James Riley (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
James Norman Riley was a Canadian professional ice hockey
and baseball
player.
Born in Bayfield, New Brunswick, Riley played 17 games in the National Hockey League
and 90 games in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
, as a member of the Chicago Black Hawks
, Detroit Red Wings
, and Seattle Metropolitans
. He won the Stanley Cup
with Seattle in 1917.
In addition, Riley played professional baseball
for twelve seasons, from 1921–32, mostly in the minor leagues
. He started his career as a second baseman
, and played in four games at that position for the 1921 St. Louis Browns
of the American League
, thus becoming the only athlete in sports history to play both Major League Baseball
and in the National Hockey League. After that season, he switched permanently to first base
, and returned to the major leagues with the 1923 Washington Senators
, playing two games with them, before resuming his career in the minors.
Riley died in Seguin, Texas
, the day of his 74th birthday.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player.
Born in Bayfield, New Brunswick, Riley played 17 games in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and 90 games in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
, as a member of the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, and Seattle Metropolitans
Seattle Metropolitans
The Seattle Metropolitans were a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington which played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924. They won the Stanley Cup in 1917, becoming the first American team to do so...
. He won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with Seattle in 1917.
In addition, Riley played professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
for twelve seasons, from 1921–32, mostly in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. He started his career as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, and played in four games at that position for the 1921 St. Louis Browns
1921 St. Louis Browns season
The 1921 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing third in the American League with a record of 83 wins and 73 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, thus becoming the only athlete in sports history to play both Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and in the National Hockey League. After that season, he switched permanently to first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, and returned to the major leagues with the 1923 Washington Senators
1923 Washington Senators season
The 1923 Washington Senators won 75 games, lost 78, and finished in fourth place in the American League. They were managed by Donie Bush and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
, playing two games with them, before resuming his career in the minors.
Riley died in Seguin, Texas
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
, the day of his 74th birthday.