Books and articles about Jim Bottomley

"Sunny Jim" was the first MVP to emerge from a team's own farm system. A product of Branch Rickey's Cardinal chain, he arrived at the parent club in 1922. Within a year, he replaced Jack Fournier at first base, as expected, and held the job until traded to Cincinnati after the 1932 season to make room for another farm boy, Ripper Collins.

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A lefty cleanup man with a career slugging average of .500, Bottomley had a pleasant nature and smiling face, and the habit of wearing his cap tilted over his left eye. He batted his career-high .371 in his first full season (1923). On September 16, 1924, against the Dodgers, he drove in a record 12 runs with two homers, a double, and three singles. The MVP in 1928, he batted .325, led the league in triples (20) and RBI (136), and tied Hack Wilson for the home run lead (31). He contributed mightily to the Cardinals' triumph in the 1926 WS, but did poorly in three others. In 1931, though limited by injury to 108 games, Bottomley finished third in the closest batting race in NL history (Chick Hafey - .3489; Bill Terry - .3486; Bottomley - .3482).

At 32 and no longer the .300 hitter he had been, the Cardinals sent Sunny Jim to Cincinnati for pitcher Ownie Carroll and outfielder Estel Crabtree - a trade of washed-up players. The Reds dealt him in 1936 to the Browns, where he was doing mostly pinch hitting when, in 1937, he was named to succeed his old friend, Rogers Hornsby, as manager. The hopeless Browns were last when he took over, and last when the season ended, eighty games later. He was bounced in favor of another old Card, Gabby Street.

