Jimmy Archer
Encyclopedia
James Patrick Archer was an Irish
-born catcher
in Major League Baseball
who spent nearly his entire career with four National League
teams, primarily the Chicago Cubs
, for whom he played from 1909 to 1917. Born in Dublin, he also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
in 1904, the American League
's Detroit Tigers
in 1907, and the Pirates, Brooklyn Robins
and Cincinnati Reds
in 1918. As a catcher, he could remain squatting and still throw out runners attempting to steal
second base due to his unique arm strength, which became his trademark, acquired from the healing of burns that shortened his muscles after an industrial accident in which Archer fell into a vat of boiling sap at the age of 19.
His family immigrated to Montreal
when he was an infant, later moving to Toronto
when he was three; he attended Toronto's De La Salle College
and St. Michael's College School
. He was working at a barrelmaker in Toronto in 1902 when he suffered the burns which led to a three-month hospitalization. In 1903 he began playing baseball in Manitoba
, and in 1904 he joined the Boone, Iowa
team of the Iowa State League
; he married Boone resident Lillian Stark in 1905. In August 1904 he was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he went on to play seven games for the team that season. He later played for Detroit for 18 games during the 1907 season
, and started the fifth and final game of the 1907 World Series
against the Cubs, but was hitless in three at bat
s as the Tigers lost 2-0; both Cub runs followed successful stolen bases against Archer and pitcher George Mullin
. In 1909 he began playing for the Cubs, the team he remained with until 1917; he took over catching duties for Johnny Kling
, one of the top players on the Cubs' pennant winners of 1906 to 1908, who was taking a year off from baseball to pursue other interests. Archer split time with Pat Moran
during the 1909 season
, and with Kling upon his return for the 1910 season
. He played three games en route to the Cubs' 1910 World Series
loss to the Philadelphia Athletics
, and after doubling
with one out, scored the winning run on Jimmy Sheckard
's hit with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 4 – the 4-3 victory giving the Cubs their only win in the Series. However, he had only one other hit in the Series, that coming with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 when the Cubs were trailing 7-2.
In 1911 Archer won the starting job, and Kling was later that season traded to the Boston Rustlers
. Archer ended up finishing 16th in voting for the first Chalmers Award, the first formal MVP award presented in the major leagues. During the 1912
and 1913 seasons
, Archer again earned some votes for the Chalmers Award, finishing 22nd in 1912 and 13th in 1913. He led the NL in assists
in 1912 with 149, but also paced the league with 23 errors
. However, he began to split time at catcher with Roger Bresnahan
in 1914 and 1915. After playing 77 games in 1916 and only two in 1917, Archer was released by the Cubs. Over the course of the 1918 season, he played for three separate teams. He signed as a free agent with the Pirates on March 10, and played 24 games with them. However, he only had a batting average
of .155 during that time and was released. He later played for the Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds for nine games each until his retirement at the end of the season.
After his retirement from baseball, Archer worked as a hog purchaser for the Armour
meat packing company in Chicago. He received a medal from the National Safety Council
in 1931 after using prone pressure resuscitation
to revive two truck drivers who had been overcome by carbon monoxide in the Union Stock Yards
. Archer died at St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
at the age of 74, due to a blocked coronary artery following treatment for spinal tuberculosis
. He was interred at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Boone, Iowa, his wife's hometown. He was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1990.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who spent nearly his entire career with four National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
teams, primarily the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, for whom he played from 1909 to 1917. Born in Dublin, he also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in 1904, the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in 1907, and the Pirates, Brooklyn Robins
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in 1918. As a catcher, he could remain squatting and still throw out runners attempting to steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
second base due to his unique arm strength, which became his trademark, acquired from the healing of burns that shortened his muscles after an industrial accident in which Archer fell into a vat of boiling sap at the age of 19.
His family immigrated to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
when he was an infant, later moving to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
when he was three; he attended Toronto's De La Salle College
De La Salle College (Toronto)
De La Salle College "Oaklands" is an independent co-educational Catholic school in Toronto, Ontario. It is operated by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools as a university preparatory institution in the Roman Catholic tradition as founded by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle in...
and St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
. He was working at a barrelmaker in Toronto in 1902 when he suffered the burns which led to a three-month hospitalization. In 1903 he began playing baseball in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and in 1904 he joined the Boone, Iowa
Boone, Iowa
Boone is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan...
team of the Iowa State League
Iowa State League
The Iowa State League began in 1904 as an eight-team Class D minor league in and around Iowa, United States. The league played four seasons and ceased operations following the 1907 season.-List of teams :...
