Jim Mahady
Encyclopedia
James Bernard "Jim" Mahady (April 22, 1901 – August 9, 1936) was a professional baseball
second baseman
and pitcher, whose career spanned seven seasons, which included one in Major League Baseball
(MLB) with the New York Giants
(1921). While in the majors, Mahady played in one game, and had no plate appearance
s. The majority of his career was spent in the minor leagues
as a pitcher. He batted and threw right handed. In the minors, he compiled a 69–50 record. During his playing career, Mahady stood at 5 in 11 in (180.34 cm) and weighed 170 pounds (77.1 kg).
In 1930, two-years after he last played in professional baseball, Mahady was charged with second degree manslaughter
after killing a woman while at the command of his vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Three years later, the Governor of New York
, Herbert H. Lehman
, commuted
Mahady's sentence. Mahday died on August 9, 1936 at the age of 35.
to Michael and Mary Mahady of Pennsylvania
and Scotland
, respectively. At the age of 18, Jim Mahady was working as a laborer
.
(MLB) debut with the New York Giants
after never playing in minor league baseball. In his one game, Mahady had no plate appearance
s. Defensively, he played second base and made one assist
. At the age of 20, Magady was the fourth-youngest player to make an appearance in the National League
that year. In 1922, Mahady played with the Athletics of Unadilla, New York
, a semi-professional
team. A season later, Mahady would re-join the professional baseball
circuit with he Class-B Williamsport Billies
of the New York-Pennsylvania League
. With Williamsport, he was used as a pitcher, unlike his one game in the major leagues, where he was used as a second baseman. He compiled a 8–5 record in 106 innings pitched
. At the plate, he batted
.200 with nine hits
, one double
and one triple
in 45 at-bats.
In 1924, Williamsport changed their name from the Billies to the Grays
. Mahady played with the Grays that season until he joined the Harrisburg Senators
, also of the New York-Pennsylvania League. Between the two clubs, he had a combined record of 19–11 in 243 innings pitched. He also had 100 at-bats that season, hitting for a .210 average with 21 hits, five doubles and two home run
s. During the 1925 season, Mahady played with four teams; the Harrisburg Senators, Wilkes-Barre Barons
and York White Roses
of the New York-Pennsylvania League; and the Salisbury Indians
of the Eastern Shore League. Between the three teams he played with in the New York-Pennsylvania League that year, he went 6–8 with a 4.27 earned run average
(ERA) in 116 innings pitched. With Salisbury, he went 6–5 in 102 innings pitched. His combined batting average that season between all four clubs was .225 with 20 hits, two doubles and two home runs in 89 at-bats.
Mahady played with two teams in 1926. The majority of his games (21) were spent with the Class-C Fort Smith Twins of the Western Association
. He went 9–5 with a 4.46 ERA in 123 innings pitched for the Twins that season. The second team he played for that season with the Class-A Houston Buffaloes
of the Texas League
. In 32 innings pitched, he went 2–2 with a 4.50 ERA. The Buffaloes were minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals
at the time, making them the only minor league team affiliated to a MLB team Mahady ever played for. Between the two teams that year, he batted .296 with 20 hits, four doubles and one home run in 68 at-bats. In 1927, Mahady re-joined the Class-D Salisbury Indians of the Eastern Shore League. On the season, he went 15–9 in 199 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .199 with 29 hits, six doubles, one triple and seven home runs in 146 at-bats.
In 1928, Mahady spent his least season in fully professional baseball with two teams, the Class-B Harrisburg Senators and the Elmira Colonels, both of the New York-Pennsylvania League. Combined between the two teams, he went 4–5 with a 4.97 ERA 67 innings pitched. In 23 at-bats, he had four hits. During the 1929 season, Mahady played semi-professional baseball with the Cortland Eagles of his home-town Cortland, New York.
after he struck and killed a woman with his car while he was intoxicated. He was sentenced to serve six to 12 years in prison. While serving his term, Mahady was the captain on his prison's baseball team, the Great Meadow-Wilson Giants. His team faced the D. & H. Generals, a team which featured future hall of fame
member Johnny Evers
. Just before Christmas
in 1933, the Governor of New York
, Herbert H. Lehman
, commuted
Mahady's sentence. On August 9, 1936, at the age of 35, Mahady died in his hometown of Cortland, New York. He was buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Cortland.
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....
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 pitcher, whose career spanned seven seasons, which included one in 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...
(MLB) with the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1921). While in the majors, Mahady played in one game, and had no plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s. The majority of his career was spent 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...
as a pitcher. He batted and threw right handed. In the minors, he compiled a 69–50 record. During his playing career, Mahady stood at 5 in 11 in (180.34 cm) and weighed 170 pounds (77.1 kg).
In 1930, two-years after he last played in professional baseball, Mahady was charged with second degree manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
after killing a woman while at the command of his vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Three years later, the Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
, Herbert H. Lehman
Herbert H. Lehman
Herbert Henry Lehman was a Democratic Party politician from New York. He was the 45th Governor of New York from 1933 to 1942, and represented New York in the United States Senate from 1950 to 1957.-Lehman Brothers:...
, commuted
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
Mahady's sentence. Mahday died on August 9, 1936 at the age of 35.
Early life
Mahady was born on April 22, 1901 in Cortland, New YorkCortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
to Michael and Mary Mahady of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, respectively. At the age of 18, Jim Mahady was working as a laborer
Laborer
A Laborer or labourer - see variation in english spelling - is one of the construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as opposed to skilled labor. In the division of labor, laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act...