Bottomley managed a bit in the minors, but no longer needed baseball. With savings from his salary ($15,000 tops) and World Series winnings (another $22,000), he bought a Missouri cattle farm. Shortly before his death, he returned as a scout for the Cubs and manager in the Appalachian League. On the basis of strong career marks in doubles, hits, RBI, putouts, chances, and DP, he was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame. (ADS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » February 11, 1923: With rookie Jim Bottomley in the wings, the Cards send 1B Jack Fournier to the Brooklyn Robins in a trade for C Hy Myers. The veteran Fournier says he'll quit if he has to move, but gives in and plays another five years. Fournier, with 22 homers in 1923, will finish 2nd in the National League, but his 20 steals in 43 attempts, the century's worst percentage for anyone with 20 steals, will barely qualify him for the 20-20 club. » May 15, 1923: At Boston, the Cards trim the Braves 10–5. The Birds are led by Jim Bottomley's three triples. » July 30, 1924: Bill Sherdel is called out of the Cardinals bullpen to pitch to PH Johnny Mokan of the Phillies. There are no outs in the eighth with runner's on 1B and 2B. Sherdel throws one ball, and Mokan bunts it in the air to Jim Bottomley coming in from 1B. He throws to SS Jimmy Cooney, who doubles the runner at 2B and throws to Hornsby who goes covering 1B. A triple play on one pitch. » September 16, 1924: At Ebbets Field, Cards 1B Jim Bottomley's three singles, a double, and two home runs produce a major-league record 12 RBI in the St. Louis 17–3 win over the pennant-chasing Robins. Willie Sherdel coasts home for the win. Bottomley starts the rampage with a 2-run single in the 1st, doubles home a run in the 2nd, hits a 4th inning grand slam off Art Decatur, and a 2-run home run off Decatur in the 6th. He follows with a 2-run single in the 7th, off Tex Wilson, and a run-scoring single in the 9th, after which he's removed for a pinch runner. Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson, watching from the dugout, set the previous record with the Orioles in 1892. » May 7, 1925: Pirates SS Glenn Wright pulls a solo triple play at 2B in the 9th, grabbing Jim Bottomley's liner, stepping on the bag before Johnny Cooney can get back, and tagging Rogers Hornsby coming down from 1B to end the game. The Pirates win 10–9 after scoring six runs in the 8th. » September 22, 1926: The Cardinals, led by Les Bell's ML record-tying three triples and a double, roll by the Dodgers, 15–7, to increase their 1st place lead of Cincy to two 1/2 games. Rookie Tommy Thevenow and Jim Bottomley chip in with home runs. For Thevenow, it is his 2nd homer in six days, again an inside-the-park drive. He'll play another 12 years—3351 at bats—and never hit another homer. » October 7, 1926: With the Series tied at 2–2, 39,552 pack Sportsman's Park to watch Herb Pennock and Bill Sherdel duel again. The Cards score first on a double by Jim Bottomley and single by Les Bell. Ragged play costs the Cards a run in the 6th. Tied 2–2 in the 10th, Mark Koenig singles, takes 2B on a wild pitch, and after a sacrifice, comes home on Tony Lazzeri's long fly for a 3–2 Yankees win. » June 18, 1927: It's Charles Lindbergh Day in St. Louis as the transatlantic flyer helps raise the Cardinals National League pennant before a 6–4 win over the Giants. Rogers Hornsby makes his first appearance in St. Louis since the big trade of last fall and Cards owner Sam Breadon picks today to raise the pennant and hand out Series rings. The Rajah has a double in the game, off Pete Alexander, but Jim Bottomley's 3-run homer for the Cards offsets that. » October 4, 1928: The Cardinals lack the Yankees' power, but have a .325 hitter in Jim Bottomley, who tied with Hack Wilson for NL HR honors with 31 and led in RBI with 136. St. Louis has a solid IF defense with Frankie Frisch, the venerable Rabbit Maranville, and their fleet OF, led by Taylor Douthit, whose 547 putouts and 566 total chances in CF have set post-1900 records. » December 2, 1928: Cardinals 1B Jim Bottomley is voted National League MVP with 76 points to 70 for Giants 3B Fred Lindstrom, whose .358 BA was 3rd behind Rogers Hornsby and Paul Waner. » July 5, 1929: Cards 1B Jim Bottomley hits the first of seven HRs he will knock in five games. » August 2, 1929: At St. Louis, the Cards bomb Dazzy Vance for 18 hits and 13 runs in his six inning stint, before Uncle Robby mercifully removes him. As the Dazzler leaves, the band plays, "the old grey mare ain't what she used to be." Six of the blows are for extra bases, including Jim Bottomley's 24th homer, as Sunny Jim knocks in five runs. Mitchell coasts home with the win for the Cards. » July 21, 1930: Four pinch-hit HRs are hit in a doubleheader between Brooklyn and St. Louis. Hal Lee and Harvey Hendrick connect for Brooklyn, and George Puccinelli and Jim Bottomley, for the Cards. The HRs are the first major-league hits for both Lee and Puccinelli. » August 5, 1931: For the 2nd time in his career, Jim Bottomley has six hits in six at bats, as the Cards defeat Pittsburgh 16–2 on 23 hits. In the opener, Bottomley contributed four hits, but St. Louis loses to the Bucs 5–4.. » August 23, 1931: In St. Louis, the league-leading Cardinals go to 78–44 by sweeping the Braves. The Birds pound Boston 16–1 in the opener as Chick Hafey drives in eight runs on 5-for-5 hitting, including two home runs. One of the homers is a grand slam. St. Louis takes the nitecap, 1–0, in 11 innings, winning on Jim Bottomley's home run. » September 27, 1931: The most desperately contested battle for individual honors takes place in the race for the NL batting title. Chick Hafey, who reported late due to a contract dispute, goes into the final doubleheader with the Reds batting .353, four points over Bill Terry, last year's champ. Hafey gets only two hits in eight times at bat to drop to .349. Bill Terry's Giants are playing archenemy Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. Brooklyn, in their last game as the Robins, wins 12–3, behind Clark. Terry gets only one hit in four times at bat. The title goes to Hafey, who batted .3488 to Terry's .3486. Jim Bottomley, Hafey's Cardinal teammate, goes 4-for-8 and finishes at .3481. The Cards win 6–2 and 5–3, to win 20 of 22 with the Reds. » October 2, 1931: The Cards even the WS as Wild Bill Hallahan shuts out the A's 2-0 despite 7 walks and a wild pitch. Pepper Martin continues to steal the Series, scoring from 2B on a base hit in the 2nd inning and sliding in a cloud of dust on a squeeze play in the 8th. He has 2 stolen bases, but the game almost gets away on a bonehead play by the usually savvy Cardinal C Jimmy Wilson. With 2 on base in the 9th, and 2 outs, PH Johnny Moore swings at a ball in the dirt and misses. Wilson needs only to throw the ball to 1B. Instead, he throws it to 3B, and everyone is safe. Fortunately for Wilson's reputation, Jim Bottomley makes a sensational catch, leaning into the box seats to get the final out on a pop foul by Max Bishop. » December 17, 1932: Sunny Jim Bottomley is traded by the Cardinals to the Reds for Owen Carroll and Estel Crabtree (of Crabtree, Ohio). » March 21, 1936: The Cincinnati Reds trade Jim Bottomley to the St. Louis Browns for Johnny Burnett. Sunny Jim will have a strong season in 1936 and, midway through the 1937 season, will be named manager. » July 21, 1937: Rogers Hornsby is fired as manager of the St. Louis Browns for playing the horses; Jim Bottomley takes over. » November 19, 1937: It is not a sunny day as the Browns hand manager Jim Bottomley his walking papers. Sunny Jim replaced Rogers Hornsby at mid-season. » October 5, 1951: S. Iijima of the Daiei Stars (later the Lotte Orions) gets 11 RBI in a single game for a Japanese record. The U.S. major-league record is 12, set by Jim Bottomley of St. Louis in 1924; Iijima ties Tony Lazzeri of the NY Yankees who knocked in 11 in 1936. » January 28, 1974: The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee selects Sam Thompson, Jim Bottomley, and umpire Jocko Conlan.