Jimmie Wilson

James Wilson
(Ace)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 200 lb.

• Debut April 17, 1923
• Final Game September 29, 1940
• Born July 23, 1900 in Philadelphia, PA USA
• Died May 31, 1947 in Bradenton, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jimmie Wilson was 42 when World War II began. He had played in the major leagues in the 1920s and 1930s and managed the Chicago Cubs in the 1942 and 1943 seasons. He was relieved of that job 10 games into the 1944 season and then became a coach for the Cincinnati Reds. In 1944, the Cubs won on opening day, then lost their next 9 games under Wilson, who was dismissed after losing both ends of a doubleheader on April 30. Interim manager Roy Johnson lost his one game at the helm, then Charlie Grimm opened his tenure with 3 straight losses and one win in his first seven games. He was not in the Armed Forces but his son, Lieutenant Robert Wilson, 21, and a graduate of Princeton University, was a bombardier on a B29 and killed when the plane exploded on a training mission in India in 1944.

In 1940, he was a full-time coach and little-used 40-year old back-up when the Cincinnati Reds's regular catcher, Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi, injured an ankle a few days before the start of the World Series; Lombardi's regular back-up that year had been Willard Hershberger, but he had tragically committed suicide in early August. Wilson was forced to play regularly and shined, hitting .353 and playing excellent defense as the Reds beat the Detroit Tigers in seven games. On May 13th of that same year, he had been pressed into serve as a fill-in umpire in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals when someone had failed to assign umpires; the game was delayed for half an hour while Larry Goetz, who was on an off-day, was summoned from home and Wilson and Cardinals pitcher Lon Warneke worked the bases. Wilson was used to the money games, however, as he had served as the St. Louis Cardinals catcher during their three World Series appearances in 1928, 1930 and 1931.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NL All-Star (1933 & 1935)
• Won two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (1931) and the Cincinnati Reds (1940)

Preceded by Burt Shotton

Philadelphia Phillies Manager 1934-1938

Succeeded by Doc Prothro

Preceded by Gabby Hartnett

Chicago Cubs Manager 1941-1944

Succeeded by Charlie Grimm

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1934	Philadelphia Phillies	National League	56-93	7th	Philadelphia Phillies
1935	Philadelphia Phillies	National League	64-89	7th	Philadelphia Phillies
1936	Philadelphia Phillies	National League	54-100	8th	Philadelphia Phillies
1937	Philadelphia Phillies	National League	61-92	7th	Philadelphia Phillies
1938	Philadelphia Phillies	National League	45-103	--	Philadelphia Phillies		replaced by Hans Lobert on October 2
1941	Chicago Cubs	National League	70-84	6th	Chicago Cubs
1942	Chicago Cubs	National League	68-86	6th	Chicago Cubs
1943	Chicago Cubs	National League	74-79	5th	Chicago Cubs
1944	Chicago Cubs	National League	1-9	--	Chicago Cubs		replaced by Roy Johnson on May 3

Related Sites

• Jimmie Wilson at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page