Jim Kirby, 86; Played in Three Games For The 1949 Chicago Cubs
Bill Schenley
and Nashville-native Jim Kirby passed away
on July 17 at age 86. This interview between
Kirby and Bill Traughber is from 2001.
Looking Back: Jim Kirby Remembered
Photo: http://snurl.com/omh7n
FROM: The Nashville Sounds ~
by Bill Traughber
When you got in a pinch and needed a good hitter,
Jim Kirby was your man.
In fact, statistics show the Nashville native owns a
.500 career batting average as a pinch-hitter in the
Major Leagues.
The bad news is that he only got a chance to play
in the Big Show three times, once as a pinch-runner
and twice as a pinch-hitter. That's despite the fact
that he put up good numbers in the minors. Kirby
finally got a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 1949
when the Chicago Cubs called him up from their
minor league team in Dallas.
"I was nervous when I approached the plate for the
first time, but I wasn't really excited about it," said
Kirby about his first at-bat in Cincinnati's Crosley
Field. "In the first game, I hit a line drive into right
center. The pitcher was Bud Lively.
"In my second at-bat, I was once again sent up as
a pinch hitter against Harry Brecheen of St. Louis.
This was in Wrigley Field and the field was slow and
wet due to a recent rain. I hit the ball sharply, right
through the box. I thought it was a base hit, but
Marty Marion, the shortstop, fielded the ball and
threw me out by a step."
Kirby was raised in South Nashville and learned to
play baseball at Dudley Park, then located across
the street from the old Purina Mills plant (near Greer
Stadium). In 1941, a Cincinnati scout noticed the
18-year-old shagging baseballs at Dudley Park and
wound up signing a contract.
Kirby attended the old Falls Grammar School near
the corner of Eighth Ave. and Chestnut St. This was
during the latter part of the Depression and Kirby
worked to help his family. He was unable to proceed
to high school, and, therefore leaped at the opportunity
to travel and play baseball as a professional.
"In my first minor league assignment I went to
Cordele, Ga., in 1941," said the 78-year-old Kirby
from his Nashville home. "I didn't do real well, but
I stayed the entire year. Then I was drafted and was
in the service until the end of the war in 1945. I would
like to have played service baseball like some of the
other guys, but they gave me war things to do."
After returning to Nashville, Kirby was invited for
a tryout in Texas for a Class C team that he made in
1946. His outstanding play earned him a two-year
contract with Shreveport of the Texas League. The
Cubs drafted Kirby at the end of his second season
and invited him to their spring training camp in 1949.
"After camp in Arizona, the Cubs sent me home to play
for the (Nashville) Vols," Kirby said. "That was my
hometown. I didn't want to play baseball in my
hometown because there was too much pressure.
I came home and starting hitting real good. Buster
Boguskie was our second baseman.
In Nashville, Kirby appeared in 32 games, batting .279.
But, there were expectations to do better.
"Every time I would go down town and I wasn't hitting
well, somebody would always say something to me.
I felt a lot of pressure. The Cubs called down here and
wanted to put me on third base. Well, I had only played
centerfield all my life and I didn't much like it. But, being
young like I was, I guess I made a mistake and told them
if they can use me in Chicago, send me there."
Instead, Kirby was sent to Dallas of the Texas League.
He would be called to the Windy City later that season for
his only major league experience. In his third and final
game, he became a pinch runner in Boston against the
Braves.
"I wasn't really shocked when they called me up," said
Kirby. "When I went into the games, it was for defense,
maybe for a couple of innings. I didn't like that too well
because I always played. I played everyday. That was
just one thing I didn't like about being with Chicago.
"I was told, and led to believe, that I had made the
ballclub. Charlie Grimm (Cubs manager) called me into
his office and told me I was going to be his fourth
outfielder. That made me feel good and I couldn't say
no. I wasn't the type of player that could come off the
bench and do much.
"Then to this day, I have never understood this, but they
sent me back to Dallas. I was so sure that I was on the
team. They gave my wife and I a card that would get us
into any ballpark in the country. I still have that card."
Kirby concluded that 1949 season in Dallas. For the next
few years he played in the minors mostly in Texas. One
of his best seasons occurred in 1955 at Port Arthur
where he hit .376. The following year, he won the league's
batting title with a .358 average, 11 home runs and 105
runs-batted-in. Kirby was also a member of the All-Star
teams while in Fort Arthur.
At this time in his life, Kirby was 33 years old and no
longer a major league prospect. He was beginning to
contemplate retirement from professional baseball.
Kirby would conclude his career at Syracuse, NY.
"I knew a man that was managing in Syracuse," Kirby
said. "He and Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League
wanted me very badly. I more or less went with the one
that gave me the most money, which was $1,500 a month.
I don't mind telling you that at time it looked like $15,000.
So, I took Class Single-A Syracuse. Sacramento only
wanted to give me half of it and the other half if I stayed
30 days. That's the way that worked back at that time."
Kirby decided to end his baseball career in 1957 after
injuring his foot in Syracuse. He brought his family to
Nashville where he played City League baseball for three
seasons with the Gallatin Blues. The league honored him
as the Most Valuable Player, consistently hitting in the high
.300's. The Blues won the City championship in each of
those three years.
"As far as the big leagues, I really didn't care if I stayed or
not," said Kirby. "Living in Chicago was so expensive.
I had a wife and kids and the apartments weren't cheap.
It felt like I was better off in the minors making $600.00
a month. We played baseball because we really loved the
game. While traveling around, you might get your sleep
laying on a pile of bats or something in the back of the
bus."
While Kirby is at peace about his short tenure in the major
leagues, there was an indication he might return.
"During the 1950's the Wheaties Company kept sending
me Wheaties' cereal by the cartons," Kirby said. "I didn't
have my picture on it, but they kept sending me Wheaties
for a long time. They did that for a lot of the prospects
that they thought were going back to the major leagues.
I ate them, too. Back then you could make a meal out of
a box of Wheaties. Those kids of mine loved them."
---
Stats:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kirbyji01.shtml
Thanks to Jack Morris from SABR for this death notice.
bizook
> Note: Former Chicago Cub, Nashville Vol
> and Nashville-native Jim Kirby passed away
> on July 17 at age 86. This interview between
> Kirby and Bill Traughber is from 2001.
>
> Looking Back: Jim Kirby Remembered
>
> FROM: The Nashville Sounds ~
> by Bill Traughber
>
> When you got in a pinch and needed a good hitter,
> Jim Kirby was your man.
>
> In fact, statistics show the Nashville native owns a
> .500 career batting average as a pinch-hitter in the
> Major Leagues.
>
> The bad news is that he only got a chance to play
> in the Big Show three times, once as a pinch-runner
> and twice as a pinch-hitter. That's despite the fact
> that he put up good numbers in the minors. Kirby
> finally got a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 1949.....
"Cup of coffee"? That's hardly even a sip!
RIP
-andy
NickCC
>
> - Show quoted text -
And he batted .500! Way better than that piker Ty Cobb