.
Professional career
On October 2, 1921, Mahady made his Major League BaseballMajor 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...
(MLB) debut with the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
after never playing in minor league baseball. In his one game, Mahady had no plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s. Defensively, he played second base and made one assist
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
. At the age of 20, Magady was the fourth-youngest player to make an appearance in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
that year. In 1922, Mahady played with the Athletics of Unadilla, New York
Unadilla (town), New York
Unadilla is a town located in Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 4,548. The name is derived from an Iroquois word for "meeting place."...
, a semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
team. A season later, Mahady would re-join the 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....
circuit with he Class-B Williamsport Billies
Williamsport Billies
The Williamsport Billies were a minor league baseball based in Williamsport in 1923. The 1923 club did not adopt a formal name. Rather the name, Billies, was used by the local media when referring to the team in Williamsport...
of the New York-Pennsylvania League
New York-Pennsylvania League (early 20th century)
The New York-Pennsylvania League of 1923 through 1937 was an American minor league baseball circuit.The forerunner to the modern Class AA Eastern League, it was a Class B circuit through 1932 and upgraded to Class A for the final five seasons of its existence. It is actually the second of three...
. With Williamsport, he was used as a pitcher, unlike his one game in the major leagues, where he was used as a second baseman. He compiled a 8–5 record in 106 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. At the plate, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.200 with nine hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, one double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and one triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in 45 at-bats.
In 1924, Williamsport changed their name from the Billies to the Grays
Williamsport Grays
*Location: Williamsport, Pennsylvania*League: New York-Penn League 1924-1937; Eastern League 1938-1942, 1944–1946, 1950, 1954–1956, 1958–1962...
. Mahady played with the Grays that season until he joined the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
, also of the New York-Pennsylvania League. Between the two clubs, he had a combined record of 19–11 in 243 innings pitched. He also had 100 at-bats that season, hitting for a .210 average with 21 hits, five doubles and two home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. During the 1925 season, Mahady played with four teams; the Harrisburg Senators, Wilkes-Barre Barons
Wilkes-Barre Barons (baseball)
The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a minor league team that existed on and off from 1888 to 1955. They began in the Central League in 1888, but the league disbanded after that season. Their next incarnation came about in 1905, when they began playing in the New York State League. They played in that...
and York White Roses
York White Roses
The York White Roses was the name of a minor league baseball team in the city of York, Pennsylvania, USA, that existed from 1894–1969.-Early years:...
of the New York-Pennsylvania League; and the Salisbury Indians
Salisbury Indians
The Salisbury Indians were a United States minor league baseball team which played in Salisbury, Maryland. The team began operation in 1922 as a founding member of the Eastern Shore Baseball League, which operated out of cities on the Delmarva Peninsula....
of the Eastern Shore League. Between the three teams he played with in the New York-Pennsylvania League that year, he went 6–8 with a 4.27 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) in 116 innings pitched. With Salisbury, he went 6–5 in 102 innings pitched. His combined batting average that season between all four clubs was .225 with 20 hits, two doubles and two home runs in 89 at-bats.
Mahady played with two teams in 1926. The majority of his games (21) were spent with the Class-C Fort Smith Twins of the Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
. He went 9–5 with a 4.46 ERA in 123 innings pitched for the Twins that season. The second team he played for that season with the Class-A Houston Buffaloes
Houston Buffaloes
The Houston Buffaloes or Buffs were an American minor league baseball team that was founded in 1888, played in the Texas League in the years 1888-90, 1892, 1895-99, and 1907-1958 ; in the South Texas League in the years 1903-06; and in the American Association from 1959-61...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. In 32 innings pitched, he went 2–2 with a 4.50 ERA. The Buffaloes were minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
at the time, making them the only minor league team affiliated to a MLB team Mahady ever played for. Between the two teams that year, he batted .296 with 20 hits, four doubles and one home run in 68 at-bats. In 1927, Mahady re-joined the Class-D Salisbury Indians of the Eastern Shore League. On the season, he went 15–9 in 199 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .199 with 29 hits, six doubles, one triple and seven home runs in 146 at-bats.
In 1928, Mahady spent his least season in fully professional baseball with two teams, the Class-B Harrisburg Senators and the Elmira Colonels, both of the New York-Pennsylvania League. Combined between the two teams, he went 4–5 with a 4.97 ERA 67 innings pitched. In 23 at-bats, he had four hits. During the 1929 season, Mahady played semi-professional baseball with the Cortland Eagles of his home-town Cortland, New York.
Later life
In 1930, Mahady was convicted of second degree manslaughterManslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
after he struck and killed a woman with his car while he was intoxicated. He was sentenced to serve six to 12 years in prison. While serving his term, Mahady was the captain on his prison's baseball team, the Great Meadow-Wilson Giants. His team faced the D. & H. Generals, a team which featured future hall of fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
member Johnny Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
. Just before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in 1933, the Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
, Herbert H. Lehman
Herbert H. Lehman
Herbert Henry Lehman was a Democratic Party politician from New York. He was the 45th Governor of New York from 1933 to 1942, and represented New York in the United States Senate from 1950 to 1957.-Lehman Brothers:...
, commuted
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
Mahady's sentence. On August 9, 1936, at the age of 35, Mahady died in his hometown of Cortland, New York. He was buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Cortland.