Jack Clements

John J. Clements (July 24, 1864 – May 23, 1941) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for 17 seasons. Despite being left-handed, Clements caught 1,076 games, almost four times as many as any other left-handed player in major league history and was the last left-hander to catch on a regular basis. He is credited with being the first catcher to wear a chest protector.

Baseball career Born in Philadelphia, Clements began his major league career in 1884 in the Union Association. He played as a catcher/outfielder for the Philadelphia Keystones until the team folded in August. Clements then went to the National League, signing with the Philadelphia Quakers to finish the year. During the 1890s, he established himself as one of the National League's top hitters, finishing among the top 4 in batting average on 3 occasions.

After the 1897 season, Clements was traded to the St. Louis Browns. He played one season for the Browns, during which he became the first player (of either handedness) to catch 1,000 games in his career. Clements is also the only 19th-century baseball player of prominence to retire with more home runs than triples. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

In his Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James ranked Clements as the 58th greatest catcher in baseball history.