Jay Kirke
American baseball player (1888–1968)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Judson Fabian Kirke (June 16, 1888 – August 31, 1968) was an American professional baseball first baseman.
| Jay Kirke | |
|---|---|
| |
| First baseman / Outfielder | |
| Born: June 16, 1888 Fleischmanns, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: August 31, 1968 (aged 80) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 28, 1910, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 2, 1918, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .301 |
| Home runs | 7 |
| Runs batted in | 148 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Kirke played baseball locally around Fleischmanns, New York before signing with the Kingston Colonials of the Hudson River League and thereafter progressing through the minor leagues.[1]
He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 through 1918 for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Rustlers / Braves, Cleveland Naps / Indians, and New York Giants. In 1,148 big league at bats, Kirke had a solid career batting average of .301 while playing seven different positions, primarily first base. Kirke enjoyed a long minor league career after his final stint in the big leagues with the New York Giants.
While playing in the minor leagues with the Louisville Colonels with player-manager Joe McCarthy, Kirke told McCarthy that, as a player, McCarthy did not "look so good" to his fellow ballplayers. McCarthy credited Kirke's remark with inspiring him to quit playing and focus instead on managing.[2] McCarthy would go on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager.
After a long and successful career as both a minor league player and manager, Kirke moved to New Orleans while his son, Judson, played and managed in the minors.[2][3]
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