Jimmie Humphries
Humphries in 1955
Infielder / Manager / Owner
Born: (1890-11-17)November 17, 1890[lower-alpha 1]
Waco, Texas, US
Died: September 10, 1971(1971-09-10) (aged 80)
Fort Worth, Texas, US
Batted: Unknown
Threw: Unknown[lower-alpha 2]

Elija James Humphries (November 17, 1890 – September 10, 1971) was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He was a longtime figure in minor league baseball in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Biography

Humphries' playing career in professional baseball spanned 1907 to 1918.[3][lower-alpha 3] A second baseman and shortstop, he had a career-best .277 batting average in 1916, compiling 136 hits in 136 games with the McAlester Miners of the Western Association, although batting records for multiple of his seasons are incomplete.[3] He appeared in at least 376 minor league games during a 10-season playing career.[3]

Humphries was a player-manager with the Bonham Boosters in 1911, the Sherman Cubs in 1912, the Sherman Lions in 1913, and the McAlester Miners from 1915 to 1917.[3] He led the Miners to a first-place finish in 1917.[4]

In 1919, Humphries was hired as the Oklahoma City Indians team secretary and in 1920, he briefly managed the team.[5] He served as the team's business manager in the 1930s and 1940s, and in 1948, he became the team's president. In 1951, Humphries bought the franchise and became its owner.[5] He signed pitcher Bill Greason in 1952, making Greason the second African American player in the Texas League.[6] Humphries owned the team through 1957; it folded when the Texas League reorganized after that season.[5] All told, Humphries was with the Oklahoma City Indians for 39 years, "one of the longest careers with a single franchise in baseball history."[7]

In 1958, Humphries moved his franchise to Corpus Christi, Texas, to become the Corpus Christi Giants, and remained owner.[8][9] He later had a stake in the Victoria Giants of the Texas League.[10]

Humphries was born in Waco, Texas,[3] and attended Baylor University.[11] He died in Fort Worth, Texas, in September 1971,[12] and was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery there.[11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Date of birth of November 17, 1890, is per his draft registration card of April 1942, which he signed.[1] Online photos of his gravestone show it lists that date. His entry in the Social Security Death Index has it as November 17, 1889.[2] Baseball-Reference.com lists December 23, 1889.[3]
  2. ↑ Baseball middle infielders, such as Humphries, almost always throw right-handed.
  3. ↑ Per existing records, Humphries did not play professionally during 1909 or 1910, although minor league records from this era can be incomplete.

References

  1. ↑ "Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. April 1942. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via fold3.com.
  2. ↑ "Social Security Death Index". Social Security Administration. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via fold3.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jimmie Humphries Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  4. ↑ "McAlester Wins Pennant". The Pittsburgh Press. September 4, 1917. p. 28. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 Tramel, Berry (March 27, 2013). "Bill Greason: Owner Jimmie Humphries paved the way". newsok.com.
  6. ↑ "Tribe Signs Negro". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. July 29, 1952. p. 33. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Burke, Bob (2003). Baseball in Oklahoma City. Arcadia Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 1531617832 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "Segregation Law Used in Baseball". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. AP. September 26, 1958. p. 19. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "A whole new ballgame". caller.com. March 31, 2005.
  10. ↑ Lyons, John (October 1, 1961). "Victoria Still Has Hopes Of Staying in Texas League". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. p. 13A – via Google News.
  11. 1 2 "Jimmie Humphries Dies". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. September 12, 1971. p. 40. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "City Baseball Pioneer, 81, Dies". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. September 12, 1971. p. 13-A. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
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