Joseph Leo Birmingham (December 3, 1884 – April 24, 1946) was a major league baseball player. Birmingham was a

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

who occasionally played the

infield Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used. Baseball In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-c ...

for the

Cleveland Naps The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...

. He was named the manager of the Naps in at the age of 28 after Harry Davis was fired, and he stayed at the helm for three more seasons. His tenure was marked with a bit of controversy in which would be his best finish as manager (86-66, 3rd place).

Nap Lajoie Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...

, who was Birmingham's former manager, struggled through a hitting slump in mid-season and Birmingham decided to bench the future Hall of Famer at one point. Lajoie who had no love for Birmingham was outraged and cursed out the young manager to his face and in the press. The feud only ended when Lajoie was sold back to Philadelphia after the 1914 season. His next season would be a disaster, as the newly named Indians lost 102 games, and in , he was fired after only 28 games. He managed the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

in 1916, but was replaced late in the season.

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1884 births 1946 deaths Sportspeople from Elmira, New York Baseball players from New York (state) Cornell Big Red baseball players Cleveland Naps players Cleveland Naps managers Cleveland Indians managers Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) managers Major League Baseball center fielders Amsterdam-Gloversville-Johnstown Jags players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Reading Pretzels players Toledo Iron Men players Pittsfield Hillies players Major League Baseball player-managers Baseball coaches from New York (state) {{US-baseball-outfielder-1880s-stub

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