Jimmy Austin
James Philip Austin
(Pepper)
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 5' 7½", Weight 155 lb.
- Debut April 19, 1909
- Final Game October 6, 1929
- Born December 8, 1879 in Swansea, Wales
- Died March 6, 1965 in Laguna Beach, CA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"I guess most people must have thought I was crazy. Twenty-four years old and leaving a good job to go off and play a boys' game. After just finishing four years of apprenticeship, too, and finally getting to be a full-fledged machinist. In a way, I guess it did look like I was off my rocker. But it all depends on how you look at it. Me, I was always crazy about baseball." - Jimmy Austin, speaking with Lawrence S. Ritter for his 1966 book The Glory of Their Times
Jimmy Austin was a long-time regular third baseman for the New York Highlanders and St. Louis Browns during the deadball era. A slick fielder, he also stole bases and drew many walks. He was a player-manager for the team for parts of three years, serving as Branch Rickey's "Sunday manager" during "The Mahatma"'s time as Browns manager, and was a coach for the team from 1923 to 1932, making a couple cameo appearances as a player. Later, he also coached for the Chicago White Sox from 1933 to 1935, 1937, 1939 and 1940.
| Preceded by George Stovall |
St. Louis Browns Manager 1913 |
Succeeded by Branch Rickey |
| Preceded by Fielder Jones |
St. Louis Browns Manager 1918 |
Succeeded by Jimmy Burke |
| Preceded by Lee Fohl |
St. Louis Browns Manager 1923 |
Succeeded by George Sisler |
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | St. Louis Browns | American League | 2-6 | -- | St. Louis Browns | Replaced George Stovall (50-84) on September 7/ Replaced by Branch Rickey on September 17 | |
| 1918 | St. Louis Browns | American League | 7-9 | -- | St. Louis Browns | Replaced Fielder Jones (22-24) on June 14/ Replaced by Jimmy Burke on June 28 | |
| 1923 | St. Louis Browns | American League | 22-29 | 5th | St. Louis Browns | Replaced Lee Fohl (52-49) on August 8 |
Further Reading[edit]
- Lawrence Ritter: The Glory of Their Times, The Macmillan Company, New York, NY, 1966, pp. 70-82.
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