- Jimmy Archer
Infobox MLB retired
name=Jimmy Archer
position=Catcher
birthdate =birth date|1883|5|13
deathdate =death date and age|1958|3|29|1883|5|13
bats=Right
throws=Right
debutdate=September 6
debutyear=by|1904
debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
finaldate=September 2
finalyear=by|1918
finalteam=Cincinnati Reds
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.249
stat2label=HR
stat2value=16
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=296
teams=
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1904, by|1918)
*Detroit Tigers (by|1907)
*Chicago Cubs (by|1909-by|1917)
* Brooklyn Robins (by|1918)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|1918)
highlights=
* Led NL in assists, 1912James Patrick Archer (
May 13 1883 –March 29 1958 ) was an Irish-borncatcher inMajor League Baseball who spent nearly his entire career with fourNational League teams, primarily theChicago Cubs , for whom he played from 1909 to 1917. Born inDublin , he also played for thePittsburgh Pirates in 1904, theAmerican League 'sDetroit Tigers in 1907, and the Pirates, Brooklyn Robins andCincinnati Reds in 1918. As a catcher, he could remain squatting and still throw out runners attempting to stealsecond base due to his unique arm strength, which became his trademark, acquired from the healing of burns that shortened his musclescite web|last=Kavanagh |first=Jack |url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/A/Archer_Jimmy.stm |title=The Ballplayers - Jimmy Archer |publisher=BaseballLibrary.com |accessdate=2008-03-16] after an industrial accident in which Archer fell into a vat of boiling sap at the age of 19.His family immigrated to
Montreal when he was an infant, later moving toToronto when he was three; he attended Toronto's De La Salle College andSt. Michael's College School . He was working at a barrelmaker in Toronto in 1902 when he suffered the burns which led to a three-month hospitalization. In 1903 he began playing baseball inManitoba , and in 1904 he joined theBoone, Iowa team of theIowa State League cite news |url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Archer.Jimmy.Obit.html |title=Jimmy Archer, 74, Dies |publisher=The New York Times |date=1958-03-31] ; he married Boone resident Lillian Stark in 1905. In August 1904 he was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he went on to play seven games for the team that season.cite web |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/archeji01.shtml |title=Jimmy Archer Statistics |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=2008-03-16] He later played for Detroit for 18 games during the 1907 season, and started the fifth and final game of the1907 World Series against the Cubs, but was hitless in threeat bat s as the Tigers lost 2-0; both Cub runs followed successful stolen bases against Archer and pitcher George Mullin. In 1909 he began playing for the Cubs, the team he remained with until 1917; he took over catching duties forJohnny Kling , one of the top players on the Cubs' pennant winners of 1906 to 1908, who was taking a year off from baseball to pursue other interests. Archer split time withPat Moran during the 1909 season, and with Kling upon his return for the 1910 season. He played three games en route to the Cubs'1910 World Series loss to the Philadelphia Athletics, and after doubling with one out, scored the winning run onJimmy Sheckard 's hit with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 4 – the 4-3 victory giving the Cubs their only win in the Series. However, he had only one other hit in the Series, that coming with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 when the Cubs were trailing 7-2.In 1911 Archer won the starting job, and Kling was later that season traded to the Boston Rustlers. Archer ended up finishing 16th in voting for the first Chalmers Award, the first formal MVP award presented in the major leagues. During the 1912 and 1913 seasons, Archer again earned some votes for the Chalmers Award, finishing 22nd in 1912 and 13th in 1913. He led the NL in assists in 1912 with 149, but also paced the league with 23 errors. However, he began to split time at catcher with
Roger Bresnahan in 1914 and 1915. After playing 77 games in 1916 and only two in 1917, Archer was released by the Cubs. Over the course of the 1918 season, he played for three separate teams. He signed as a free agent with the Pirates onMarch 10 , and played 24 games with them. However, he only had abatting average of .155 during that time and was released. He later played for the Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds for nine games each until his retirement at the end of the season.After his retirement from baseball, Archer worked as a hog purchaser for the Armour meat packing company in Chicago. He received a medal from the
National Safety Council in 1931 after using prone pressure resuscitation to revive two truck drivers who had been overcome by carbon monoxide in theUnion Stock Yards . Archer died at St. Mary's Hospital inMilwaukee, Wisconsin at the age of 74, due to a blocked coronary artery following treatment for spinal tuberculosis. He was interred at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Boone, Iowa, his wife's hometown. [cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8647174|title=Peter James "Jimmy" Archer|accessdate=2006-10-25] He was elected to theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.ee also
*
List of players from Ireland in Major League Baseball References
External links
* [http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=325&bid=918 SABR: Baseball Biography Project]
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/GravePhotos/Archer.Jimmy.Grave.html TheDeadBallEra.com] - Archer's grave marker
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.