Joe Birmingham
Encyclopedia
Joseph Leo Birmingham was a baseball player. Birmingham was an outfielder who occasionally played the infield for the Cleveland Naps
. He was a mediocre hitter, but he had one of the strongest throwing arms and he was a fine defensive center fielder. He was named the manager of the Naps in at the age of 28 after Harry Davis was fired, and he stayed at the helm for three more seasons.
His tenure was marked with a bit of controversy in which would be his best finish as manager (86-66, 3rd place). Nap Lajoie
, who was Birmingham's former manager, struggled through a hitting slump in mid-season and Birmingham decided to bench the future Hall of Famer at one point. Lajoie who had no love for Birmingham was outraged and cursed out the young manager to his face and in the press. The feud only ended when Lajoie was sold back to Philadelphia after the 1914 season.
His next season would be a disaster, as the Naps lost 102 games, and in , he was fired after only 28 games. He managed the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
in 1916, but was replaced late in the season.
Birmingham died in Tampico
, Tamaulipas
, Mexico
in 1946 at the age of 61.
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. He was a mediocre hitter, but he had one of the strongest throwing arms and he was a fine defensive center fielder. He was named the manager of the Naps in at the age of 28 after Harry Davis was fired, and he stayed at the helm for three more seasons.
His tenure was marked with a bit of controversy in which would be his best finish as manager (86-66, 3rd place). Nap Lajoie
Nap Lajoie
Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie , also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island...
, who was Birmingham's former manager, struggled through a hitting slump in mid-season and Birmingham decided to bench the future Hall of Famer at one point. Lajoie who had no love for Birmingham was outraged and cursed out the young manager to his face and in the press. The feud only ended when Lajoie was sold back to Philadelphia after the 1914 season.
His next season would be a disaster, as the Naps lost 102 games, and in , he was fired after only 28 games. He managed the Toronto Maple Leafs 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...
in 1916, but was replaced late in the season.
Birmingham died in Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
, Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1946 at the age of 61.