James Paulus Outlaw (January 20, 1913 – April 9, 2006) was an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player. He played all or part of 10 seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) as an

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

and

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

for the Cincinnati Reds,

Boston Bees The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During ...

, and Detroit Tigers. Outlaw played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...

for the

Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...

and was signed in 1934 by the Cincinnati Reds. He played three years in the minor leagues, batting .351 for the

Decatur Commodores The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois that played for 64 seasons. The Commodores are the primary ancestor of today's Kane County Cougars. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from 1 ...

, leading the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

in hits in 1935, and batting .330 as an All-Star third baseman for the

Nashville Volunteers The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. Known only as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers (often sh ...

in 1936. He made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1937, appearing in 49 games before returning to the minor leagues. He next played with the

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

of the International League in 1937 and 1938, compiling a .339 batting average in 1938. He returned to the major leagues in 1939 with the

but ended up in the International League again from 1940 to 1943, playing with the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

. In August 1943, Outlaw was acquired by the Detroit Tigers, with whom he played as an outfielder and third baseman until May 1949. He was a starter in the outfield for the Tigers in his first full major league season in 1944, appearing in 132 games. In 1945, he began the season as the Tigers' starting left fielder but moved to third base to make room for

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

upon his return from military service in June 1945. He played third base in all seven games of the Tigers' 1945 World Series championship against the Chicago Cubs. In 10 major league seasons, Outlaw compiled a .268 batting average with 6 home runs, 184 RBIs, 257 runs, 79 doubles, 17 triples, 24 stolen bases, and a .333 on-base percentage. Outlaw made his home in

Jackson, Alabama Jackson is a city in Clarke County, Alabama, United States. The population was 5,557 at the 2020 census. It was one of three wet settlements in an otherwise- dry county. Geography Jackson is located along the western border of Clarke County a ...

, where he died in 2006 at age 93. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Early years

James Outlaw was born in Orme, Tennessee, in 1913. He attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University, for two years. Although he had never worn a baseball uniform before enrolling at Auburn, he played at the

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

and/or outfield positions for the

baseball team in 1932 and/or 1933.

Professional baseball career

Minor leagues

Outlaw was signed by Milton Stock, scout for the Cincinnati Reds, in 1934. He spent the 1934 season playing as a

for the Jeannette Reds (

Pennsylvania State Association The Pennsylvania State Association was a class D level league of minor league baseball that existed from 1934 until 1942. The league franchised were entirely based in Western Pennsylvania. History The Pennsylvania State Association was compos ...

) and

Beckley Black Knights Beckley may refer to: Places ;United Kingdom *Beckley, East Sussex, England *Beckley, Hampshire, England *Beckley, Oxfordshire, England **Beckley Park, a stately home ;United States *Beckley, Louisville, Kentucky * Beckley, West Virginia Other us ...

(

Middle Atlantic League The Middle Atlantic League (or Mid-Atlantic League) was a lower-level circuit in United States, American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century. History The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 in base ...

). He compiled a .340

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with 16 doubles, 7 triples, and 9 home runs in 209 at bats for Jeannette. In 1935, Outlaw was promoted to the "Class B" level with the

of the

. He played at third base for Decatur and hit for a .351 average with 27 doubles, 17 triples, and 6 home runs in 447 at bats. He also led the Three-I League in total hits for the 1935 season. In 1936, Outlaw was promoted to the "Class A" level with the

of the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cla ...

as their starting third baseman, compiling a .330 batting average with 46 doubles, 9 triples, and 7 home runs in 643 at bats. He was selected as an All-Star at third base while playing for Nashville.

Cincinnati Reds

In 1937, Outlaw made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds. In his first major league game on April 20, 1937, Outlaw had three hits off

Dizzy Dean Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...

. Outlaw appeared in 49 games for the 1937 Reds, a team which finished in last place in the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

with a 56-98 record. Playing as a backup to incumbent third baseman Lew Riggs, Outlaw compiled a .273 batting average in 165 at bats during his rookie season with the Reds. In 1938, Outlaw appeared in just four games with the Reds, being used exclusively in pinch run situations.

Syracuse Chiefs

After his initial stint with the Reds, Outlaw was sent to the

of the International League where he appeared in 65 games for the Chiefs in 1937 and 114 games in 1938. After his first season in Syracuse, Outlaw was moved from third base to the outfield, appearing in 108 games in the outfield in 1938. Outlaw compiled a .339 batting average for Syracuse in 1938 and added 25 doubles and 9 triples in 416 at bats.

