St. Louis Browns RHP Jess Doyle was born on April 14, 1898 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although his time with the Browns was brief, he played professional baseball for 12 seasons. He played for six minor league teams in that 12 year span, as well as three seasons with the Detroit Tigers and a season in St. Louis.
Prior to beginning his baseb
St. Louis Browns RHP Jess Doyle was born on April 14, 1898 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although his time with the Browns was brief, he played professional baseball for 12 seasons. He played for six minor league teams in that 12 year span, as well as three seasons with the Detroit Tigers and a season in St. Louis.
Prior to beginning his baseball career, Doyle was a Private First Class officer at the 118 Filed Hospital in World War I.
Upon returning from service, Doyle began his career at the age of 21 with the Greenville Spinners. He would win 43 games with the Spinners over two seasons (1919-20). He would miss the 1921 season for an undisclosed reason, but then would go 20-15 with a 3.13 ERA with the Vernon Tigers. After playing two season with Vernon (1922-23), he would spend most of the next years with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1923-24, 26-29).
Doyle would make his MLB debut on Opening Day with the Detroit Tigers on his 27th birthday (April 14, 1925). He would earn a save after pitching 2.2 innings in relief of Dutch Leonard. He would appear in 55 games over three years with Detroit. He primarily worked out of the bull pen closing out 37 games, with a 4-7 record, striking out 38, walking 57, and scattering 183 hits.
Jess Doyle would play with the Browns in 1931, for just a single game. The Browns signed Doyle to a free agent contract prior to the 1931 season. His first and only game with the Browns came on July 9, against his former Tigers team. Doyle would enter the game in the seventh inning in relief of Sam Gray. He would face seven batters, giving up three hits, a walk, and allowed three earned runs. He would achieve a 27.00 ERA for his inning of work. This would be his final inning of work in his MLB career.
He retired from baseball after the 1931 season. He finished career with a 149-109 record, which included a 4-7 record in the Majors. There is little information on his life after baseball. He would eventually settle down in Belleville, Illinois, where he would be able to follow both St. Louis teams from across the Mississippi.
HEADLINE
"BROWNS BLOW OUT TIGERS IN FINAL OPENING DAY IN ST. LOUIS"
FEATURED GAME
1953 - Browns win the final Opening Day game in St. Louis, with a blowout over the Detroit Tigers. In front of a crowd of 11,804 St. Louis fans, the Browns would collect 13 hits in the 10-0 victory over former Browns pitcher, Ned Garver. Every Browns position p
HEADLINE
"BROWNS BLOW OUT TIGERS IN FINAL OPENING DAY IN ST. LOUIS"
FEATURED GAME
1953 - Browns win the final Opening Day game in St. Louis, with a blowout over the Detroit Tigers. In front of a crowd of 11,804 St. Louis fans, the Browns would collect 13 hits in the 10-0 victory over former Browns pitcher, Ned Garver. Every Browns position player would record at least one RBI. Leadoff hitter, Johnny Groth, would have the best day with two hits including a double, two runs, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Jim Dyck and Vic Wertz would also score two runs. Browns starter Virgil Trucks would pitch a complete game, shutout, where he only gave up four hits (three hits to Tigers LF Russ Sullivan). The Browns would win five of the first six games of the 1953 season.
BROWNS' ALL-TIME RECORD ON THIS DAY
11 WINS, 9 LOSES
1902-09: 2-3
1910-19: 2-5
1920-29: 3-0
1930-39: 2-1
1940-49: 1-0
1950-53: 1-0
TRANSACTIONS
1924 - Browns traded utility infielder Homer Ezzell to the Boston Red Sox for utility infielder Norm McMillan. Both players would spend just one season with their new clubs. Homer Ezzell was signed by the Browns prior to the 1923 season, and appeared in 88 games. He scattered 68 hits and driving in 61, with a .244 average. Norm McMillan hit .253 while playing 131 games with the Red Sox in 1923. McMillian would take on the same role that Ezzell, vacated in the trade. He would hit .279 with 56 hits in 76 games for the Browns. he would be traded to St. Paul after the 1924 season.
DEBUTS
1911 - Earl Hamilton makes his MLB debut pitching the final inning, rendering a run, four hits, a balk, BB, and strikeout, in a 7-5 loss to Cleveland
1912 - George Baumgardner made his debut with a complete game victory over the Detroit Tigers. He would scatter six hits over nine innings. He recorded seven strikeouts and two walks, in a 4-1 win over the Tigers
1914 - 1B John Leary would go 1-for-5 in his debut vs the Detroit Tigers. His only hit was a double of Tigers pitcher Jean Dubuc
1915 - RHP Parson Perryman pitched the 13th inning in relief of Carl Weilman in a 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day. Perryman would face three batters, giving up a hit and a run.
1917 - George "Kewpie" Pennington pitched the 9th inning of a 11-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He faced four batters, and gave up a single hit. This would be his only inning his MLB career.
1925 - Leo Dixon made his debut as a pinch hitter for Dixie Davis in the 9th Inning of a blowout Opening Day loss. The Browns lost 21-14 to the Cleveland Indians, and Dixon would walk in his only plate appearance.
1953 - Billy Hunter went 1-for-4 on Opening Day as he Browns pelted the Detroit Tigers, 11-0. Playing shortstop and batting 8th, he posted a hit, a run, an RBI, and 2 double plays.
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
The manager of the 1902 inaugural St. Louis Browns season was former Cleveland Spiders outfielder, Jimmy McAleer. Entering his first season as the Browns manager, he was coming off a 54-82 record with Cleveland in 1901.
McAleer was hand selected by American League President Ban Johnson to lead the Browns. Jimmy McAleer was known as one of
The manager of the 1902 inaugural St. Louis Browns season was former Cleveland Spiders outfielder, Jimmy McAleer. Entering his first season as the Browns manager, he was coming off a 54-82 record with Cleveland in 1901.
McAleer was hand selected by American League President Ban Johnson to lead the Browns. Jimmy McAleer was known as one of the best baseball minds in the game. He enjoyed a ten year playing career, primarily with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. He was widely known as one of the greatest players of the 1899s. Sports writer Franklin Lewis described as "perhaps the most graceful outfielders known to the game".
In his eight years as Browns manager, he accumulated a recorded of 551-632. His best season came in 1902, as the Browns came close to winning the American League pennant. Even though he failed to have a winning record in his time in St. Louis, many considered him the best baseball mind of the era.
After leaving the Browns, he would spend two seasons with the Washington Senators, before becoming part owner of the Boston Red Sox. Boston would win the World Series in his first year with the team.