James Jerpe (1885 – January 16, 1917)Post staff (January 17, 1917)
"James Jerpe Dies; Well-Known Writer; Friend of Sportsmen, Firemen Passes Away"
''Pittsburgh Daily Post''. Retrieved 2021-09-22. was an American

sports writer Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

and columnist, writing for '' The Pittsburgh Dispatch'', ''

The Pittsburgh Post The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'' and ''

The Gazette Times The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'' from 1909 until 1916.

Early life and career

In 1985, Jerpe was born in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville district to Swedish émigré Andrew H. Jerpe and his second-generation Swedish-American spouse Anna Stomberg.Special to the Post (July 2, 1913)
"Sports Writer's Father Dies; Andrew H. Jerpe, Master Mechanic, Succumbs to Heart Failure"
''The Pittsburgh Post''. p. 8. Retrieved September 27, 2021.Post staff (March 17, 1908)
"Society: Will Live in Philadelphia"
''The Pittsburgh Post''. p. 5. When his parents moved to Norfolk, Ohio in 1900, James remained behind and soon found work as a

copy boy A copy boy is a typically young and junior worker on a newspaper. The job involves taking typed stories from one section of a newspaper to another. According to Bruce Guthrie, the former editor-in-chief of the ''Herald Sun'' who began work there ...

with a local paper. By no later than 1907 he was employed as a reporter, and between 1909 and 1911, he wrote for ''The Pittsburgh Dispatch'' and ''The Pittsburgh Post''. Beginning in January 1912 and continuing through roughly September 1916, Jerpe's byline appeared on a much more regular basis in what would prove his final and, by far, best-remembered incarnation, as columnist and

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

beat writer for ''The Gazette Times''. In 1915, during the Pirates' first east coast trip, Jerpe first complained of having difficulty seeing plays on the field. On his doctor's recommendation, he took a brief leave of absence, but within weeks, Jerpe had become completely blind.Press staff (January 16, 1917)
"Jim Jerpe, Noted Baseball Writer, Dies After Illness"
''The Pittsburgh Press''. p. 1. Retrieved September 27, 2021. Notwithstanding this sudden and disheartening development, Jerpe continued to provide his column, "On and Off the Field" (and later "Sport-itorials"), as well as other featured articles until deteriorating health forced him to bow out altogether in September 1916.

Personal life

In March 1908, Jerpe married Eva J. Thompson, with whom he had two children. In October 1960, their grandson, Andrew F. Jerpe,Cohn, Bob (September 19, 2010)
"Former Point Breeze teen still wonders about lost Mazeroski ball"
''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review''. "Jerpe is one of seven children. His father worked as a chemical engineer at the Gulf Research Laboratory in Harmarville..."Keck, Harry (October 13, 1959)
"West Virginia Not Conceding, Will Be 'Up' for Pitt Game"
''Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph''. p. 26. "Yesterday I learned another version from Jim Jerpe Jr., son of a famous baseball writer for the old Gazette-Times. He says that when he registered at Pitt, from which he graduated as a chemical engineer, he was told by the late Karl E. Davis, the then graduate athletic manager, that Jim's dad was responsible for the numbering, which Davis instituted."Post-Gazette staff (October 8, 1988)
"Obituaries: James A. Jerpe"
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. p. 10. "James A. Jerpe, 79, a retired chemist for Gulf Oil Corp. and a five-letter man in track and field at the University of Pittsburgh, died yesterday ..Surviving are four sons, James H. of Stevensville, Md., John M. of Ventura, Calif., Andrew F. of Atlanta and Eric J. of Washington, D.C.; three daughters, Mary Christine Gerszewski of North Dakota, Anna Mercho of Indianapolis, and Johanna Nelson of Louisville, Ky.; and 13 grandchildren." gained some measure of notoriety as the 14-year-old who, while making a slightly premature exit from Forbes Field just prior to the conclusion of Game 7 of the

1960 World Series The 1960 World Series was played between the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season, Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League (NL) and the 1960 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees of the American League (AL) from October 5–13, 1960. In Game 7, ...

, retrieved Bill Mazeroski's Series-ending home run ball.Cohn, Bob (September 19, 2010)
"Former Point Breeze teen still wonders about lost Mazeroski ball"
''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review''. "Jerpe is one of seven children. His father worked as a chemical engineer at the Gulf Research Laboratory in Harmarville..."

Death

At 9 A.M. on Tuesday morning, January 16, 1917, not quite 5 months after his retirement, Jerpes finally succumbed to his nearly 2-year-long illness. His funeral, held on January 19, attracted many friends and colleagues, including representatives of the ''Gazette-Times'', the Police and Fire Departments, and the Pitsburgh Stove League. In accordance with Jerpe's last wishes, his favorite musical selection, John McCormack's 1916 recording of "

Beautiful Isle of Somewhere "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" is a song with words by Jessie Brown Pounds and music by John Sylvester Fearis, written in 1897. The song gained huge popularity when it was used in William McKinley's funeral. It was subsequently a staple at funera ...

," was played during the funeral service."Dying Wish of Jim Jerpe Is Carried Out at Funeral; Favorite Musical Selection, 'Beautiful Isle of Somewhere,' Reproduced Upon Victrola During Services at Late Residence"
''The Pittsburgh Post''. January 20, 1917. p. 5.

