Jack Coffey

John Francis Coffey

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 178 lb.
• School Fordham University
• High School Morris High School (Bronx)
• Debut June 23, 1909
• Final Game September 2, 1918
• Born January 28, 1887 in New York, NY USA
• Died February 14, 1966 in Bronx, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jack Coffey is the only player in baseball history to play with Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in the same season (1918), when he was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the Detroit Tigers. He was the long-time baseball coach (1909-1917, 1919-1921, 1923-1943, 1945-1958) and graduate manager of athletics (1926-1958) at his alma mater, Fordham University. He won 1,160 games and Fordham's baseball field is named in his honor. Hank Borowy was one of his top players.

It was news in 1909 when two graduates from the same college played on the same major league team. Coffey and Dave Shean, both from Fordham, were both playing for the Boston Doves and Sporting Life of July 31 remarked that they were the only two known.

Jack played 110 games for three teams in parts of two seasons in the majors (1909 and 1918), seeing action with both Boston squads. He had a lengthier minor league career. Among other stops, he played five years for Denver and another five years for Des Moines. He also managed 10 seasons in the minors. When he was player-manager for Denver in 1914, he hit .330, while another former big leaguer who was also 27, Hank Butcher, hit .336. He resigned as manager of Denver late in 1915 after a disagreement with the owner (with litigation resulting) and, in the summer of 1916, while playing for the San Francisco Seals, he was beaned.

Sporting Life on April 9, 1910 reported on a different Jack Coffey, an amateur pitcher, who was reporting to Holyoke for a trial.

Notable Achievements

• Won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 1918 (he did not play in the World Series)

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Playoffs	Notes
1914	Denver Bears	Western League	96-72	2nd
1915	Denver Bears	Western League		--	--	replaced by Larry Spahr
1917	Des Moines Boosters	Western League	84-62	1st	League Champs
1918	Des Moines Boosters	Western League	36-31	3rd
1919	Des Moines Boosters	Western League	71-67	4th
1920	Des Moines Boosters	Western League	58-93	8th
1921	Des Moines Boosters	Western League	71-92	7th
1923	Charleston Pals / Macon Peaches	South Atlantic League	64-76	5th	Lost League finals
1924	Decatur Commodores	Three-I League		6th		replaced Ernie Calbert

Related Sites

• Jack Coffey at the SABR Bio Project

This manager's article is missing a managerial chart. To make this person's article more complete, one should be added.