Jimmie Foxx facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jimmie Foxx |
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Foxx at the 1937 All-Star Game in Washington D.C. with the Boston Red Sox
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: October 22, 1907 Sudlersville, Maryland |
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| Died: July 21, 1967 (aged 59) Miami, Florida |
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| debut | |||
| May 1, 1925, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 23, 1945, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .325 | ||
| Hits | 2,646 | ||
| Home runs | 534 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,922 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1951 | ||
| Vote | 79.2% (seventh ballot) | ||
James Emory Foxx (born October 22, 1907 – died July 21, 1967) was an American professional baseball player. People often called him "Double X" or "The Beast" because of his powerful hitting. He played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Jimmie Foxx played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was known for hitting many home runs. He hit 30 or more home runs for 12 years in a row. He also brought in over 100 runs for 13 years straight.
Foxx was one of the best hitters in baseball history. He won the Triple Crown once. This means he led his league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in in the same season. He also won the MVP award three times. He was only the second player ever to hit 500 career home runs. Foxx was chosen for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.
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Jimmie Foxx's Early Life
Jimmie Foxx was born on October 22, 1907. His family lived in a farming area called Sudlersville, Maryland. His parents were Dell and Mattie Foxx. His father, Dell, had played baseball when he was younger.
Jimmie was good at school, but he was amazing at sports. He played soccer, track, and baseball in high school. He even set a state record in a running race in 1923. People thought he was the most promising athlete in Maryland. He could have gone to the University of Maryland for track and field.
But Foxx chose baseball instead. He joined a minor league team called the Easton Farmers. This team was managed by Home Run Baker, a famous player. Foxx wanted to be a pitcher or third baseman. But the team needed a catcher, so he played that position. He had played catcher in high school too.
Soon, big league teams like the Philadelphia Athletics (A's) and New York Yankees noticed him. Foxx signed with the A's. He played his first major league game in May 1925. He was only 17 years old and still in high school!
Jimmie Foxx's Amazing Baseball Career
Playing for the Philadelphia Athletics
The A's already had a great catcher, Mickey Cochrane. So, by 1927, Foxx started playing other positions. He played catcher, first baseman, and in the outfield. In 1929, he became the A's regular first baseman. That year was a huge success for him. He hit for a .354 average and hit 33 home runs. He even appeared on the cover of Time magazine!
In 1932, Foxx had an incredible season. He hit .364, with 58 home runs and 169 RBIs. He almost won the Triple Crown that year. He also nearly broke Babe Ruth's record for most home runs in a season. Foxx actually hit 60 home runs, but two of them were in games that were rained out. So, they didn't count in the official records.
Foxx came back even stronger in 1933. He batted .356, had 163 RBIs, and hit 48 home runs. This earned him the Triple Crown. He also won his second straight MVP award.
Jimmie Foxx was one of the most feared hitters of his time. The famous Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez once joked about him, "He has muscles in his hair."
In 1937, Foxx hit a baseball so far at Yankee Stadium that it landed in the third deck. This was a very rare and difficult thing to do. Lefty Gomez was the pitcher who gave up that home run. When asked how far it went, Gomez said, "I don't know, but I do know it took somebody 45 minutes to go up there and get it back."
During the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the A's owner, Connie Mack, couldn't afford to pay his star players. So, he had to sell many of them. After a disagreement about his contract in 1936, Mack sold Foxx to the Red Sox for $150,000. That's a lot of money, equal to about $3,163,309 today.
Time with the Boston Red Sox
Foxx played for the Boston Red Sox for six years. In 1938, he had another amazing season. He hit 50 home runs and had 175 RBIs. He also batted .349 and won his third MVP award. He almost won the Triple Crown again that year. Foxx is one of only nine players to win three MVP awards. Only Barry Bonds has won more (7). His 50 home runs were a Red Sox record until David Ortiz hit 54 in 2006.
On June 16, 1938, Foxx set an American League record. He was walked (given a free pass to first base) six times in one game. In 1939, he batted .360, which was his second-best batting average ever.
Later Career: Cubs and Phillies
After 1941, Jimmie Foxx's baseball skills started to decline.
In 1942, he played for both the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. He mostly played as a backup player. He did not play in 1943. In 1944, he only played in 15 games, usually as a pinch hitter.
He finished his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945. He played first base and third base. He also pinch-hit. Surprisingly, he even pitched in nine games, starting two of them! He had a record of 1 win and 0 losses, with a very good 1.59 ERA. People often called Foxx the "right-handed Babe Ruth" because of his hitting power. But their careers were opposite in one way: Ruth started as a pitcher, and Foxx ended his career as one.
Jimmie Foxx finished his 20-year career with 534 home runs. He also had 1,922 RBIs, 1,751 runs scored, and 2,646 hits. His career batting average was .325. His 12 seasons in a row with 30 or more home runs was a major league record for many years. It was broken by Barry Bonds in 2004. When he retired, his 534 home runs placed him second only to Babe Ruth on the all-time list. He was the leader among right-handed hitters. Willie Mays passed Foxx for second place in 1966.
Foxx was the youngest player to reach 500 home runs. He did it at 32 years and 338 days old in 1940. This record stood until August 4, 2007, when Alex Rodriguez broke it. Foxx was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.
Life After Baseball
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After his playing days, Foxx worked as a manager and coach in the minor leagues. In 1952, he managed the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. His team made it to the playoffs but lost in the first round.
Foxx also coached the University of Miami baseball team for two seasons (1956-1957).
Later in his life, Jimmie Foxx faced financial challenges. The Red Sox helped him by making him a hitting coach for one of their minor league teams. He also worked as a greeter at a restaurant. He eventually retired in Lakewood, where he worked for the local recreation department. His two children also lived there. His son, Jimmie Foxx, Jr., was a good football player.
A city baseball field was named in Jimmie Foxx's honor. There is a plaque there that remembers his community service.
Jimmie Foxx's Passing
Jimmie Foxx passed away in 1967 at age 59 in Miami, Florida. His death was caused by choking on food while eating dinner with his brother.
Jimmie Foxx's Lasting Legacy
A statue of Jimmie Foxx was put up in his hometown of Sudlersville, Maryland, in 1997. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was also nominated for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
The character of Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own, was partly based on Jimmie Foxx.
Jimmie Foxx is also mentioned in a poem called "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash:
X is the first
Of two x's in Foxx
Who was right behind Ruth
With his powerful soxx.
See also
In Spanish: Jimmie Foxx para niños
