Sherry Magee
Encyclopedia
Sherwood Robert "Sherry" Magee (August 6, 1884 - March 13, 1929) was an American
left fielder
in Major League Baseball
. From 1904 through 1919, Magee played for the Philadelphia Phillies
(1904–14), Boston Braves
(1915–1917) and Cincinnati Reds
(1917–1919). He batted and threw right-handed.
In a 16-season career, Magee posted a .291 batting average
with 83 home run
s and 1,176 runs batted in
in 2,087 games played
.
A native of Clarendon, Pennsylvania
, Magee was one of the premier hitters of the dead-ball era
. He could hit, run and field, and played with intelligence and aggressively. Nevertheless, he has been one of the most underrated ballplayers in major league history.
From 1905 through 1914, Magee finished in the National League
Top 10 in home runs and RBIs seven times, including leading the NL in RBIs four times. He led the league for a fourth time in the campaign, which was shortened by World War I
and the Spanish flu
pandemic. Magee also hit over .300 five times, including a batting title to his credit as well, while also being known as one of the finest defensive outfielders of his day. To top it all off, he collected 2,169 hits
and 441 stolen base
s, including 23 steals of home.
Magee was obtained by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1904 and remained with them for eleven years. His 85 RBIs in 1905 were an NL high. His most productive season came in 1910, when he led the league in batting (.310), RBIs (123), runs
(110), total bases
(263), on base percentage
(.445), slugging average (.507) and OPS
(.952), and finished second in doubles
(39) and triples
(17).
In 1914 Magee led the league in hits (171), doubles (39), RBIs (103), extra base hit
s (65), total bases
(277) and slugging (.509). A year later, he was traded to the Boston Braves. He remained at Boston until the 1917 midseason, when he was sent to the Cincinnati Reds. In 1918, for the fourth time, he led the league in RBIs (76), and became a member of the Reds team that won its first NL pennant in 1919. In that year Magee was seriously ill for two months, and concluded his major league career by pinch-hitting twice during the 1919 World Series
.
Magee later played in the minors
and also umpired
in the New York-Penn League (1927) and the National League (1928).
A victim of pneumonia
, Magee died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
at age 44. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery Co
in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
.
In August 2008, he was named as one of the ten former players that began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
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...
. From 1904 through 1919, Magee played for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1904–14), Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1915–1917) and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1917–1919). He batted and threw right-handed.
In a 16-season career, Magee posted a .291 batting average
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 83 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 and 1,176 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 2,087 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
A native of Clarendon, Pennsylvania
Clarendon, Pennsylvania
Clarendon is a borough in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 564 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clarendon is located at ....
, Magee was one of the premier hitters of the dead-ball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
. He could hit, run and field, and played with intelligence and aggressively. Nevertheless, he has been one of the most underrated ballplayers in major league history.
From 1905 through 1914, Magee finished 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...
Top 10 in home runs and RBIs seven times, including leading the NL in RBIs four times. He led the league for a fourth time in the campaign, which was shortened by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
pandemic. Magee also hit over .300 five times, including a batting title to his credit as well, while also being known as one of the finest defensive outfielders of his day. To top it all off, he collected 2,169 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....
and 441 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, including 23 steals of home.
Magee was obtained by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1904 and remained with them for eleven years. His 85 RBIs in 1905 were an NL high. His most productive season came in 1910, when he led the league in batting (.310), RBIs (123), runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(110), total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(263), on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(.445), slugging average (.507) and OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
(.952), and finished second in doubles
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....
(39) and triples
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....
(17).
In 1914 Magee led the league in hits (171), doubles (39), RBIs (103), extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s (65), total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(277) and slugging (.509). A year later, he was traded to the Boston Braves. He remained at Boston until the 1917 midseason, when he was sent to the Cincinnati Reds. In 1918, for the fourth time, he led the league in RBIs (76), and became a member of the Reds team that won its first NL pennant in 1919. In that year Magee was seriously ill for two months, and concluded his major league career by pinch-hitting twice during the 1919 World Series
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
.
Magee later played in the minors
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...
and also umpired
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in the New York-Penn League (1927) and the National League (1928).
A victim of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, Magee died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
at age 44. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery Co
Arlington Cemetery Co
Arlington Cemetery Co was founded in 1895. It is located on State Road in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania and occupies roughly .Arlington Cemetery consists of the Mount Vernon Office, Toppitzer Funeral Home, Williamsburg Chapel, The Museum of Mourning Art, The Garden Mausoleum, The Monticello Mausoleum,...
in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Drexel Hill is a census-designated place in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel Hill is located southwest of Center City, Philadelphia and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area...
.
In August 2008, he was named as one of the ten former players that began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
See also
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases