Shad Barry

John Charles "Shad" Barry[1] (October 27, 1878 – November 27, 1936), known also as "Jack" Barry, was an American professional baseball player who spent ten seasons, from 1899 to 1909, in Major League Baseball. Barry was a utility player, having played every position with the exception of catcher and pitcher during his career.

Shad Barry
Utility player
Born: (1878-10-27)October 27, 1878
Newburgh, New York, U.S.
Died: November 27, 1936(1936-11-27) (aged 58)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 30, 1899, for the Washington Senators
Last MLB appearance
October 7, 1908, for the New York Giants
MLB statistics
Batting average.267
Home runs10
Runs batted in391
Teams

Early life

Barry was born in Newburgh, New York.[2] Barry attended Niagara University.[3]

Career

Barry began his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1899. On February 11, 1900, Washington sold him (along with Bill Dineen and Buck Freeman) to the Boston Beaneaters for $7500.[2] On a Boston team that included several .300 hitters, Barry was relegated to a utility player role; he played in 81 games in 1900, leading the league in pinch-hitting appearances.[4][5]

After two seasons, Boston released Barry on May 11, 1901, and he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies five days later. He remained with Philadelphia until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Frank Corridon on July 20, 1904. Chicago later sold him to the Cincinnati Reds on January 20, 1905. Barry had been hitting .212 in 27 games for Chicago, but he hit .324 in 125 games for Cincinnati that year.[4] On July 25, 1906, Barry was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Homer Smoot.[2] He had hit .287 for Cincinnati in 73 games, but he hit only .249 in 62 games with the Cardinals. The Cardinals sold Barry to the New York Giants on August 3, 1908.[2]

In 1909, the Giants sold Barry to the minor league Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association. He played for Milwaukee until 1910 when he was granted a release from his contract. He contacted Walt McCredie, manager of the Portland Beavers in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), and secured a contract for the 1911 season.[6] Barry started wearing eye glasses during the 1911 season, telling The Oregonian, "Certainly I think spectacles will help a batsman [...] This statement may sound far-fetched now, but remember that the catching mitt, the mask, the breast and shin protectors are only recent products."[7] During the final weeks of the 1911 PCL pennant race, The Oregonian featured columns written by Barry.[8] Barry's net worth in 1911 was estimated at $50,000 (equivalent to $1,570,357 in 2022) by Oregonian sports editor Roscoe Fawcett.[9]

In 1100 games over 10 seasons, Barry posted a .267 batting average (1073-for-4014) with 516 runs, 128 doubles, 47 triples, 10 home runs, 391 RBI, 140 stolen bases and 279 bases on balls.[4]

Barry was offered a player-manager role with the Northwestern League Seattle Giants in 1912. Beavers manager Walt McCredie granted Barry his release to sign with the Giants.[10] His tenure with Seattle was tumultuous as he feuded with the team owner Dan Dugdale. According to Barry, his attempts to strengthen the roster with new players was thwarted by Dugdale, who refused to allocate money for the contracts. Barry also accused Dugdale of overstepping his role by making transactions without Barry's knowledge. He resigned his position as manager in May 1912 following an argument with Dugdale in the lobby of the Ridpath Hotel in Spokane, Washington.[11] Dugdale claimed the disagreements stemmed from Barry's lack of leadership.[12] Among Barry's accomplishments at the helm of the Giants was signing "Seattle" Bill James out of Saint Mary's College of California.[13] James was sold to the Boston Braves in 1913 and led the National League in winning percentage in 1914.[14]

The La Grande Pippins of the Western Tri-State League hired Barry as manager for the remainder of the 1912 season for a salary of $300 (equivalent to $9,097 in 2022) per month.[15][16]

Barry was fond of regaling his teammates with stories. During the off-seasons, Barry was a freelance writer who submitted his works to various periodicals.[6] He used his baseball experience to contribute to World War I, coordinating baseball programs for the American Expeditionary Forces.[5]

Death

After his baseball career, Barry provided security for a bank. He developed prostate cancer and died from it at Verdugo Hills Sanitarium in Los Angeles.[17] He was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.[2]

References
  1. "Jack Barry's Wife Sues". Morning Oregonian. No. LIII No. 16, 471. Portland, Oregon. September 9, 1913. p. 15. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  2. "Shad Barry". Retrosheet.org. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  3. "Shad Barry Stats". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  4. "Shad Barry Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  5. Votano, Paul (2003). Stand and Deliver: A History of Pinch-Hitting. McFarland. p. 22. ISBN 9780786484515.
  6. W. J., Petrain (August 13, 1911). "Jack Barry Keeps Beavers All Jolly". The Sunday Oregonian. No. XXX No. 3. Portland, Oregon. p. 14. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  7. Fawcett, Roscoe (July 9, 1911). "Eyeglasses Win Favor". The Sunday Oregonian. No. XXX No. 28. Portland, Oregon. p. 17. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  8. "Fans To Have Details". The Sunday Oregonian. No. XXX No. 40. Portland, Oregon. October 1, 1911. p. 18. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  9. "Stars of Diamond Have Bankrolls". Morning Oregonian. No. LI No. 15, 786. Portland, Oregon. June 27, 1911. p. 7. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  10. "Untitled". Morning Oregonian. No. LI No. 15, 941. Portland, Oregon. December 28, 1911. p. 7. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  11. Baxter, Portus (June 2, 1912). "Barry Says "Save" Is Dugdale's Cry". The Sunday Oregonian. No. XXXI No. 23. Portland, Oregon. p. 23. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  12. Baxter, Portus (June 23, 1912). "Bugs Going Strong". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 22. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  13. "James Is Big Hit". The Sunday Oregonian. No. XXXI No. 20. Portland, Oregon. May 19, 1912. p. 18. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  14. "Bill James Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  15. "La Grande Takes Spirit". Morning Oregonian. No. LII No. 16, 120. Portland, Oregon. July 24, 1912. p. 9. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  16. "Wilson, Buckaroos' Catcher, Leads All Batting". East Oregonian. No. 25. Portland, Oregon. June 11, 1912. p. 6. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  17. Lee, Bill (2009). The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others. McFarland. p. 22. ISBN 9781476609300.
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