Books and articles about Jimmy Sheckard

Image provided by Matthew Fulling

SHOPPING » Look for Jimmy Sheckard books at BN.com » Look for Jimmy Sheckard books at Amazon.com Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!

RELATED LINKS Greatest Teams » 1906 Cubs Around the Web » Jimmy Sheckard from baseball-reference.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Sheckard was one of a handful of Pennsylvania Dutch to play in the majors. Though chiefly remembered for his years with the Cubs, for whom he played in four World Series, Sheckard had his best years with Brooklyn. He batted .353 while leading the league with 19 triples and a .536 slugging percentage for the 1901 Brooklyn Superbas; his 11 HR and 104 RBI were career highs. In 1903 his nine HR were enough to capture the NL title, and he tied for the league lead with 67 stolen bases. (With Baltimore in 1899, he had led the NL with 77 stolen bases.) With the Cubs, he embarassed himself in the 1906 World Series; boasting that he would bat .400 against White Sox pitching, he instead went 0-for-21 as the Sox upset the Cubs in six games. In 1911 he set a Cub record for most walks (147), leading the NL for the first of two straight seasons. He also scored an NL-high 121 runs that year. (ARA)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 3, 1898: Brooklyn's Jimmy Sheckard hits a home run, two triples, and a single in a 9–6 defeat of Philadelphia. Eleven total bases will be the season's one-game high mark. » April 18, 1901: Brooklyn’s Jimmy Sheckard has three triples against the host Phils to lead his team to a 12-7 Opening Day win. » June 4, 1901: In a 4-2 loss to the host Reds, Brooklyn's Jimmy Sheckard is called out at 2B by umpire Bert Cunningham-who is definitely having a bad week-and curses him so vehemently that he is slapped with a $5 fine by the ump. Cunningham returns to home plate and Sheckard follows, spitting in his face. Cunningham calls the cops and Sheckard is removed by the police. Cunningham later says, "I don't know what kept me from pitching into Sheckard but if a player ever does that to me again I'll pick up a bat and smash him. That's the limit and the players can take warning." » September 23, 1901: Brooklyn ties their highest score ever (May 20, 1896) in blasting the Reds, 25-6. These are the most runs they will score this century. Jimmy Sheckard and Joe Kelley both connect for grand slams, with Kelley adding a 2nd homer. Jim Hughes collects four hits and a win. » September 24, 1901: Jimmy Sheckard becomes the first 20th-century player to hit grand slams in two consecutive games, as Brooklyn pounds Cincinnati 16-2. Frank Kitson homers and takes the victory. The 41 runs in two games is a franchise record. » April 28, 1902: Outfielder Jimmy Sheckard of the AL Baltimore Orioles jumps the team and returns to the NL, the first American Leaguer to jump to the NL. In his short stay in the AL, Sheckard had been constantly razzed by fans about his contract jumping. White Sox president Comiskey says, We don't want Sheckard in our league. He has broken too many contracts." President Tom Daly of the Ball Players' Protective Association echoes the sentiments. "Our organization is unalterably opposed to such tactics as Sheckard has made use of. I am glad he has gone back to Brooklyn, for while he is a great ball player and a nice fellow personally we do not countenance violating a written contract as he has done. I suppose (Ned) Hanlon scared him into jumping." With Sheckard (and his $1,000 signing bonus gone) Orioles manager John McGraw will play 3B with Kelly moving to CF. » December 16, 1905: The Cubs trade OF Jack McCarthy and Billy Maloney, 3B Doc Casey, and pitcher Buttons Briggs to Brooklyn for Jimmy Sheckard, who will take over LF for the National League champions of the next three years. » September 24, 1906: The Cubs pound the Giants twice to complete a three game sweep in New York. Chicago wins the opener 6-2, then jump on Christy Mathewson for 16 hits and 10 runs to win, 10-5 in eight innings. Jimmy Sheckard has four hits off Matty. » May 23, 1907: Before a packed house of 23,000, John McGraw uses his entire pitching staff of six against the Cubs, but Chicago still wins, 5-2 to move into first place over New York. Hooks Wiltse lasts just one inning, giving up two Chicago runs. Jimmy Sheckard's three-run homer in the 5th off Christy Mathewson, pitching on a day's rest, seals the win for Chicago. » June 2, 1908: During a game with the Pirates, a bottle of ammonia explodes in the face of Cubs outfielder Jimmy Sheckard and only prompt action saves his eyesight. The injury will cause Jimmy to miss 40 games and his average will plummet to .231. The Cubs lose, 12-6. » October 2, 1910: The pennant-bound Cubs end the season with an 8–4 win over the Reds, pulling off a triple play in the process. The TP goes left fielder Jimmy Sheckard to C Johnny Kling to 1B Jimmy Archer. » October 22, 1910: Frank Chance lines a 9th inning one-out triple to knot game four at 2–2. Jimmy Sheckard then singles in the 10th to give the Cubs the 3–2 win. Three Finger Brown, in relief, is the winner over Chief Bender, who goes all the way. » October 1, 1911: The Giants complete a western trip that ices the pennant by beating the Cubs, 5–0, behind Rube Marquard. Chicago's Jimmy Sheckard sets a NL record by drawing his 147th walk, a mark not broken until Dodger Eddie Stanky's 148 in 1945. » April 20, 1912: After hitting the game-winning home run in the 11th inning to beat the Reds, 5–4, Cubs OF Jimmy Sheckard forgets and heads for the clubhouse after touching 2B. Teammates yell to him to complete the circuit, which he does. The manager of the Reds is Hank O'Day, who was the umpire that day in 1908 when Fred Merkle failed to touch 2B. » September 30, 1945: Eddie Stanky draws a walk his first time at bat, his 148th walk of the year, from Hugh Mulcahy to break Jimmy Sheckard's mark. The Dodgers beat the Phils 4-1. » September 15, 1978: Phil Garner hits his 2nd grand slam in two days as the Pirates beat the Expos 6–1. Garner is the first National League player to have slams in consecutive games since Jimmy Sheckard (9/23, 24/01) and the first major leaguer since Brooks Robinson, in 1962. Garner will end the season with 12 dingers.