Burleigh Grimes

Early life

Grimes was born in Emerald, Wisconsin, the first child of Cecil "Nick" Grimes, a farmer and former day laborer, and Ruth Tuttle, whose father had been a Wisconsin legislator. Nick Grimes managed the Clear Lake Yellow Jackets and taught his son baseball early. Burleigh also boxed as a child.

He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet tall and weighed 175 pounds. He debuted professionally in 1912 for the Eau Claire Commissioners of the Minnesota–Wisconsin League, throwing a spitball from nearly the start of his career using slippery elm. He played for the Ottumwa Packers in 1913.

MLB career

Grimes pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1916 and lost 13 straight decisions in 1917. Before 1918 he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers. When the spitball was banned in 1920, he was one of 17 established pitchers allowed to continue throwing it. He later pitched for the New York Giants, the Pirates again, the Boston Braves, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the Pirates in 1928 he posted a 25–14 record, leading the National League in wins, complete games, shutouts, and innings pitched. In the 1931 World Series, despite a dislocated vertebra before Game 7, he pitched 8⅓ innings for the final win.

He was traded to the Chicago Cubs before 1932 for Hack Wilson and Bud Teachout, then returned to the Cardinals, moved to the Pirates in 1934, and the New York Yankees in 1934. His nickname "Ol' Stubblebeard" came from not shaving on days he pitched. He batted .248 with 2 home runs and 168 RBI in his career.

Post-playing career

Grimes moved to the minors in 1935 as a player-manager for the Bloomington Bloomers, starting 21 games with a 2.34 ERA and a 10–5 record. He then managed the Louisville Colonels. He managed the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937–1938, compiling a 131–171 record; Babe Ruth was one of his coaches. After being fired by general manager Larry MacPhail, Leo Durocher replaced him.

Grimes managed the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1942 to 1944 and again in 1952 and 1953, winning the pennant in 1943. He scouted for the Yankees, Athletics, and Orioles, discovering Jim Palmer and Dave McNally. He also assisted in managing the Independence Yankees in 1948 and 1949, where Mickey Mantle began his professional career.