Jack Bolling

John Edward Bolling

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 168 lb.
• School University of Alabama
• Debut June 10, 1939
• Final Game September 20, 1944
• Born February 20, 1917 in Mobile, AL USA
• Died April 13, 1998 in Panama City, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jack Bolling played in the majors in 1939 and 1944. His performance in 1944 was impressive, with a .351 batting average and .496 slugging percentage.

In 1936, the Cincinnati Reds signed Jack and sent the 19-year-old first baseman to the Class D DeLand Reds for his first look. He played 116 games, hit .317 and finished the late part of the season with the Class B Macon Peaches, hitting .359. He was back with Macon in 1937 for the full season and busted up pitchers with a .343 average. The Atlanta Crackers had him in 1938 where he again hit well, batting .319. Jack got in 48 games for the 1939 Atlanta team when they sold him to the Philadelphia Phillies on June 9 for Jennings Poindexter and cash. Jack finished the season with the Phillies, hitting .289 in 69 games.

On April 2, 1940, he was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals and played with both the AA Columbus Red Birds and the AA Sacramento Solons but not up to his previous credentials, hitting at a .220 clip at both spots for the year. From 1941 through 1943, Jack had good years in the high minors and the Brooklyn Dodgers bought him from the Cards before the 1944 season. He saw action in 56 games, hitting .351, before the United States military called. He spent the rest of the season in the Armed Services, making it back just in time for the 1946 season. The Dodgers sent him to the Mobile Bears in the Southern Association, where he appeared in 111 games hitting .284, but Jack, just a few months short of turning 30, chose not to continue in professional baseball after the 1946 season.

Jack had been in professional baseball from 1936 through 1946. In his short time in the majors, he played 125 games with 342 at bats and 107 hits, batting .313. The minors showed considerably more activity: he appeared in 1,084 games with 3,977 at bats and 1,212 hits for a .304 average.

Jack was the uncle of Milt and Frank Bolling, both major league infielders. Milt was active from 1948 through 1958 and Frank from 1954 through 1966. Jack was retired and living in Panama City, FL when he died on April 13, 1998 at 81.

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page