Lewis and Clark .... because these two names, while not quite adjacent on the list of most common North American surnames (Clark is at #21, while Lewis lags a bit at #23), are so indelibly tied together historically, here we present BOTH the All-Lewis and All-Clark Hall of Names teams.
Alternate spellings are not eligible; so the 18 Clarkes, including HOF manager Fred Clarke, are right out. However, the Acting Commissioner should these teams ever play each other, of course, would be HOF OF Louis Clark Brock. Sure, he spells his given name differently than the surname in question, but close enough!
"Close enough"? Boy, good thing those explorer guys named Lewis and Clark didn't say that before finishing their cross-country trek.
As always ...
... we will not count the 30-some players who have had the first name Lewis, nor the forty or so who carried that as a middle name; nor the 20 or so middle-named Clarks, or even the one first-named Clark -- who, like Fred Clarke, was a Hall of Fame manager (not to mention a 237-game winner as a RHSP), Clark Griffith.
So, while an outfield of Brock in center flanked by Lewis "Hack" Wilson and Michael Lewis Greenwell would be nice, by these rules, it would actually be entirely illegal. Let's see if we can't fill out a couple of rosters each, one from the 39 surnamed Clarks, and one from -- uh-oh -- the just 18 surnamed Lewises.
Because of the limited number of Lewis candidates, we will limit both of these squads to a starting lineup and a few pitchers, rather than trying to fill out a 25-man roster (which in one case, of course, wouldn't even be logistically possible). Anyway, here we go, starting our own little Lewis & Clark expedition ...
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The St. Lewis Cardinals
**indicates Hall of Famer (none) * indicates All-Star MGR: VACANT
LINEUP
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The Clark Bars
**indicates Hall of Famer (none) * indicates All-Star MGR: VACANT
LINEUP
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Clark Notes: All three Clarks who have made All-Star teams -- Jack, Tony and Will -- primarily played 1B, so some roster shuffling was in order ... Unfortunately, Wee Willie Clark, a fine 19th century .288 hitter over five years, also played 1B and thus does not crack the lineup ... Mark Clark is the top right-handed starting pitcher? Well, unless you want to go with Rickey Clark, who was 19-32 in the late '60s and early '70s ... Among the Clarks who didn't pass the bar (sorry 'bout that) are OFs Dave -- oh good, that means no Chris Berman-esque "Dave Clark Five" jokes -- who hit .264 from 1986-98; Bobby C. Clark. who hit .239 from 1979-85; and Jerald, who finished at .258 during a career that spanned 1988-95 ... Utilityman Owen "Spider" Clark, who hit .262 in 1889-90 and played all nine positions, including one trip to toe the pitching rubber, loses the final roster spot to ex-Jay Howie ...
Lewis Notes: You've got all those Clarks to play 1B, so of all the positions not to be able to fill with a Lewis, who would have guessed 1B? ... Apparently nobody with the surname "Lewis" has ever even played a single defensive inning as a MLB 1B; looks like a lot of throwing errors in the future of the rest of the infield; at least that's something Mark Lewis is familiar with ... There has also never been a left-handed pitcher with the surname "Lewis" in the history of the sport, so all four pitchers on the roster are righties ... OF Johnny Lewis, who hit .227 from 1964-67, is the designated hitter? Well, our only other option appears to be OF Allan Lewis, who his .207 from 1967-73, so we'll go with the guy with the slightly higher batting average who played entirely in the heart of the 1960s pitcher's era ...
As you can see from the "Vacant" signs, nobody with the surname Lewis or Clark has ever managed in the big leagues ... So Bauxites ... can you scout out and discover any better options for either the Lewises or the Clarks?
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