Jim Mains
Encyclopedia
James Royal Mains was a pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. He played one game for the Philadelphia Athletics
in 1943.
. He attended Harvard University
and played on the baseball team from 1941 to 1943. He was one of the best hitters and pitchers on the club.
Mains started his professional baseball career in 1943. That season, he pitched for the Eastern League's Utica Braves
and went 0-8 with a 6.64 earned run average
. He also made one start for the Philadelphia Athletics late in the season, a complete-game loss. It was his only major league appearance. The following season, he went 3-9 back in the Eastern League.
In 1945, Mains pitched for the American Association
's Toledo Mud Hens
and went 5-8, mostly in relief. He then moved on to the Little Rock Travelers
of the Southern Association
. He set career-highs in 1946 in wins, losses, and innings pitched
, going 6-16 with a 4.60 ERA in 178 innings. In 1947, he went 3-10. That was his last season in the high minors. He later pitched in the Provincial League.
Besides playing baseball, Mains also manufactured baseball bats in Bridgton. He had one son, who is also named Jim.
Mains died in 1969, at the age of 46.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
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...
. He played one game for the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in 1943.
Biography
Mains was born in Bridgton, Maine, and was the son of former MLB pitcher Willard MainsWillard Mains
Willard Eben Mains was an American professional baseball pitcher. He joined the National League at the age of 19 with the Chicago White Stockings, started two games in , winning one and losing the other...
. He attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and played on the baseball team from 1941 to 1943. He was one of the best hitters and pitchers on the club.
Mains started his professional baseball career in 1943. That season, he pitched for the Eastern League's Utica Braves
Utica Braves
The Utica Braves were a Can-Am League and Eastern League baseball team based in Utica, New York, USA. They were affiliated with the Boston Braves in 1939, the Detroit Tigers in 1941, the Springfield Rifles in 1942 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1943.Wally Schang played for the team.A team named...
and went 0-8 with a 6.64 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...
. He also made one start for the Philadelphia Athletics late in the season, a complete-game loss. It was his only major league appearance. The following season, he went 3-9 back in the Eastern League.
In 1945, Mains pitched for the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
's Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
and went 5-8, mostly in relief. He then moved on to the Little Rock Travelers
Little Rock Travelers
The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas and members of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or AA circuit was typically two rungs below Major League Baseball...
of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
. He set career-highs in 1946 in wins, losses, and 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...
, going 6-16 with a 4.60 ERA in 178 innings. In 1947, he went 3-10. That was his last season in the high minors. He later pitched in the Provincial League.
Besides playing baseball, Mains also manufactured baseball bats in Bridgton. He had one son, who is also named Jim.
Mains died in 1969, at the age of 46.