St. Louis Browns first baseman Jim Duggan was born on June 1, 1885, in Whiteland, Indiana. Along with former Cardinals first baseman, George Crowe, he would be one of the only MLB players from the small town located just south of Indianapolis. A career minor leaguer, Duggan would spend just a single game with the Browns in 1911.
Nicknamed
St. Louis Browns first baseman Jim Duggan was born on June 1, 1885, in Whiteland, Indiana. Along with former Cardinals first baseman, George Crowe, he would be one of the only MLB players from the small town located just south of Indianapolis. A career minor leaguer, Duggan would spend just a single game with the Browns in 1911.
Nicknamed "Mer", Jim Duggan would spend 987 games over 16 seasons in the minors. He is the only major league player to attend Franklin College, before being signed as an amateur free agent by the Atlanta Crackers in 1906. He would spend six years between the Nashville Volunteers (1906-08), New haven Blues (1908), and the Holyoke Papermakers (1909-11).
Duggan started the 1911 season with the Papermakers before his single game appearance with the Browns. In 1911, the Browns could not find a productive first baseman so they would bring in players for brief in-season tryouts. During the season, they would have a total of eight different first baseman.
Duggan would make his MLB debut on July 29, 1911. He would have five plate appearances against the Detroit Tigers. He would go 0-for-4 with a walk, RBI, and a run scored. It is not clear if he returned to the Papermakers after this game, or if he stayed with the Browns for the remainder of the 1911 season.
Duggan would spend the next 12 seasons in the Three-I League (Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League), including time with the Rock Island Islanders (1916), Terre Haute Tots (1921-23), and the Evansville Evas (1923). He would spend time as the player-manager with the Decatuer Commodores (1913-15) and the Alton Blues (1917).
The only break he took from baseball during this period came in 1918, when he enlisted in the service during World War I. He would not see any combat, for the war ended as he was on a ship to Europe.
There is little written on Jim Duggan after he retired from baseball. He would eventually settle down in Indianapolis, Indiana. There is no connection between this Jim Duggan and the "Jimmy Dugan" from the movie "A League of their Own"
HEADLINE
"BROWNS SPLIT TWIN-BILL,
AS CRISS HURLS GEM IN OPENER'
FEATURED GAMES
1909 - In the first game of a double header, Browns RHP Dode Criss hurls his best game of the season in a Browns 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Criss would complete the game scattering ten hits, three walks, while striking out three Cleveland batters. He
HEADLINE
"BROWNS SPLIT TWIN-BILL,
AS CRISS HURLS GEM IN OPENER'
FEATURED GAMES
1909 - In the first game of a double header, Browns RHP Dode Criss hurls his best game of the season in a Browns 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Criss would complete the game scattering ten hits, three walks, while striking out three Cleveland batters. He would contribute to the team scoring a run, and hitting one of the five doubles hit by the Browns during the game. Browns 3B Hobie Ferris would hit two doubles while scoring two runs. RF Roy Hartzell and SS Bobby Wallace would each add a double. Before the losing the second game of the double header, the Browns offense came alive to take this win and ensure a split series with the Indians
BROWNS' ALL-TIME RECORD ON THIS DAY
22 WINS, 25 LOSSES
(.468 winning percentage)
WINS BY DECADE
1902-09: 3-5
1910-19: 4-6
1920-29: 7-5
1930-39: 4-3
1940-49: 3-5
1950-53: 1-1
DOUBLE-HEADERS ON THIS DAY
TRANSACTIONS
1921 - Browns traded OF/3B Earl Smith to the Washington Nationals for 3B/SS Frank Ellerbe. Earl Smith played for the Browns for five seasons (1917-21). He was a primary outfielder in 1918-19, and utility infielder in 1920. He batted .283 in that time with 333 hits and 186 RBIs. Frank Ellerbe would play three seasons for the Browns (1921-24), where he would the team's primary third baseman in 1921-22. In 1000 plate appearances, he had 229 hits while batting .260.
DEBUTS
1909 - Wib Smith makes his MLB debut, going 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter for Catcher Lou Criger, in the Browns 5-1 loss to Cleveland.
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
No birthdays on this day
The 1946 St. Louis Browns was a team made up younger players and World War II veterans that many believed could compete for the American League title. This team was in a rebuild, "retool" mode looking to take advantage of players returning from the service. Of the 32 players that played in 1945, only 13 players returned for the 1946 seaso
The 1946 St. Louis Browns was a team made up younger players and World War II veterans that many believed could compete for the American League title. This team was in a rebuild, "retool" mode looking to take advantage of players returning from the service. Of the 32 players that played in 1945, only 13 players returned for the 1946 season. Many of the players were slow to sign for the season, which resulted in the Browns poor start to the season. The 1946 Browns team would record a 66-88 season.
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