Jim Hart

James Abner Hart

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown

• Born July 10, 1855 in Girard, PA USA
• Died July 18, 1919 in Chicago, IL USA

BR Manager page

Biographical Information

"He proved himself a shrewd and conservative manager, and every club he has handled has made money." - from the book A History of the Boston Base Ball Club, 1897

Jim Hart managed for three years in the majors, most notably in 1889 when his team, the Boston Beaneaters, finished only one game out of first place. They actually had as many wins as the top team, the New York Giants, but lost more games.

On the Beaneaters he managed players such as Dan Brouthers, King Kelly, John Clarkson, and Old Hoss Radbourn.

Sources say he began playing baseball in 1871 while in school, and later managed and became a baseball executive. He also owned a couple of clubs, including the Chicago Cubs. In 1891, he replaced Al Spalding as team President in Chicago. He clashed repeatedly with team manager and icon Cap Anson, who was also a minority stockholder and had expected to be named President himself. When Anson's contract as manager expired after the 1897 season, he decided to simply let him go, and when he gave him an opportunity to buy a majority of shares in the team, it was with the full knowledge that Anson would likely be unable to round up enough investors to allow him to do so. Thus Hart, who had the wherewithal to find such investors, bought Spalding's shares in 1901, and a now powerless Anson relented and sold his last remaining shares in 1905, and never exerted any influence on the business of baseball after that.

He is not to be confused with the San Francisco Giants third baseman from the 1960s, Jim Ray Hart.

Preceded by John Morrill

Boston Beaneaters Manager 1889

Succeeded by Frank Selee

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1885	Louisville Colonels	American Association	53-59	6th	Louisville Colonels
1886	Louisville Colonels	American Association	66-70	4th	Louisville Colonels
1887	Milwaukee Milwaukees	Northwest League	78-43	2nd	none
1888	Milwaukee Milwaukees	Western Association	61-63	5th	none
1889	Boston Beaneaters	National League	83-45	2nd	Boston Beaneaters

Related Sites

• Obituary from the New York Times