James Franklin Slagle was a professional baseball player who played outfield

Outfield

The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...

 in the major leagues from 1899 to 1908.

Slagle started his professional career in 1895, at the age of 21. In 1898, he won the Western League batting title with a .378 average; the next season, he started for the Washington Senators.

Slagle played for the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

 for seven seasons, including the 1906, 1907, and 1908 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...

 pennant winners. He was best known for his ability as an outfielder, leading the league in several defensive categories in his career.

The first successful straight steal of home in World Series play was made by Slagle on October 11, 1907.

External links

• Jimmy Slagle page on Baseball Reference
• Jimmy Slagle page on Baseball Almanac