Joseph Leo Birmingham (December 3, 1884 – April 24, 1946) was an American

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

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 ...

and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

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 baseball field, diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, ...

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 , the team has played its home gam ...

. 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 Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "the Frenchman", he represented both Ph ...

, 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. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

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 (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

in 1916, but was replaced late in the season. Birmingham was working in Mexico as an

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...

when he died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on April 24, 1946.

Managerial record

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1884 births 1946 deaths Baseball players from Elmira, New York 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) 20th-century American sportsmen American expatriate baseball people in Mexico Cornell Big Red football players Mercersburg Academy alumni {{US-baseball-outfielder-1880s-stub

Managerial record

See also

References

External links