Jimmie Dykes
The Tony Phillips of his time, Jimmy Dykes played every position Connie Mack asked him to, contributing with the glove and the bat. He batted .421 in the 1929 World Series and belted four extra-base hits in the 1930 World Series, helping the A's win each year. He played more than 2,200 games and managed almost 3,000. He was in baseball for parts of six decades. As a manager, he never duplicated the success he had with the A's as a player, managing eight winning teams in 18 full seasons at the helm. In his 21 seasons as a manager he never finished higher than third. Not until Gene Mauch did a manager have such a long tenure as a major league manager without winning a pennant. Dykes was Connie Mack's choice to succeed him as manager of the A's, but after three poor finishes he was let go. Dykes was the first major league manager of the Baltimore Orioles, but lost 99 games and was fired. In August, 1960, he was part of the only trade of managers in baseball history. The Tigers dealt him to the Indians for manager Joe Gordon.
Quotes About Dykes
"I don't know what he hit against everybody else, but he was a .440 man against me. As I remember, Jimmy used to hit to right-center. I always remember Dykes for the high shoes he wore. He claimed he had weak ankles. I think he must have had a catapult concealed in those shoes, the way the ball would take off." — Waite Hoyt
Played For
Philadelphia Athletics (1921-1932)
Chicago White Sox (1933-1939)
Managed
Chicago White Sox (1934-1946)
Philadelphia Athletics (1951-1953)
Baltimore Orioles (1954)
Cincinnati Reds (1958)
Detroit Tigers (1959)
Cleveland Indians (1960)
Detroit Tigers (1960)
Cleveland Indians (1961)
Best Season: 1929
Dykes was an unsung hero on the 1929 World Series champion A's. He played short, third and second modestly well, hitting .327 and leading the league in HBP. He was a the #7 or #8 hitter in Mack's lineup, but his versatility made him invaluable. He hit .421 in the World Series with four RBI in five games.
Factoids
Jimmy Dykes was the third baseman for the American League in the first two All-Star games ever played.
On May 5, 1941, the White Sox honored manager Jimmy Dykes with a ceremony prior to their game against the Yankees. Dykes received a scroll that commemorated his more than 25 years in the game. Later in the afternoon, Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio collected a single and started his record 56-game hitting streak.
Description
Connie Mack called Dykes thick-chested, with the best throwing arm in my infield."
As a Manager
On May 3, 1959, Dykes replaced the unforgettable Bill Norman as manager of the struggling Tigers. Detroit's record was 2-15. Dykes would manage Detroit at a .540 clip the rest of the way, bringing them in one game below .500 at 76-78... When the Indians and Tigers swapped managers in 1960, there was a one-game wait before the two skippers arrived for duty. In their absence, Jo-Jo White managed the Tribe and Billy Hitchcock piloted the Tigers.
Born
James Joseph Dykes was born on November 10, 1896, in Philadelphia, PA.
Died
June 15, 1976, Philadelphia, PA
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 3B
Primary Team: PHA
Major League Debut
May 6, 1918
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1918
Jimmy Dykes
Cliff Heathcote
Waite Hoyt
Jesse Haines
Bill Sherdel
Tom Zachary
Johnny Mostil
Babe Pinelli
Austin McHenry
Related Players
Mule Haas was Dykes' teammate and roommate on the A's, and also served as Jimmy's coach with the White Sox. The two were lifelong friends.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1948 |
BBWAA |
5 |
4.1% |
1949 |
BBWAA |
7 |
4.6% |
1950 |
BBWAA |
2 |
1.2% |
1951 |
BBWAA |
3 |
1.3% |
1952 |
BBWAA |
5 |
2.1% |
1953 |
BBWAA |
5 |
1.9% |
1955 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1958 |
BBWAA |
26 |
9.8% |
1960 |
BBWAA |
27 |
10.0% |
1962 |
BBWAA |
6 |
3.8% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1929 World Series
1930 World Series
1931 World Series
Transactions
Simmons and Haas were sold with Dykes to the White Sox for $100,000 following the 1932 season. All total, Dykes played ten years with Haas and 12 with Simmons ... Joe Gordon was traded straight up for Dykes on August 3, 1960. It remains the only trade of major league managers.
Matchup Data
According to Waite Hoyt, Dykes had tremendous success against him during his career.
All-Star Selections
1933 AL
1934 AL
Other stories on the Web about Jimmie Dykes
Jimmy Dykes: Baseball Lifer ⇒
Learn More about Jimmie Dykes
Search Amazon.com for Books about Jimmie Dykes ⇒
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