958) was an American Major League Baseball player. He played in three games for the Boston Braves in {{Baseball year|1914}}, but only appeared once in the field (at first base). He went 1-for-3 at the plate with one strikeout.

His greater claims to fame came later, in the minor leagues. The first came immediately after his Major League career ended. The Braves had acquired Kraft from the Brooklyn Robins, and returned Kraft to them in July. Brooklyn tried to send Kraft to the minor leagues, but Kraft sought the protection of the newly formed Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players of America, which under the terms of a new agreement with the Major League teams would allow Kraft to tender his services to higher-classed minor league teams. Under this clause, Kraft signed with the Class AA Newark Indians. However, the National Commission ruled that the rule could not be applied retroactively, and that Kraft's rights belonged to the Class A Nashville Volunteers. Kraft refused to report to the Volunteers, however, and the dispute was only settled when Robins owner Charles Ebbets paid Nashville $2,500 to rescind their claim on Kraft.[http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=4 Minor League Baseball Top 100 Teams: #4, 1924 Fort Worth Panthers]

Later, playing for the Fort Worth Panthers, Kraft led the Texas League in home runs three straight times ({{Baseball year|1922}}–{{Baseball year|1924}}). In 1924, he hit 55 home runs and drove in 196 runs for the Panthers while batting .349. That season, he set several league records that stand to this day, including most runs scored (150), extra base hits (96), total bases (414) and runs batted in. Following the season, he announced his retirement and opened an auto dealership. He later served as a judge for Tarrant County before his death in 1958.