Jimmy Slagle

From BR Bullpen

James Franklin Slagle (Rabbit or Shorty)

Bats Left, Throws Right
Height 5' 7", Weight 144 lb.

Debut April 17, 1899
Final Game October 3, 1908
Born July 11, 1873 in Worthville, PA USA
Died May 10, 1956 in Chicago, IL USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Jimmy Slagle played ten seasons in the major leagues. He was the center fielder on the 1906-08 Chicago Cubs teams which won the pennant each year. Some consider the 1906 Cubs to be the greatest major league team ever.

Slagle had been the batting champ in 1898 in the Western League, and made his major league debut in 1899 as a center fielder. In 1900-04, he played left field and right field primarily, moving back to center in 1905.

He was a regular on the 1900 Philadelphia Phillies, a team which also featured Nap Lajoie, Ed Delahanty, and Elmer Flick. The next year he was released, however, in mid-season and picked up by the 1901 Boston Beaneaters whose manager was Frank Selee. The following year when Selee managed the 1902 Chicago Orphans, Slagle came there.

Slagle was not a particularly young player to be in center field in 1906-08, since he was 32 years old in 1906. His best year as a hitter had been in 1902, when he hit .315 with 40 stolen bases, and while his batting declined over the years, he continued to steal bases, with 60 stolen bases during 1906-08.

The most similar player to Slagle, according to the similarity scores method through 2006, is Burt Shotton, who came to the majors the year after Slagle finished up.

After his baseball career, Slagle owned a Chicago laundry service.

There have been four major league players with the last name "Slagle" as of 2006, of which Jimmy was the second.

[edit] Notable Achievements

100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1900 & 1903)
Won two World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 1907 and 1908 (he did not play in the 1908 World Series) He was also a starter on the 1906 Chicago Cubs team which won 116 games and set a record for winning percentage that still stands today.