Jim Bagby, Jr.

Who was Jim Bagby, Jr.?

James Charles Jacob Bagby, Jr. was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted and threw right-handed. His father, Jim Sr., was also a major league pitcher who played with Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh between 1912 and 1923.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bagby played with the Red Sox, Indians and Pirates in a span of ten years. He posted a 97–96 record with 431 strikeouts and a 3.96 ERA in 1666-1/3 innings pitched, including 84 complete games and 13 shutouts.

Bagby reached his career high of 17 wins in each of his All-Star seasons, in 1942 and 1943, and led the American League in starts both years with 35 and 33, respectively. After that, he served much of 1944 in the US Merchant Marine and never won more than eight games in a regular season.

Following his baseball career, Bagby became a professional golf player. In 1992, he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Bagby died in Marietta, Georgia, six days before his 72nd birthday. Bagby maintained a lifelong dislike of sports writers, as he was born with a cleft palate and was often made fun of by them for his appearance.