Skip to main content

Sunday School: History Lesson 16

By
Sherwood "Sherry" Magee was an outfielder for our Phillies from 1904-1914. Long regarded as one of the all-time best Phillies, Magee made a name for himself with his bat, his arm, his speed and his temper.

During his time with the Phillies, Magee led the National League in RBI three times, won a batting title and stole 387 bases, which still stands as third best all-time in team history. Sherry was also the most outstanding run producer on the team for over a decade.

In 1906, Magee swiped 55 bases, which stood as a single season Phils record, until Juan Samuel broke it in 1984. His finest offensive year came in 1910, when he led the National League in RBI, runs scored, total bases, slugging percentage and batting average. Had the MVP award existed then, Magee surely would have been awarded the honor. Magee's RBI total in 1910 was 123...the next highest total in the NL- 88.

Despite that remarkable season, Magee made the most headlines 1911, when his volatile temper got the best of him, and an umpire. In a game against St. Louis in July, when Magee was called out on strikes by umpire Bill Finneran, Magee tossed his bat up in the air and headed back toward the dugout. Finneran didn't appreciate the display, and threw Magee out of the game. When Magee realized he had been ejected, he charged back toward home plate and struck Finneran, knocking him unconscious and drawing blood. The initial punishment for Sherry was to be suspended for the remainder of the season, but this was later shortened to a 36 game ban.

The loss of Magee hurt the Phillies that season, as they were only 1 game out of first place when the incident occurred. They would go on a 13-16 skid, without Magee, over the next month to fall out of the pennant race. They would finish the season in 4th place.

Magee would continue to excel for the Phillies over the next few seasons. In 1914, he would lead the league in RBI once again, but it would mark his final season with the team. That off-season, Sherry was dealt to the Boston Braves, who had just won the World Series. The irony of the deal, of course, was that after spending more than a decade with the lowly Phillies, Magee left and the Phils would go on to win their first pennant in 1915, while the Braves came in second.

Magee finally made it to the World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1919, his final season playing in the Majors. Magee played and coached in the minors for the next 6 years. In 1927, more irony- he began umpiring in the New York/Penn League. In 1928, he was hired to umpire in the National League. He worked a single season before dying of pneumonia in 1929 at age 44.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2017 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #4 OF Mickey Moniak

By
Mickey Moniak, image- Joe Wombough Taken with the top overall selection in last year's MLB amateur draft, outfielder Mickey Moniak has garnered a lot of attention as a highly promising talent in the Phillies' developmental ranks. After signing out of La Costa Canyon High School for a reported $6.1 million, the lefty batting Moniak had a very good professional debut. In 46 games with the Phillies' Gulf Coast League team, Moniak posted a .284 batting average with 11 doubles, four triples, a home run and 28 RBI.  Additionally, he showed some speed, swiping 10 bases in 14 opportunities. Following the regular season, Moniak participated in the Florida Instructional League and spent time at the Phillies' training facility in Clearwater, where he worked to add strength and muscle to his six-foot-two 185-pound frame. At the plate, Moniak, who was committed to play at UCLA prior to the 2016 draft, makes steady, hard contact.  He is touted as a line drive hitter tha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chris Truby Speaks on Santana & Other BlueClaws Matters

By
On Monday, it was announced that the Astros selected outfielder Domingo Santana as the player to be named later in the late July trade that sent Hunter Pence to the Phillies. Santana, a Dominican born slugger, posted a .269 average with 7 HR and 32 RBI in 96 games with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. The 19-year-old is regarded as a five tool talent and has been ranked among the Phillies' top ten prospects by multiple national outlets. I had the opportunity to speak with Lakewood manager Chris Truby about Santana, the PTBNL list of five Phillies prospects that the Astros had to choose from, as well as other matters pertaining to the BlueClaws, as they enter the final few weeks of their regular season. Check out the media player below to hear the full interview. ______________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE . You can also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE .
Post a Comment
Read more

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #9 OF Dylan Cozens

By
Dylan Cozens, image- Jay Floyd Powerful outfield prospect Dylan Cozens hopes to shake the reputation of a free swinger and become a more complete hitter in order to fulfill his dream of reaching the major leagues. At six feet six inches tall and weighing 245 pounds, Cozens has an imposing frame that was well-suited for the grid iron, as he was a two-sport star in his high school days.  After he was chosen in the 2nd round of the 2012 draft, Cozens debuted in the minors with the rookie level Gulf Coast Phillies. In 50 games there, he notched 15 doubles, two triples, five homers and 24 RBI. Cozens also participated in the Florida Instructional League in 2012. Following a productive spring in 2013, Cozens was retained in extended spring training and made his official season debut with the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters when they began playing in June. Cozens was among the league leaders in many categories that year, ...
Post a Comment
Read more