References

* Gazette Times staff (September 4, 1907)
"Cawley is faced by Citizens"
''Pittsburgh Gazette Times''. p. 2 * Jerpe, James (March 21, 1909)
"Pittsburgh Man Perfects an Auto Fire Engine"
''The Pittsburgh Post''. p. 29 * Jerpe, James (December 7, 1912)
"Uniform Scoring Rules Should Be Drawn Soon; Old Fielder's Choice Remains Unsettled"
* Jerpe, James (December 21, 1912)
"Wagner's Habit of Eating When He Pleases Helps Him"
''Newark Evening Star''. p. 9 * Jerpe, James (January 12, 1913)
"Hans Wagner is 'Youngest' of Major League Veterans"
''The Birmingham Age-Herald''. p. 14 * Special Correspondence (February 8, 1913)
"Pittsburgh Activities: Brisbane Addresses the Traffic Club and F. Hopkinson Smith the Engineers"
''Editor and Publisher''. p. 6 * "New Sporting Writers' Association". ''The Fourth Estate''. February 15, 1913
p. 15
* Jackson, Joe S. (April 10, 1913)
"Giving Credit to Base Runners"
''The Sporting News''. p. 4 * Keener, Sid C. (June 6, 1913)
"Scribe Says Cobb Will Be Traded to the Pirates"
''The Miami Herald''. p. 5 * Keeler, O. B. (January 18, 1914)
"Nap Rucker Greatest Southpaw; Such Is Verdict of Expert Jury; Eleven Noted Sporting Editors Vote, and Six Award the Title to Georgian"
'' Hearst's Sunday American''. p. 13 * Batchelor, E. A.; Vaughan, Irving; O'Connor, W.J.; Peet, Bill; Jerpe, James (March 1, 1914)
"'Black Jack' Barry Is Best Shortstop"
''The Salt Lake Tribune''. p. 41 * Jerpe, James (January 28, 1915)
"Here and There with the Fans"
''The Sporting News''. p. 5 * Jerpe, James (February 3, 1915)
"Wagner Not Tempted by Offers of Cash; His Salary Is All the Star Ever Accepted"
''The Wilmington Evening Journal''. p. 12 * Lanigan, H.W. (March 12, 1915)
"Pittsburg Here Next Monday; First Game Will Be Played at Whittington Park Wednesday"
''The Hot Springs Sentinel-Record''. p. 2 * Jerpe, James (May 21, 1915)
"On and Off the Field: The Two-Edged Alibi"
''The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times''. p. 9 * Jerpe, James (September 19, 1915)
"Cravath Needs Only Three More Home Runs to Equal High Mark Set by Buck Freeman"
''The Pittsburgh Gazette Times''. p. 19 * Jerpe, James (October 2, 1915)
"Police and Firemen Form Football Team"
''The Pittsburgh Gazette Times''. p. 10 * Jerpe, James (January 9, 1916)
"Jimmy Callahan Pulls Nautical Joke on Tourists"
''The Omaha Sunday Bee''. p. 3—S * Rowland, Leslie W. (April 30, 1916)
"Baseball Scribe's Home Cheered by Stars' Party"
''The Pittsburgh Gazette Times''. p. 21 * Gazette staff (June 8, 1916)
"Batsmen Cast a Confirming Vote"
''The York Gazette''. p. 6 * Jerpe, James (June 18, 1916)
"Evers Analyzes Both Major Leagues"
''The Pittsburgh Gazette Times''. p. 21 * Ballinger, Ed (January 25, 1917)
"Jim Jerpe Pens His Last Story for Fans.
''The Sporting News''. p. 5 * Monitoren staff (February 9, 1917)
"Allehanda Nytt"
''Svenska Monitoren''. p. 5 * Star staff (February 19, 1917)
"Optimism in Blindness"
''The Kansas City Star''. p. 8 * Mathewson, Christy (April 21, 1917)
"Big League Gossip"
''The Evening World''. p. 6. * Lanigan, Ernest (April 30, 1931)
"Fanning with Lanigan"
''The Sporting News''. p. 4 * Long, James J. (February 2, 1939)
"Chilly Doyle, New BBWA Prexy, Red-Hot Fan Who Rejoices and Suffers Over Pirate Fortunes"
''The Sporting News''. p. 10 * Mercer, Sid (February 17, 1944)
"Earlier Scribes Carried Bags of Gags; By-Liners Among Main-Liners"
''The Sporting News''. p. 5 * Keck, Harry (October 25, 1939)
"Sports: A Quarter Century of Sport Reporting"
''Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph''. p. 20 * Rimmel, William R. (March 31, 1962)
"The Shifting Scene"
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. p. 19 * Dugo, Harry (February 12, 1970)
"The Independents: Miz Dart Hits Memory Target"
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. p. 30

Books

* Menke, Frank Grant (1947). ''The New Encyclopedia of Sports''. New York : A. S. Barnes
p. 418
* Armstrong, Richard C.; Healy Jr., Martin (2020). ''George "Mooney" Gibson: Canadian Catcher for Deadball Era Pirates''. Jefferson, NC : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
p. 136
.

External links

John McCormack – "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere"
(the recording that was played—in accordance with his last wishes—at Jerpe's funeral); at

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jerpe, James 1885 births 1917 deaths Baseball writers Blind writers Sportspeople from Pittsburgh Sportswriters from Pennsylvania Writers from Pittsburgh American people of Swedish descent American Presbyterians 20th-century American non-fiction writers Burials at Allegheny Cemetery