Books and articles about Sherry Magee

Magee was one of the great players of the dead-ball era, 1900-1919. He could hit, run, field, and throw with the best, and played intelligently and aggressively. He was critical of sloppy play and unimaginative management, and occasionally his temper got the best of him. On July 10, 1911 his one-punch knockout of umpire Bill Finneran, who had ejected Magee for arguing a called third strike, led to his suspension for the rest of the season; however, he was reinstated after five weeks.

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Magee was Philadelphia's left fielder for a decade. In his second year, 1905, he played 155 games. His 85 RBI in 1907 were the league high. In 1910 he led the NL in batting (.331), slugging average (.507), runs scored (110), and RBI (123), and stole 49 bases. Over his career he had 441 stolen bases, including 23 steals of home. On July 12, 1906, he stole second, third, and home in the ninth inning against St. Louis. During a July 20, 1912 game with the Cubs, he stole home twice. In 1914 he led the NL in hits (171), doubles (39), RBI (103), and slugging average (.509).

When Magee was not named Philadelphia's player-manager for 1915, he asked to be traded. He was sold to the Braves, who finished second while the Phillies won their first pennant. He played center in Boston until he was waived to Cincinnati in August 1917. He led the NL in RBI a final time in the war-shortened 1918 season, and concluded his ML career by pinch hitting twice in the 1919 World Series.

Magee played in the minors from 1920 to 1926, then took up umpiring. In light of his misbehavior in 1911, he was watched closely while officiating in the NL in 1928, and he performed very well. But he contracted pneumonia and died the following March. (LRD)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 8, 1906: Boston Nationals Irv Young acts like Cy, allowing just Sherry Magee's safety in a one-hitter against the Phillies. » June 13, 1908: Chicago's Three Finger Brown pitches a 2-hit victory over the Phillies, with both hits coming off the bat of Sherry Magee. » August 19, 1909: Doc Crandall slices the Phillies, 6-4, but the Quakers come back to beat Mathewson, 1-0. Sherry Magee scores the only run in the bottom of the 9th to tag Matty with the loss. » July 10, 1911: Sherry Magee, star OF for the Phillies, knocks out umpire Bill Finneran with one punch after being ejected for disputing a called 3rd strike. He is suspended for the season, but upon appeal he will be reinstated after five weeks and 36 games. The Phils win, 4–2, behind Grover Cleveland Alexander, who strikes out 9. » August 16, 1911: Philadelphia OF Sherry Magee is reinstated, following his suspension for attacking umpire Bill Finneran several weeks ago. » July 20, 1912: In Chicago, the Phils pound the Cubs, 14–2. Sherry Magee leads the way with two steals of home tying a ML record. On August 1, Joe Jackson will swipe home twice to set a AL record. » May 13, 1913: Tom Seaton, with relief help from Grover Cleveland Alexander, tops the Pirates, 5–4. The winning blow for the Phils is a solo homer by Sherry Magee. » April 14, 1914: At Philadelphia, the Giants open the season with the Phillies, losing 10–1 to Pete Alexander. Rube Marquard takes the loss. The Phils are led by Sherry Magee's two homers. » June 17, 1914: At Philadelphia, Phils OF Sherry Magee collects four doubles against the Cardinals, including the game-winner. With a runner on in the 10th, Magee's blow lands in the bleachers but the rules give him only a double. » September 26, 1914: Pete Alexander wins his 9th in a row for the Phils, beating the Reds, 7–4. Gavvy Cravath hits his 18th homer, off King Lear, and Sherry Magee clouts his 15th. » December 26, 1914: The Phillies trade their star and captain Sherry Magee to the Braves for cash and two players to be named later. The two turn out to be Possum Whited and INF Oscar Dugey. Magee led the National League in hits, doubles, RBIs, and slugging percentage, while hitting .314. On the first day of spring training, 1915, in Macon, Georgia, Magee will step in a hole while shagging flies and break his collarbone. He'll hit just .280 with two homers. » June 28, 1915: The Giants sweep two from the Braves, winning 3–2 and 5–3. Christy Mathewson wins the opener, 11 innings to beat Pat Ragan. Art Fletcher scores the wining run in the 11th on an error. Matty allows six hits, including a two-run homer in the 4th by Sherry Magee. Jeff Tesreau is the winner in the nitecap. » September 29, 1915: In Boston, the Phils clinch their first pennant on Grover Alexander's 4th one-hitter and 12th shutout of the year, 5–0 beating Dick Rudolph and the defending champion Braves. Sherry Magee's 4th-inning single is the only safety for Boston, while Gavvy Cravath clouts a 3-run homer in the 1st for the Phils. Cravath ends the year leading the NL in homers (24), slugging, runs, walks, total bases, and is the only National Leaguer with more than a hundred RBIs (115). » August 1, 1917: The Reds purchase Sherry Magee from the Boston Braves. » February 3, 1928: The National League appoints two former players as umpires: OF Sherry Magee and SS Albert "Dolly" Stark. It is a type of vindication for Magee, who was suspended for hitting an umpire in 1911.