James "Death Valley Jim" Scott (April 23, 1888 – April 7, 1957) was a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox (1909–1917). Scott umpired in the minor leagues and in the National League (NL) after his playing career.
| Jim Scott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 23, 1888 Deadwood, South Dakota | |
| Died: April 7, 1957 (aged 68) Jacumba, California | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 25, 1909, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 17, 1917, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 107–114 |
| Earned run average | 2.30 |
| Strikeouts | 945 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Biography
Jim Scott was born in Deadwood, South Dakota. He was the first Major League Baseball player to be born in South Dakota.[1] He was an alumnus of Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Scott finished 14th in voting for the 1913 American League Most Valuable Player. He led the league in games started (38) and finished with a 20–21 win-loss record, 25 complete games, four shutouts and a 1.90 earned run average (ERA). He led the league in shutouts in 1915 and helped the White Sox win the 1917 World Series. In nine seasons, Scott pitched 317 games (226 starts) and earned a 107–114 win-loss record with 123 complete games.[2] He ranks[when?] 17th all-time in career ERA (2.30), 96th in career WHIP (1.18), and 54th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.73).
In 1918 Scott served in the military during World War I. He also held technical roles in the film industry for many years, beginning with movie work in the baseball offseasons. Scott was an umpire for several years after his playing days. He umpired in the Southern Association in 1928 and 1929, in the NL in 1930 and 1931, and in the Southern Association again the following year. After the 1932 season, Scott quit umpiring and pursued full-time work on motion picture sets until 1953.[3]
He died in Jacumba, California at the age of 68.
References
- ^ "Players by birthplace: South Dakota Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Jim Scott Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ Bennett, John. "SABR BioProject: Jim Scott". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Jim Scott at Find a Grave