Jim Bagby Jr.
James Charles Jacob Bagby Jr. (September 8, 1916 – September 2, 1988) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted and threw right-handed. His father, Jim Sr., was also a major league pitcher who played with Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh between 1912 and 1923.[1]
| Jim Bagby Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: September 8, 1916 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: September 2, 1988 (aged 71) Marietta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1938, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1947, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 97–96 |
| Earned run average | 3.96 |
| Strikeouts | 431 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bagby played with the Red Sox (twice), Indians and Pirates in a span of ten years. He posted a 97–96 record with 431 strikeouts and a 3.96 ERA in 16661⁄3 innings pitched, including 84 complete games and 13 shutouts. He was the Indians pitcher in the July 17, 1941 game which ended Joe DiMaggio's famous 56-game hitting streak.[2]
Bagby reached his career high of 17 wins in each of his All-Star seasons, in 1942 and 1943, and led the American League in starts both years with 35 and 33, respectively. After that, he served much of 1944 in the US Merchant Marine and never won more than eight games in a regular season.
As a hitter, Bagby was a better than average hitting pitcher in the majors, posting a .226 batting average (140-for-620) with 59 runs, 3 home runs and 56 RBI. He was used as a pinch hitter 18 times in his career.
Following his baseball career, Bagby became a professional golf player. In 1992, he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Bagby died in Marietta, Georgia, six days before his 72nd birthday. Bagby maintained a lifelong dislike of sports writers, as he was born with a cleft palate and was often made fun of by them for his appearance.
Facts
- The Bagbys became the first father-and-son combination to pitch in the World Series when Jim Jr. appeared for the 1946 Red Sox. Jim Sr. pitched with the 1920 Indians.[3]
- Bagby is one of three pitchers in major league history to have three putouts in an inning. He did it in 1940, while playing for the Boston Red Sox. The others are Bob Heffner, also with the Red Sox in 1963, and Rick Reuschel with the Chicago Cubs in 1975.[4] Jim Battle also had three putouts in an inning, but he was not a pitcher.
- Bagby, along with Al Smith, were the pitchers who ended Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.[5]
References
- Schneider, Russell (2004). The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia (third ed.). Sports Publishing LLC. p. 134. ISBN 9781582618401. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- Joe DiMaggio ends 56-game hitting streak http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/joe-dimaggio-ends-56-game-hitting-streak
- Baseball: A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats & Firsts/1994. Sterling Publishing Company Incorporated. 1994. p. 490. ISBN 9780883657850.
- Baseball Record Book, 1983. Sporting News Publishing Company. 1983. p. 220. ISBN 9780892041138. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- Kennedy, Kostya (2011). 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports. Time Home Entertainment. pp. 256–257. ISBN 9781603204514. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Jim Bagby at The Baseball Page at the Wayback Machine (archived December 17, 2006)
- Jim Bagby Jr. - Baseballbiography.com
- Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Jim Bagby Jr. at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
- Jim Bagby at Retrosheet