Jim Bottomley (1974)


Date of Birth: 4/23/1900
Date of Death: 12/11/1959
Birthplace: Oglesby, Illinois

Jim Bottomley played semi-pro baseball before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1919. He spent 1920 through 1922 in the minor leagues before being called up to the Cardinals in August, 1922.

St. Louis Cardinals

Bottomley played in 37 games with the Cardinals in 1922. The following season, his rookie year, he batted .371 with 194 hits, 34 doubles, 14 triples and 94 RBIs in 134 games. He had another good season in 1924, batting .316 with 167 hits, 31 doubles, and 111 RBIs in 137 games.

Bottomley led the NL in hits (227) and doubles (44) in 1925. A good defensive player, he led the NL in putouts with 1,466. He also led all NL first basemen in double plays turned with 133.

In 1926, Bottomley played in a career high 154 games. He led the NL in doubles and RBIs. He finished the season with 180 hits, 40 doubles, 14 triples, 19 home runs, 120 RBIs, and a .299 batting average.

Bottomley excelled both offensively and defensively in 1927. In 152 games, he had 174 hits, 31 doubles, 15 triples, 19 home runs, 124 RBIs, and a .303 batting average. He again led the NL in putouts with 1,656, and he led all NL first basemen in double plays turned with 149.

In 1928, Bottomley won the NL MVP award, and he led the league in triples, home runs, and RBIs. That season he batted .325 with 187 hits, 42 doubles, 20 triples, 31 home runs, and 136 RBIs in 149 games.

Bottomley had a career high 137 RBIs in 146 games in 1929. He batted .314 and he had 176 hits, 31 doubles, and 29 home runs. The following year, he batted .304 with 148 hits, 33 doubles, and 97 RBIs in 131 games.

Bottomley's playing time with the Cardinals diminished in 1931 and 1932. He finished the 1931 season with 133 hits, 34 doubles, 75 RBIs, and a .348 batting average in 108 games. In 1932, his last season with the Cardinals, he batted .296 with 92 hits in 91 games.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cardinals traded Bottomley after the 1932 season to the Cincinnati Reds. He struggled in his first season with the Reds, batting just .250 in 1933. He played better in 1934, batting .284 with 158 hits, 32 doubles, and 78 RBIs in 142 games.

Bottomley batted just .258 in 107 games in 1935. The Reds traded him to the St. Louis Browns prior to the 1936 season.

St. Louis Browns (Baltimore Orioles)

Bottomley batted .298 in 140 games with the Browns in 1936. He had 162 hits, 39 doubles, and 95 RBIs.

In 1937, his last season in the major leagues, Bottomley was made the player-manager of the Browns, playing in 65 games with them that season.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL MVP
  • Led the NL in doubles (2 times)
  • Led the NL in RBIs (2 times)

Career Statistics

Bottomley played in over 100 games in each of 13 seasons (1923-1931, 1933-1936). His statistics during that time include:

  • 9 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 227 in 1925
  • 11 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 44 in 1925
  • 9 seasons with over 10 triples, with a high of 20 in 1928
  • 3 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 31 in 1928
  • 6 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with highs of 136 in 1928 and 137 in 1929
  • 8 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .371 in 1923

Career batting statistics for Bottomley include:

  • 1,991 games played
  • 2,313 hits
  • 465 doubles
  • 151 triples
  • 219 home runs
  • 1,422 RBIs
  • 591 strikeouts to 664 walks
  • .310 batting average
  • .369 on-base percentage
  • .869 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Bottomley at first base include:

  • 1,885 games played
  • 814 assists
  • 1,562 double plays
  • 18,337 putouts
  • 223 errors
  • .988 fielding percentage

Postseason statistics for Bottomley include:

  • 4 postseasons
  • 24 games played
  • 90 at-bats
  • 18 hits
  • 5 doubles
  • 1 triple
  • 1 home run
  • 10 RBIs
  • 22 strikeouts to 7 walks
  • .200 batting average

Post Playing Career

After leaving major league baseball as a player, Bottomley worked as a scout for the Chicago Cubs and as a minor league manager.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jim Bottomley
ESPN - Jim Bottomley
Baseball Reference - Jim Bottomley

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