by Dale B. Smith

It is hard to believe that on October 22, 2007 Jimmie Foxx will be 100 years old. If you happen to visit him in his birthplace of Sudlersville, Maryland, you will swear that he doesn’t look a day over 30.

Jimmie is easy to find. Just look for the little park in the center of town. Jimmie is always there, bat in hand, practicing his swing; a perfect follow through on another tape measure home run. He always has time to pose for a picture. It is hard not to stare at his bulging biceps but don’t worry, Jimmie doesn’t mind if you stare. In fact, you are more than welcome to sit down at his feet and rest awhile, letting the small town quiet of Maryland East Shore life sink into your bones.

Now if you haven’t already guessed, I have been referring to the life size statue of James Emory Foxx that was dedicated in Jimmie’s home town in 1997. But the day I visited there a few years ago I really felt that I had somehow drawn closer to the legend of Jimmie Foxx.

Many of us have been trying to do that for years. As fans, however, few of us can claim that we ever really knew Jimmie Foxx. That privilege was reserved for his family and friends. But we still try to get closer.

That Jimmie Foxx would still have so many fans 40 years after his death in 1967 is no surprise. He has all the credentials of a baseball legend; the records, the nicknames, the good looks, the personality, the folklore, the baseball cards, the unique signature. Those who admire Jimmie Foxx can tell you both statistics and stories and there is a good chance they have a collection of Jimmie Foxx memorabilia. Here are some of note.

The Statistics: 534 career home runs, 1932, 1933, 1935 and 1939 home run champion, 14th place all-time in home runs, .325 career batting average, 1933 and 1938 batting champion, 1,921 RBI, 1932, 1933 and 1938 RBI champion, 8th place in all-time RBI, .609 career slugging average, 5th place in all-time slugging average, 11th place in all-time on-base %, 18th in total bases, 20th in runs scored, 19th in walks, 13th in extra base hits, 6th all-time OPS, Most Valuable Player in 1932, 1933 and 1938, 2nd in MVP in 1939, nine time All-Star playing every year from 1933 to 1941. Enough said.

The Folklore: The big, quiet farm boy from the East Shore is recommended to Connie Mack by none other than Home Run Baker. The 17 year old joins the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925. The 21 year old Foxx smacks 33 home runs and drives in 117 in propelling the Philadelphia Athletics to the World Series Championship in 1929. Foxx hits 30 or more home runs over the next 11 seasons, a record only broken by Barry Bonds in 2004. With 58 home runs in 1932, only the addition of outfield screens in three ballparks keep Jimmie from breaking Babe Ruth’s record. The 58 home runs are still an Athletics record. His 50 home runs for the Red Sox in 1938 would stand as the Red Sox record until David Ortiz hits 54 in 2006.

Jimmie’s cut-off sleeves reveal muscles that earn him the nickname “The Beast” to go along with his “Double X” moniker. Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez claims Jimmie has “muscles in his hair”.

Later Gomez would claim that astronauts had found a Jimmie Foxx home run ball on the moon. Jimmie’s generosity and gentlemanly demeanor make Foxx popular among fans and players alike. Comedian Red Foxx adopts Jimmie’s last name.

In 1933 he becomes one of only 11 hitters since 1901 who have ever won the Triple Crown (highest league batting average, home runs and RBI), last accomplished in 1967.

In 1939 the 31 year old Jimmie Foxx takes 20 year old Ted Williams under his wing while playing for the Red Sox. The two combine for 66 home runs; Jimmie 35 and Ted 31. Jimmie Foxx winds up his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945, pitching 22 innings with a 1.59 ERA.

In 1951 Jimmie Foxx is elected to the Hall of Fame.

Managing the Ft. Wayne Daisies of the American Girls Professional Baseball League to a first place finish in 1952, Jimmie Foxx never said “There is no crying in baseball”. But, since the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own”, the Jimmie Dugan movie character and Jimmie Foxx are forever linked. In August 1966, Jimmie Foxx roots for Willie Mays to break Jimmie’s own right-hand career home run record.

The Collectables: What Jimmie Foxx fan wouldn’t love to have a Jimmie Foxx signed baseball? That may be as good as it gets among his collectables. But a Foxx signature on a baseball program, post card or any other material is a treasured item.

The July 29, 1929 issue of Time Magazine with Jimmie on the front cover is also coveted. Of course there are the baseball cards.

The 1933 and 1934 Jimmie Foxx Goudey baseball cards are highly sought after. Jimmie Foxx was card number 1 in the 1934 set. As many of the kids who collected these cards often kept them together with rubber bands, Jimmie’s card would often wind up on top. The resulting damage makes the 1934 Goudey hard to find in excellent condition. For Red Sox fans, a 1941 Jimmie Foxx Play Ball card might be the ticket. These colorized cards mark the end of an era of pre-war baseball cards and nearly the end of Jimmie’s career.

Fans can still obtain a Jimmie Foxx model baseball bat or glove from auctions or sports memorabilia shows but they too come at a stiff price.

At a lesser price, we can buy books about Jimmie Foxx. One of my favorites is Mark Millikin’s 1998 book Jimmie Foxx: The Pride of Sudlersville. On the cover you will find a picture of his statue at Sudlersville. And it is at his statue where the statistics, the folklore and the collectables all seem to come together in one place to form a perfect baseball legend.

As with Jimmie’s statue, a legend is always in their prime. The statistics, folklore and memorabilia may be old but they all represent Jimmie Foxx in his prime. Between the ages of 20 and 33, Jimmie Foxx made the most of his prime. It is that Jimmie that we remember the most.

Baseball legends neither die nor fade away and Jimmie Foxx is very much alive today. Any informed discussion of the greatest first basemen that ever lived will usually start with Lou Gehrig and in the same breath state “and don’t forget Jimmie Foxx.”

No Jimmie, we have not forgotten you. You are very much a part of our lives. So we wish you a “Happy Birthday Jimmie Foxx”; 100 years young.