Jim Bottomley
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| Jim Bottomley | |
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| First baseman | |
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Born: April 23, 1900 Oglesby, Illinois |
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Died: December 11, 1959 (aged 59) St. Louis, Missouri |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| August 18, 1922 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 16, 1937 for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .310 |
| Home runs | 219 |
| Runs batted in | 1,422 |
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As player As manager |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame
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| Induction | 1974 |
| Election Method | Veteran's Committee |
James Leroy Bottomley (April 23, 1900 – December 11, 1959) was born in Oglesby, Illinois and grew up in Nokomis, Illinois. Nicknamed "Sunny Jim" because of his cheerful disposition, he was a left-handed Major League Baseball player. He also served as player-manager for the St. Louis Browns in 1937.
Career
As a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals (1922–1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933–1935) and St. Louis Browns (1936–1937), Bottomley was noted for his upbeat demeanor and ability to drive in runs. He had over 100 RBIs in each season from 1924 to 1929.
Bottomley's best season came in 1928, when he hit .325 with 31 home runs and 136 RBIs. He also became the second Major League player in history to join the 20–20–20 club. That year, he won the National League Most Valuable Player award and led the Cardinals to the World Series, where they lost to the New York Yankees. He was the first player to win an MVP award after beginning his career in his team's farm system.
He set the Major League record for RBIs in a single game, with 12, on September 16, 1924 (since tied by Mark Whiten). Bottomley also holds the single-season record for most unassisted double plays by a first baseman, with eight. "Sunny" is also known as the only man to be sued for hitting a home run when a fan was hit by the ball when he was not looking.
After his career ended, Bottomley moved to the Bourbon, Missouri area, where he raised Hereford cattle. He spent the last years of his life in nearby Sullivan, where he and his wife Betty were eventually laid to rest in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery. The city park in Sullivan is named for him.
A museum in Nokomis, Illinois is dedicated to Bottomley and the Hall of Famers Ray Schalk and Red Ruffing.
Bottomley was the second player in baseball history to hit 20 or more doubles, triples, and home runs in one season (Frank Schulte being the first) and the first of two players (Lou Gehrig being the other) to collect 150 or more doubles, triples, and home runs in a career. He is the only player to achieve both.
Hall of Fame induction
Bottomley was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1974 by the Veterans Committee (VC). Frankie Frisch, a member of the VC at the time, shepherded the selections of teammates Jesse Haines in 1970, Dave Bancroft and Chick Hafey in 1971, Ross Youngs in 1972 and George Kelly in 1973.[1]
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- 20–20–20 club
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball RBI Records
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- Hitting for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- List of Major League Baseball player–managers
References
- ^ Jaffe, Jay (July 28, 2010). "Prospectus Hit and Run: Don't Call it the Veterans' Committee". Baseball Prospectus (Prospectus Entertainment Ventures, LLC). http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=11592. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
External links
- Jim Bottomley at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Jim Bottomley managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- The Deadball Era
- Jim Bottomley at Find a Grave
- Nokomis Illinois, Historical Society of Montgomery County Illinois
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Rogers Hornsby Paul Waner |
National League RBI Champion 1926 1928 |
Succeeded by Paul Waner Hack Wilson |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Rogers Hornsby |
St. Louis Browns Manager 1937 |
Succeeded by Gabby Street |
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