Jack Bracken

John James Bracken

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut August 7, 1901
• Final Game September 27, 1901
• Born April 14, 1881 in Cleveland, OH USA
• Died July 16, 1954 in Highland Park, MI USA

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Biographical Information

Jack Bracken caused a furor in the very first game he pitched in the majors. Pitching for the Cleveland Blues on August 7, 1901, he started against the Milwaukee Brewers, and in the 9th inning, with two men on base, came to the plate as a batter and smacked a long ball which hit on the foul line. Cleveland scored two runs to win the game, and Milwaukee had a fit. Player-manager Hugh Duffy, in arguing the play, hit the umpire on the jaw. Source: Sporting Life, August 17, 1901.

Jack started 12 games that year for the Blues, winning 4 and losing 8. He also hit .227, better than most pitchers on the team. He was 20 years old.

Jack also pitched two years in pro ball outside of the majors, but got some attention 50 years after his major league debut when he attended (along with other players from the 1901 season) a Boston Red Sox game on May 15, 1951 honoring the old-timers. It was a game in which Ted Williams hit his 300th home run and Nellie Fox, who rarely hit home runs, had his first. [1]

Related Sites

• Jack Bracken at the SABR Bio Project