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Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 18, 1893 – December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and the last major league pitcher who was officially permitted to throw the spitball. Grimes made the most of this advantage, as well as his unshaven, menacing presence on the mound, which earned him the nickname " Ol' Stubblebeard." Faber, Charles F., Burleigh Grimes, Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project In his career, Grimes won 270 games, with 190 of them occurring in the 1920s, the most for all pitchers in the decade. He pitched in the World Series four times in his nineteen-season career and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964. A decade earlier, he had been inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Grimes threw and batted right-handed, and was listed as tall and . He made his professional debut in 1912 for the Eau Claire Commissioners of the Minnesota–Wisconsin League.Christofferson, Jason. Diamonds in Clear Water: Professional Baseball in Eau Claire, 1886–1912. Self-published. 2013. p.143-155. From almost the beginning of his career, he threw a spitball, using slippery elm to alter the baseball's face. He played in Ottumwa, Iowa, in 1913 for the Ottumwa Packers in the Central Association.
He then pitched for the New York Giants (), the Pirates again (–), the Boston Braves () and the St. Louis Cardinals (1930-). With the Pirates in 1928, he posted a 25–14 record, posting the most wins, complete games, shutouts, and innings pitched of any NL pitcher. In the 1931 World Series, despite suffering a dislocated vertebra before Game 7, Grimes pitched innings, earning the final win in the Cardinals' series victory. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the 1932 season in exchange for Hack Wilson and Bud Teachout. He returned to the Cardinals in 1933 and , then moved to the Pirates (1934) and the New York Yankees (1934). Grimes was nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", related to his habit of not shaving on days in which he was going to pitch.
Grimes was a very good hitting pitcher in his major league career, posting a .248 batting average (380-for-1535) with 157 runs, 62 doubles, 11 triples, 2 home runs and 168 RBI. He also drew 69 bases on balls. He had nine seasons with 10 or more RBIs, with a high of 16 in 1920 and 1928. In four World Series appearances (1920, 1930–1932) he hit .316 (6-for-19) with 1 run and 2 RBI.
At the time of his retirement, he was the last player who was legally allowed to throw a spitball, as he was one of 17 spitballers permitted to throw the pitch after it was otherwise outlawed in 1920.Russo, p. 147 Baseball historian Frank Russo called him "baseball's most aggressive spitballer". Grimes had acquired a lasting field reputation for his temperament. He was known for wanting to win in any way possible. Prior to a game against the Giants late in 1924, Grimes organized a team meeting and said, "Anyone who doesn't want to play today's game to win, let me know right now."Russo, p. 147-48 Then, on his first pitch, he knocked down a Giant.Russo, p. 148 He is listed in the Baseball Hall of Shame series for having thrown a ball at the batter in the on-deck circle.Bruce Nash, The Baseball Hall of Shame 2 The only two batters Grimes apparently could not intimidate were Hall of Famers Frankie Frisch and Paul Waner. If Grimes threw a close pitch to them, the batters usually followed it up with a hard-hit line drive. Grimes's friends and supporters note that he was consistently a kind man when off the diamond. Others claim he showed a greedy attitude to many people who 'got on his bad side.' He would speak mainly only to his best friend Ivy Olson in the dugout, and would pitch only to a man named Mathias Schroeder before games. Schroeder's identity was not well known among many Dodger players, as many say he was just 'a nice guy from the neighborhood.' Dodger manager Wilbert Robinson did not get along well with Grimes, using a clubhouse attendant to tell Grimes when he pitched so that he could talk to Grimes as little as possible.
Grimes had a total of 36 Major League teammates who would later be elected to the Hall of Fame. No other Hall of Famer had more Hall of Fame teammates.
Grimes was the manager of the Dodgers in 1937–38. He followed Casey Stengel's term as Dodgers manager. He compiled a two-year record of 131-171 (.434), with his teams finishing sixth and seventh respectively in the National League. Babe Ruth was one of Grimes's coaches. Leo Durocher was the team's shortstop in 1937 and a coach in 1938. When Grimes was fired by general manager Larry MacPhail after the 1938 season, Durocher was hired to replace him. MacPhail said the team's morale had not been right for a long period of time.
Grimes remained in baseball for many years as a minor league manager and a scout. He scouted for the Yankees, Athletics, and Orioles.
He managed the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League from 1942 to 1944, and again in 1952 and 1953, winning the pennant in 1943.
As a scout with the Baltimore Orioles, Grimes discovered Jim Palmer and Dave McNally.
Grimes also assisted in managing the Independence Yankees in Independence, Kansas in 1948 and 1949, where Mickey Mantle started his professional career in 1949.
Grimes died following a protracted battle with cancer at age 92 on December 6, 1985, in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. His wife Lillian survived him. He is buried in the Clear Lake Cemetery.
(2026). 9781476601793, McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476601793
Later life
Grimes was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .
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Categories: 1893 Births, 1985 Deaths, Baltimore Orioles Scouts, Baseball Players From Wisconsin, Birmingham Barons Players, Bloomington Bloomers Players, Boston Braves Players, Brooklyn Dodgers Managers, Brooklyn Robins Players, Chattanooga Lookouts Players, Chicago Cubs Players, Deaths From Cancer In Wisconsin, Eau Claire Commissioners Players, Kansas City Athletics Coaches, Kansas City Athletics Scouts, Kansas City Blues Managers, Louisville Colonels Managers, Major League Baseball Pitchers, Major League Baseball Pitching Coaches, Montreal Royals Managers, National Baseball Hall Of Fame Inductees, National League Strikeout Champions, National League Wins Champions, New York Giants Players, New York Yankees Players, New York Yankees Scouts, Ottumwa Packers Players, People From Polk County, Wisconsin, Sportspeople From St. Croix County, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh Pirates Players, Richmond Colts Players, Rochester Red Wings Managers, St. Louis Cardinals Players, Toronto Maple Leafs Managers, 20th-century American Sportsmen
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