Jimmy Bannon
Encyclopedia
James Henry Bannon was a Major League Baseball
player for the St. Louis Browns
and Boston Beaneaters
. Bannon was primarily an outfielder
, though he played a few games as an infielder and pitched in three games. He stood at 5'5".
and attended the College of the Holy Cross
, where he was a pitcher
for the baseball team. He played in the New England League
in 1890.
In 1893, Bannon started his major league career with the St. Louis Browns. He hit well, and after the season, he signed with the Boston Beaneaters. There, he joined future Hall of Famers Hugh Duffy
and Tommy McCarthy
in the outfield. In 1894, Bannon batted .336 with 130 runs scored and 114 runs batted in for the powerful Boston offense. He also performed well defensively, leading all National League
outfielders with 43 assists. In 1895, he batted a career-high .347. He also helped turn 12 double play
s, tied for second-most double plays turned by a right fielder in a single season.
Bannon slumped badly in 1896, though, and he was released in August. In four years, he appeared in a total of 367 major league games, achieving a lifetime .320 batting average
. Bannon then went down to the minors. From 1899-1902, he played for Toronto in the Eastern League
. In 1899, he led the league with a .341 batting average. He continued playing until 1910 and also managed in five different seasons.
After his playing career was over, Bannon served as a baseball coach at Lehigh University
and the University of New Hampshire
. He was also president of the New England League.
Bannon died in 1948, at the age of 76.
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...
player for the St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and Boston Beaneaters
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....
. Bannon was primarily an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, though he played a few games as an infielder and pitched in three games. He stood at 5'5".
Biography
Bannon was born in Amesbury, MassachusettsAmesbury, Massachusetts
Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Though it officially became a city in 1996, its formal name remains "The Town of Amesbury." In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,283 at...
and attended the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
, where he was a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the baseball team. He played in the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
in 1890.
In 1893, Bannon started his major league career with the St. Louis Browns. He hit well, and after the season, he signed with the Boston Beaneaters. There, he joined future Hall of Famers Hugh Duffy
Hugh Duffy
Hugh Duffy was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.-Career:...
and Tommy McCarthy
Tommy McCarthy
Thomas Francis Michael "Tommy" McCarthy was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.-Career:...
in the outfield. In 1894, Bannon batted .336 with 130 runs scored and 114 runs batted in for the powerful Boston offense. He also performed well defensively, leading all 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...
outfielders with 43 assists. In 1895, he batted a career-high .347. He also helped turn 12 double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s, tied for second-most double plays turned by a right fielder in a single season.
Bannon slumped badly in 1896, though, and he was released in August. In four years, he appeared in a total of 367 major league games, achieving a lifetime .320 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 :...
. Bannon then went down to the minors. From 1899-1902, he played for Toronto in the Eastern League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. In 1899, he led the league with a .341 batting average. He continued playing until 1910 and also managed in five different seasons.
After his playing career was over, Bannon served as a baseball coach at Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
and the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
. He was also president of the New England League.
Bannon died in 1948, at the age of 76.
External links
- Jimmy Bannon at Baseball Almanac