Jim Bagby Sr.
Jim Bagby Sr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born October 5, 1889, in Barnett, Georgia, he played for the Cincinnati Reds (1912), the Cleveland Indians (1916–1922), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1923). He finished his career with a 127–89 record, 450 strikeouts, and a 3.11 ERA in 1,821⅔ innings.
Bagby led the American League in wins in 1920 with 31, helping the Indians win the pennant and the World Series that year. He became the first pitcher to hit a home run in a modern World Series (Game 5, 1920). In 1921, Babe Ruth hit his 120th career home run off Bagby. Bagby retired after the 1923 season and was known for his screwball, which historians rank among the best. He is in the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame and also hit well for a pitcher, batting .218 with 2 home runs.
His son, Jim Bagby Jr., also played in the majors, and the Bagbys were the first father and son to pitch in the World Series when Jim Jr. appeared for the 1946 Red Sox. Jim Bagby Sr. died July 28, 1954, in Marietta, Georgia, at age 64, survived by his son and two daughters.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:41 (CET).