Boston Bees

After his outstanding performance with Syracuse in 1938, Outlaw became a hot prospect. In the course of three months at the end of the 1938 season, Outlaw was traded, drafted or sold four times. On September 9, 1938, the Reds sold him to the Brooklyn Dodgers from the Cincinnati Reds, although the sale was voided on September 14, 1938, with Outlaw being returned to the Reds. On October 4, 1938, the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

drafted Outlaw from the Reds in the 1938 Rule 5 draft. Finally, on December 13, 1938, he was traded by the Cardinals to the Dodgers in exchange for Lew Krausse and cash. On the same date, he was traded by the Dodgers with

Buddy Hassett John Aloysius "Buddy" Hassett (September 5, 1911 – August 23, 1997) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Bees / Braves, and New York Yanke ...

to the

in exchange for Ira Hutchinson and Gene Moore. Outlaw played in 65 games for Boston in 1939, including appearances at all three outfield positions. However, his batting average dipped to .263 with only two doubles and no triples or home runs in 133 at bats.

Buffalo Bisons

On March 23, 1940, the

of the International League purchased Outlaw from the Boston Bees. Outlaw began the 1940 season with a league-leading .391 batting average, but in late June 1940, he was hit on the wrist by a fastball thrown by Steve "The Mad Russian" Rachunok. Outlaw was out of the lineup for 10 days, and when he returned, his batting stroke was not the same. His batting average "melted" for the rest of the season, though he still finished with a .309 average for the 1940 season. He remained in Buffalo for four years, appeared in 563 games for the Bisons, and compiled batting averages of .309, .264, .263, and .277.

Detroit Tigers

1943-44 seasons

On August 26, 1943, the Detroit Tigers purchased Outlaw and pitcher Rufe Gentry from Buffalo for $17,500. The Tigers acquired Outlaw at the urging of manager

Steve O'Neill Stephen Francis O'Neill (July 6, 1891 – January 26, 1962) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, most notably with the Cleveland Indians. As a manager, he led the Detroit Tig ...

, who had managed Outlaw in Buffalo in 1940. O'Neill noted, "Jimmy's a hustler, a grand team player, and there's not a selfish streak in him. I've known him a long time and never met a grander man." In his first game for Detroit, Outlaw hit a home run off

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

pitcher Al Smith. Outlaw played in 20 games for the 1943 Tigers, including appearances at all three outfield positions, hitting for a .269 average in 67 at bats on the season. By the end of the 1943 season, the Tigers had already lost two left fielders (

and

Barney McCosky William Barney McCosky (April 11, 1917 – September 6, 1996) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1939 through 1953, he played for the Detroit Tigers (1939–42, 1946), Philadelphia Athletics (1946–1948, 1950–1951), Cincinnati Re ...

) to military service, and a third (

Dick Wakefield Richard Cummings Wakefield (May 6, 1921 – August 25, 1985) was a left fielder in Major League Baseball for 9 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1941, 1943–1944, 1946–1949), New York Yankees (1950), and New York Giants (1952). Wakefield was ...

) was then departing. In December 1943, Detroit manager

announced Outlaw would take over as the Tigers' starting left fielder in 1944. Outlaw had been designated 4F due to

flat feet Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. Sometimes children are born ...

. Outlaw appeared in 139 games for the 1944 Tigers, including 69 games in left field, 60 games in right field, and eight games in center field. In his first full season in the major leagues, he posted career-highs in batting average (.273), runs (69) hits (146), doubles (20), triples (6), home runs (3),

RBIs A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(57) and

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

(139). Prior to 1944, Outlaw had never played in more than 65 major league games in a season. He also ranked fourth in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

with 14

assist Assist or ASSIST may refer to: Sports Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team: *Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...

s from the outfield. He had a

fielding average In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, divi ...

of .967. In a June 1944 feature story about Outlaw in ''

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'', Detroit manager

, who had previously managed Outlaw while both were in Buffalo, praised Outlaw effusively:

"I know what Jimmy can do. He should've been in the majors three years ago. He's hard to fool up there at the plate. We can depend on him for a bunt or for the hit and run. He's got speed and intelligence. What's more, he hustles. I've never heard of him sulking. I wish I had a dozen like him."

1945 season

In 1945, Outlaw appeared in 132 games for the Tigers. He began the season as the team's primary left fielder, appearing in 82 games at the position. He also played 17 games at center and eight at right, while hitting .271 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs. In late June 1945,

returned from World War II, creating a coaching dilemma for manager O'Neill. O'Neill moved Greenberg into the lineup in his pre-war position in left field, which necessitated moving Outlaw elsewhere. O'Neill considered moving Outlaw to right field, where he had played for the latter half of the 1944 season (after Wakefield returned), but that would have required benching Roy Cullenbine. O'Neill opted instead to move Outlaw to third base, where Outlaw had played earlier in his career. At the time, Detroit sports writer Sam Greene wrote that "Outlaw's gift of speed and recent batting consistency have made him one of the most valuable Tigers." Outlaw played 21 games at third base in the regular season and started all seven games of the 1945 World Series at third base. He hit .179 (5-for-28) in the Series, scoring one run while driving in three more. Detroit beat the Chicago Cubs. Teammate

Les Mueller Leslie Clyde Mueller (March 4, 1919 – October 25, 2012) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1941 and 1945. He was born in Belleville, Illinois. In 1940, Mueller played for the Beaumont Export ...

described Outlaw this way:

"Jimmy Outlaw was the type of player that was always hustling. The type of guy that would get his uniform dirty and he did a good job. This was especially true when Greenberg joined us, and they moved him from outfield to third base. . . . He was a pepper pot. He was the type of guy who was always kidding around ... in the clubhouse or the dugout, and kept the guys loose."

