Jimmy Outlaw
Encyclopedia
James Paulus Outlaw was an outfielder
and third baseman
who played in Major League Baseball
between the and season. He Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
, Jimmy Outlaw was signed by the Cincinatti Reds in 1934 out of Auburn University
, where he was a member of the Auburn Tigers
baseball team. Basically a contact hitter, he lacked power but was a slick fielder at third base, having quick feets, good hands and a strong throwing arm.
levels before gaining a promotion to the Reds in May 1937. He hit a .273 batting average
for Cincinnati in 49 games, as a backup for incumbent third baseman Lew Riggs
.
In 1938 Outlaw appeared in just four games, being used exclusively in pinch run
situations. By the end of the season, he was part of successive transactions between the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals
, Brooklyn Dodgers
and Boston Bees
, which included players as Buddy Hassett
, Ira Hutchinson
, Lew Krausse and Gene Moore.
Outlaw hit .263 in 65 games for the Bees in 1939, but with Hank Majeski
as everyday third baseman at Boston, he became expandable and was dealt to the Buffalo Bisons
of the International League
at the end of the season.
From 1940 through 1943 Outlaw hit .279 and 25 home run
s in 563 games for Buffalo, earning a return to the majors in the 1943 midseason with the Detroit Tigers
. He made a smooth transition to outfield, while hitting .269 in 20 games.
(69) hits
(146), doubles
(20), triples
(6), homers (3), RBI
(57) and games played
(139). Prior to 1944, Outlaw had never played in more than 65 games. He also made 137 appearances at outfield, playing at all three outfield positions while ranking fourth in the American League
with 14 assist
s. He played 71 games at left field, six at center and 60 at right, to combine a collective fielding average
of .967.
, returned from World War II
during the midseason.
Outlaw moved to third base to make room for Greenberg to play left field. Besides this, Outlaw played 21 games at third base in the regular season and started all seven games of the World Series
at third base. He hit .179 (5-for-28) in the Series, scoring one run while driving in three more. Detroit beat the Chicago Cubs
, during what turned out to be the last time the Cubs appeared in the World Series.
For the next four years Outlaw was relegated to a utility role
in Detroit. He later played in the Florida International League
in 1950, retiring at the end of the season.
s, and a .333 on-base percentage.
, and became active in community service.
Jimmy Outlaw died in his home of Jackson at the age of 93. At the time of his death, he was the third oldest living Tigers player, behind Eddie Mayo
and Elden Auker
.
Interestingly, Outlaw (April 9), Auker (August 4) and Mayo (November 27) all died in 2006.
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...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
who played 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...
between the and season. He Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
Early life
Born in Orme, TennesseeOrme, Tennessee
Orme is a town in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 145 as of 2007. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Orme is located at ....
, Jimmy Outlaw was signed by the Cincinatti Reds in 1934 out of Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, where he was a member of the Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
baseball team. Basically a contact hitter, he lacked power but was a slick fielder at third base, having quick feets, good hands and a strong throwing arm.
Professional career
Outlaw played at four different Minor leaguesMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
levels before gaining a promotion to the Reds in May 1937. He hit a .273 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 :...
for Cincinnati in 49 games, as a backup for incumbent third baseman Lew Riggs
Lew Riggs
Lewis Sidney Riggs born in Mebane, North Carolina was a Third Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals , Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers ....
.
In 1938 Outlaw appeared in just four games, being used exclusively in pinch run
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
situations. By the end of the season, he was part of successive transactions between the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals
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...
, Brooklyn Dodgers
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 Boston Bees
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....
, which included players as Buddy Hassett
Buddy Hassett
John Aloysius "Buddy" Hassett , was a professional baseball player who played first base in Major League Baseball from 1936-1942....
, Ira Hutchinson
Ira Hutchinson
Ira Kendall Hutchinson was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1933-1945. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was later a manager in the Chicago White Sox minor league system from 1951-1970....
, Lew Krausse and Gene Moore.
Outlaw hit .263 in 65 games for the Bees in 1939, but with Hank Majeski
Hank Majeski
Henry Majeski was an American professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from to for the Boston Bees/Boston Braves , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Athletics , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles...
as everyday third baseman at Boston, he became expandable and was dealt to the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the International 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...
at the end of the season.
From 1940 through 1943 Outlaw hit .279 and 25 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 563 games for Buffalo, earning a return to the majors in the 1943 midseason with the 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...
. He made a smooth transition to outfield, while hitting .269 in 20 games.
Best season
Outlaw had his best statistical year in 1944, his first full season, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.273), runsRun (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(69) hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(146), doubles
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....
(20), triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(6), homers (3), RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(57) and games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(139). Prior to 1944, Outlaw had never played in more than 65 games. He also made 137 appearances at outfield, playing at all three outfield positions while ranking fourth in 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...
with 14 assist
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...
s. He played 71 games at left field, six at center and 60 at right, to combine a collective fielding average
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .967.
1945 World Series
In 1945, Outlaw started as the Tigers' primary left fielder in 82 games. He also played 17 games at center and eight at right, while hitting .271 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 132 games. After Detroit slugger Hank GreenbergHank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
, returned from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
during the midseason.
Outlaw moved to third base to make room for Greenberg to play left field. Besides this, Outlaw played 21 games at third base in the regular season and started all seven games of the World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
at third base. He hit .179 (5-for-28) in the Series, scoring one run while driving in three more. Detroit beat 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...
, during what turned out to be the last time the Cubs appeared in the World Series.
For the next four years Outlaw was relegated to a utility role
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
in Detroit. He later played in the Florida International League
Florida International League
The Florida International League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in American and Cuban minor league baseball that existed from 1946 through July 27, 1954. It was designated Class C for its first three seasons, then upgraded to Class B in 1949 for the final 5½ years of its existence.The FIL...
in 1950, retiring at the end of the season.
Career statistics
In a 10-season major league career, Outlaw was a .268 hitter (529-for-1974) with six home runs and 184 RBI in 650 games, including 257 runs, 79 doubles, 17 triples, 24 stolen baseStolen 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...
s, and a .333 on-base percentage.
Life after baseball
Following his playing career, Outlaw worked for the Dairy Fresh Milk Co. in Jackson, AlabamaJackson, Alabama
Jackson is a city in Clarke County, Alabama, United States. The population was 5,228 at the 2010 census. It is one of three wet settlements in an otherwise-dry county.-Geography:Jackson is located at coordinates . According to the U.S...
, and became active in community service.
Jimmy Outlaw died in his home of Jackson at the age of 93. At the time of his death, he was the third oldest living Tigers player, behind Eddie Mayo
Eddie Mayo
Edward Joseph Mayo , nicknamed "Hotshot" and "Steady Eddie," was a professional baseball infielder...
and Elden Auker
Elden Auker
Elden le Roy Auker was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball noted for his submarine pitching style....
.
Interestingly, Outlaw (April 9), Auker (August 4) and Mayo (November 27) all died in 2006.