Jap Payne
American baseball player (1879-1942)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrew H. "Jap" Payne (December 6, 1879 – August 22, 1942) was an American baseball player in the Negro leagues. He played multiple positions, including outfield and infield.
| Jap Payne | |
|---|---|
Payne in 1909 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: December 6, 1879 Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| Died: August 22, 1942 (aged 62) New York, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| debut | |
| 1902, for the Philadelphia Giants | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1922, for the Philadelphia Giants of New York | |
| Teams | |
|
Biography
Standing at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m), Payne was described as "unimposing," but he became known for slapping line drives past infielders, as well as having an excellent arm.[4][self-published source][5]
Payne was rumored to have gotten the nickname "Jap" due to his slanted eyes.
In August, 1907, Payne lost his temper and attacked an umpire, causing a near-riot, and his language occasionally forced umpires to throw him out of games.[6][self-published source]
Sportswriter and fellow player Jimmy Smith put Payne on his 1909 "All American Team."[7] Prior to the 1930 season, pitcher Dizzy Dismukes included Payne in his list of nine greatest all-time outfielders and wrote:
Jap Payne in a moment of need could do more acrobatic stunts to help a pitcher out of a tight situation than all the outfielders put together. Almost any ball Jap could get within three to five feet of before hitting the ground he caught, as he usually took a dive for them. In reading of Hack Wilson's catch of Simmons' drive during the last World Series,[8] I thought of catches I had seen Payne make.[9]
In 1953, future Hall of Famer Pop Lloyd named Payne as the right fielder on his all-time team.[5][10]
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