Teammate

Red Borom Edward Jones "Red" Borom (October 30, 1915 – January 7, 2011) was a Major League Baseball player who played two seasons and won a World Series ring with the Detroit Tigers in 1945. Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Borom was 28 years old be ...

also recalled Outlaw as a pepper pot, needling veterans

and

Rudy York Preston Rudolph York (August 17, 1913 – February 5, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman between and , most notably as a member of the ...

and reminding his teammates that they had to play hard and focus on winning every day. Borom described Outlaw as "a very versatile player, a good baserunner, and played the infield as well as the outfield." In a column published at the end of September 1945, J. G. Taylor Spink, editor of ''The Sporting News'', expressed his happiness in the success of Outlaw. Spink described Outlaw as a hard worker who considered conditioning to be "a fetish", a man who rarely drank even a beer and who went to bed early and rose early for breakfast every day with his four-year-old son Perry and wife Gracie. Spink added: "Jimmy has no interest in clubhouse politics. He is mild-mannered. He never has been thrown out of a ball game, nor has he ever staged any sort of a rhubarb against an umpire."

1946-49 seasons

In 1946, Outlaw appeared in 92 games for the Tigers, 43 in the outfield and 38 at third base. By late June, he was batting .290, and Detroit sports writer Watson Spoelstra wrote that Outlaw "may be viewed as the team's most consistent hitter" with the exception of the recently acquired third baseman

George Kell George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American Major League Baseball third baseman who played 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1943–1946), Detroit Tigers (1947–1952), Boston Red Sox (1952–1954), Chicago Whi ...

. Outlaw's performance trailed off in the second half of the 1946 season as he compiled a .261 average in 299 at bats. In 1947, Outlaw proved to be a versatile handyman for the Tigers. Though relegated to a reserve role, he played well at third base when

was injured, in left field when

was injured, and in center field when

Hoot Evers Walter Arthur "Hoot" Evers (February 8, 1921 – January 25, 1991) was an American baseball outfielder, scout, coach, and executive. Evers played professional baseball from 1941 to 1942 and 1946 to 1956, including 12 seasons in Major League Bas ...

was injured. He continued to serve in a backup role at third base and outfield for Detroit in 1948, appearing in 74 games. He appeared in only five games for the Tigers in 1948, making his last major league appearance on May 8, 1949, at age 36.

Minor league player/manager

In May 1949, Outlaw was sold by the Tigers to the

Sacramento Solons The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began pl ...

of the Pacific Coast League. Several minor league clubs bid on Outlaw, but the Tigers accommodated Outlaw's desire to play in Sacramento for manager

Del Baker Delmer David Baker (May 3, 1892 – September 11, 1973) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his time as a player, he spent three years (1914–1916) in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a backup catcher for the ...

, the former manager of the Tigers. Outlaw compiled a .105 average in 38 at bats for the Solons in 1949. He concluded his playing career in 1950 with the Miami Beach Flamingos in the

Florida International League The Florida International League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in American and Cuban minor league baseball that existed from 1946 through July 27, 1954. It was designated Class C for its first three seasons, then upgraded to Class B in 1949 fo ...

; he had a .254 average in 177 at bats. He also served as manager of the Flamingos during the 1950 season.

MLB statistics

In a 10-season major league career, Outlaw was a .268 hitter (529 for 1,974) with six home runs and 184 RBIs in 650 games, including 257 runs, 79 doubles, 17 triples, 24 stolen bases, and a .333 on-base percentage.

Later years

Following his playing career, Outlaw worked for the Dairy Fresh Milk Co. in

, and became active in the Jackson Civitan Club. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Outlaw died in 2006 at an Alabama hospital at the age of 93.

Sources

External links

Baseball Almanac
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Outlaw, Jimmy Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball third basemen Boston Bees players Detroit Tigers players Cincinnati Reds players Minor league baseball managers Jeannette Reds players Beckley Black Knights players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Decatur Commodores players Miami Beach Flamingos players Nashville Vols players Sacramento Solons players Syracuse Chiefs players Auburn Tigers baseball players Baseball players from Tennessee People from Marion County, Tennessee People from Jackson, Alabama 1913 births 2006 deaths