; he married Boone resident Lillian Stark in 1905. In August 1904 he was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he went on to play seven games for the team that season. He later played for Detroit for 18 games during the 1907 season
1907 Detroit Tigers season
The 1907 Detroit Tigers won the American League pennant with a record of 92-58, but lost to the Chicago Cubs in the 1907 World Series, four games to none . The season was their 7th since they entered the American League in 1901.- Offseason :...
, and started the fifth and final game of the 1907 World Series
1907 World Series
The 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship....
against the Cubs, but was hitless in three at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s as the Tigers lost 2-0; both Cub runs followed successful stolen bases against Archer and pitcher George Mullin
George Mullin (baseball)
George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers...
. In 1909 he began playing for the Cubs, the team he remained with until 1917; he took over catching duties for Johnny Kling
Johnny Kling
John Kling was a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs , Boston Rustlers & Braves , and Cincinnati Reds .-Early years:John Gransfield Kling was born and raised in Kansas City, the son of John and...
, one of the top players on the Cubs' pennant winners of 1906 to 1908, who was taking a year off from baseball to pursue other interests. Archer split time with Pat Moran
Pat Moran
Patrick Joseph Moran was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he led two teams to their first-ever modern-era National League championships: the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1919 Cincinnati Reds...
during the 1909 season
1909 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs won 104 games but finished second in the National League, 6½ games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs had won the pennant the previous three years and would win it again in 1910....
, and with Kling upon his return for the 1910 season
1910 Chicago Cubs season
- Notable transactions :* May 13, 1910: Doc Miller was traded by the Cubs to the Boston Doves for Lew Richie.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
. He played three games en route to the Cubs' 1910 World Series
1910 World Series
The 1910 World Series featured the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs, with the Athletics winning in five games to earn their first championship.Jack Coombs of Philadelphia won three games and Eddie Collins supplied timely hitting...
loss to the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and after doubling
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
with one out, scored the winning run on Jimmy Sheckard
Jimmy Sheckard
Samuel James Tilden "Jimmy" Sheckard was an American left fielder and left-handed leadoff hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Superbas , Baltimore Orioles , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs , St...
's hit with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 4 – the 4-3 victory giving the Cubs their only win in the Series. However, he had only one other hit in the Series, that coming with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 when the Cubs were trailing 7-2.
In 1911 Archer won the starting job, and Kling was later that season traded to the Boston Rustlers
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Archer ended up finishing 16th in voting for the first Chalmers Award, the first formal MVP award presented in the major leagues. During the 1912
1912 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Cubs finishing third in the National League.Third baseman Heinie Zimmerman led the circuit in home runs, batting average, and slugging percentage.- Roster :...
and 1913 seasons
1913 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Cubs finished third in the National League with a record of 88 wins and 65 losses.- Offseason :...
, Archer again earned some votes for the Chalmers Award, finishing 22nd in 1912 and 13th in 1913. He led the NL in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
in 1912 with 149, but also paced the league with 23 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
. However, he began to split time at catcher with Roger Bresnahan
Roger Bresnahan
Roger Philip Bresnahan , nicknamed "The Duke of Tralee" for his Irish roots, was an American player in Major League Baseball who starred primarily as a catcher and a player-manager...
in 1914 and 1915. After playing 77 games in 1916 and only two in 1917, Archer was released by the Cubs. Over the course of the 1918 season, he played for three separate teams. He signed as a free agent with the Pirates on March 10, and played 24 games with them. However, he only had a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .155 during that time and was released. He later played for the Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds for nine games each until his retirement at the end of the season.
After his retirement from baseball, Archer worked as a hog purchaser for the Armour
Armour and Company
Armour & Company was an American slaughterhouse and meatpacking company founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1867 by the Armour brothers, led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company was Chicago's most important business and helped make the city and its Union Stock Yards the center of the...
meat packing company in Chicago. He received a medal from the National Safety Council
National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is a 501 nonprofit, nongovernmental public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressional charter in 1953...
in 1931 after using prone pressure resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
to revive two truck drivers who had been overcome by carbon monoxide in the Union Stock Yards
Union Stock Yards
The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meat packing district in Chicago for over a century starting in 1865. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired swampland, and turned it to a centralized processing area...
. Archer died at St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
at the age of 74, due to a blocked coronary artery following treatment for spinal tuberculosis
Pott's disease
Pott's disease is a presentation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis that affects the spine, a kind of tuberculous arthritis of the intervertebral joints...
. He was interred at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Boone, Iowa, his wife's hometown. He was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
in 1990.
External links
- SABR: Baseball Biography Project
- TheDeadBallEra.com - Archer's grave marker