Jimmy Slagle

James Franklin Slagle
(Rabbit or Shorty)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 144 lb.

• Debut April 17, 1899
• Final Game October 3, 1908
• Born July 11, 1873 in Worthville, PA USA
• Died May 10, 1956 in Chicago, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jimmy Slagle played ten seasons in the major leagues. He was the center fielder on the Chicago Cubs teams which won the pennant each year from 1906 to 1908. Some consider the 1906 Cubs to be the greatest major league team ever.

Slagle had been the batting champ in 1898 in the Western League, and made his major league debut in 1899 as a center fielder. From 1900 to 1904, he played left field and right field primarily, moving back to center in 1905.

He was a regular on the Philadelphia Phillies in 1900, a team which also featured Nap Lajoie, Ed Delahanty and Elmer Flick. The next year he was released, however, in mid-season and picked up by the Boston Beaneaters whose manager was Frank Selee. The following year, 1902 when Selee managed the Chicago Orphans, Slagle came there.

Slagle was not a particularly young player to be in center field in 1906-1908, since he was 32 years old in 1906. His best year as a hitter had been in 1902, when he hit .315 with 40 stolen bases, and while his batting declined over the years, he continued to steal bases, with 60 stolen bases during 1906-1908. He was on two World Series-winning teams, in 1907 and 1908 and also was a starter on the 1906 Chicago Cubs team which won 116 games and set a record for winning percentage that still stands today.

The most similar player to Slagle, according to the similarity scores method through 2006, is Burt Shotton, who came to the majors the year after Slagle finished up.

After his baseball career, Slagle owned a Chicago laundry service.

There have been four major league players with the last name "Slagle" as of 2006, of which Jimmy was the second.

Notable Achievements

• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1900 & 1903)
• Won two World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 1907 and 1908 (he did not play in the 1908 World Series)

Related Sites

• Jimmy Slagle at the SABR Bio Project
• Baseball History Daily article on Jimmy Slagle