Jimmy Wolf
Encyclopedia
William Van Winkle "Jimmy" Wolf (May 12, 1862 – May 16, 1903), also known as Chicken Wolf, was an American
Major League Baseball
player from Louisville
, Kentucky
who played right field
, but occasionally played other positions in the infield
.
Wolf played for his hometown team, the Louisville Colonels
of the American Association
, from , when they were called the Eclipse, to . When the American Association folded, he then played for the St. Louis Browns
of the National League
in . It was his last season in the Majors. He played in just three games for the Browns when he decided to retire.
In , with the team 2–8 after ten games under player-manager Dude Esterbrook
, the managerial reins were handed over to Wolf, who won only 14 of the 65 games he managed. The other two managers to follow, Dan Shannon
and Jack Chapman
, didn't fare any better, as Louisville won only 27 games that year with 111 losses. In , he led the American Association in batting
with .363.
Wolf died in 1903 at the age of 41, from the effects of brain trauma he suffered a few years before in a fire-fighting accident, and is interred at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. This cemetery is where other Louisville ballplayers have been buried as well, including childhood friend and teammate Pete Browning
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
player from Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
who played right field
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
, but occasionally played other positions in the infield
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
.
Wolf played for his hometown team, the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
of the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
, from , when they were called the Eclipse, to . When the American Association folded, he then played for the St. Louis Browns
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...
of 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...
in . It was his last season in the Majors. He played in just three games for the Browns when he decided to retire.
In , with the team 2–8 after ten games under player-manager Dude Esterbrook
Dude Esterbrook
Thomas John "Dude" Esterbrook was an American Major League Baseball player from Staten Island, New York who played the majority of his games at third base, but did play many games at first base...
, the managerial reins were handed over to Wolf, who won only 14 of the 65 games he managed. The other two managers to follow, Dan Shannon
Dan Shannon
Daniel Webster "Dan" Shannon was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He began his major league career in with the Louisville Colonels as their second baseman. During the season, he became player-manager for a total of 56 games, of which only 10 were victories...
and Jack Chapman
Jack Chapman
John Curtis "Jack" Chapman was an American Major League Baseball player and manager who was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing in the National Association when he played for the Brooklyn Atlantics and the St. Louis Brown Stockings. In , when the National League formed, he became the...
, didn't fare any better, as Louisville won only 27 games that year with 111 losses. In , he led the American Association in batting
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 :...
with .363.
Wolf died in 1903 at the age of 41, from the effects of brain trauma he suffered a few years before in a fire-fighting accident, and is interred at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. This cemetery is where other Louisville ballplayers have been buried as well, including childhood friend and teammate Pete Browning
Pete Browning
Louis Rogers "Pete" Browning was an American center and left fielder in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1894 who played primarily for the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels, becoming one of the sport's most accomplished batters of the 1880s...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples