St. Louis Browns shortstop Jim Levey was born on September 13, 1906 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A two-sport athlete and two-time US military veteran, Levey would go down in history as the first to wear the number '1' for the Browns organization.
Jim Levey began his 17-year baseball career with the Salisbury Indians of the Eastern Shore L
St. Louis Browns shortstop Jim Levey was born on September 13, 1906 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A two-sport athlete and two-time US military veteran, Levey would go down in history as the first to wear the number '1' for the Browns organization.
Jim Levey began his 17-year baseball career with the Salisbury Indians of the Eastern Shore League in 1927. He would then enlist in the US Marines in 1928, but continue to play baseball with the Quantico Devil Dogs in 1928. While playing baseball in the service, he would be discovered by Browns' scout Tom Keady who would later sign him with St. Louis. After receiving his honorable discharge from the Marines, he was assigned to the Tulsa Oilers (1929) and Wichita Falls Spudders (1930) to get him ready for the Major Leagues.
Jim Levey would make his MLB debut on September 17, 1930. He would have one of is best games of his career in his debut, going 2-for 4 with a double, a run scored, and three RBIs, in a 9-8 victory over the New York Yankees. The Browns would make Levey their starting shortstop in 1931, moving veteran Red Kress to third base. He would become their primary shortstop over the next three seasons, averaging 144 games per season. His best campaign came in 1932 where he had career highs in hits (159), runs scored (59), doubles (30), triples (8), RBIs (63), and batting average (.280). He would finish 19th in the American League MVP voting in the 1932 season.
The 1933 season would see a severe drop in production from Levey. His average would fall 85 points to a dismal .195 average in 141 games. As the only shortstop on the Browns roster, this forced St. Louis to look elsewhere for the next season. On December 14, 1933, Jim Levey was traded with LHP Wally Hebert, and OF Smead Jolley to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League for SS Alan Strange.
Levey would play the next 12 seasons in the minor leagues for the Stars (1934-45), Dallas Steers (1936-40), Buffalo Bison (1941-42, 44), and the Jamestown Falcons (1945). Levey would serve as the player-manager for the Dallas (1938) and Jamestown (1945).
During this time he would also play three seasons for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Football League. (1934-36). As a halfback for Pittsburgh, his stats included133 yard in 55 rushing attempts over 13 games. He would also return to military service with the US Army in World War II in 1943.
Jim Levey may not have been the best shortstop in the history of the Browns (led the league in errors twice, 1932, 33, and had a career -7.2 WAR). But for three seasons during the Great Depression, he gave the St. Louis Browns everything he had to the fans at Sportsman's Park. He would retire from baseball in 1946, and settle down in Dallas, Texas.
HEADLINES OF THE DAY
"POTTER SHUTS DOWN BOSOX WITH HIS BAT AND ARM IN COMPLETE GAME VICTORY"
BROWNS HISTORY ON THIS DAY...
The Browns played 50 games on this day.
The Browns overall record on this day:
23 Wins 25 Losses Two Ties
(.460 Winning Percentage)
Breakdown of the Browns' record
on this day by decade (wins - losses):
1902-09:
HEADLINES OF THE DAY
"POTTER SHUTS DOWN BOSOX WITH HIS BAT AND ARM IN COMPLETE GAME VICTORY"
BROWNS HISTORY ON THIS DAY...
The Browns played 50 games on this day.
The Browns overall record on this day:
23 Wins 25 Losses Two Ties
(.460 Winning Percentage)
Breakdown of the Browns' record
on this day by decade (wins - losses):
1902-09: 3 - 5 - 1
1910-19: 3 - 6 - 1
1920-29: 3 - 7
1930-39: 5 - 4
1940-41: 7 - 1
1950-53: 2 - 2
The Browns would Tie two games on this day
The Browns would see action in ELEVEN double headers on this day.
HIGHLIGHT GAME
1945 - With an error leading to the game winning run in the ninth inning, Nels Potter earns his 14th win as the Browns beat the Red Sox, 2-1. Potter would pitch a complete game allowing just one run on five hits, a walk, while striking out four batters. He would also lead the Browns with two hits. Eight of the nine players in the Browns lineup would register a hit, with only RF Lou Finney missing out. LF Chet Laabs would hit the only extra base hit with his solo home run in the fifth inning to tie the game at one. St. Louis native, CF Milt Byrnes would lead off the ninth inning with a single to right, followed by an intentional walk to Laabs. 3B Len Schulte would hit a harmless ground ball to Bostons's 2B Skeeter Newsome who forced out Laabs at second. Byrnes raced home were Newsome's throw traveled wide of the plate, allowing Byrnes to score the winning run. Browns won 2-1.
THERE WERE NO TRANSACTIONS MADE ON THIS DAY
DEBUTS
The impact of the 1910 St. Louis Browns was not easily seen by the common baseball fan. With a record of 47-107, the Browns had their worst season since moving to St. Louis from Milwaukee. However, this season would set the benchmark for the lowest production of a baseball team in St. Louis.
This team was made up of several players that h
The impact of the 1910 St. Louis Browns was not easily seen by the common baseball fan. With a record of 47-107, the Browns had their worst season since moving to St. Louis from Milwaukee. However, this season would set the benchmark for the lowest production of a baseball team in St. Louis.
This team was made up of several players that had their moments as stars with the Browns. George Stone, Art Griggs, and Rube Waddell were all towards the end of their careers with this team, and their production had slipped a bit. SS Bobby Wallace led this team with a .258 batting average, which was the lowest leading average in the history of the franchise. The pitching staff included 20 players with very limited success. They only had one player who won more than 10 games, and only three players with a winning record. The manager of this team was Jack O'Connor, who lasted just one season with the club. He was released due to one of the biggest scandals of the Deadball Era.
This team may not have been the winningest team in Browns history, but the headlines must have been fun to read everyday. This team would drop 45 games in 1911, but then begin its slow accent up the American League standings.