Shrewsbury
Historical Society
Established 1898
Mario - Fats - Caruso
1928 - 1993
Mario - Fats - Caruso
1928 - 1993
John Joseph “Jack” Barry
1887-1961
Jack Barry played Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics (1908–15) and Boston Red Sox (1915–19).
Scouted and signed by Connie Mack’s Athletics after playing for Holy Cross College, he would play a significant role in helping the Athletics win the American League pennant in 1910, 1911, 1913 and 1914, and World Championships in 1910, 1911, and 1913.
Teamed with first baseman Stuffy McInnis, second baseman Eddie Collins, and third baseman Frank “Home Run” Baker, they formed what was dubbed the "$100,000 Infield". Jack Barry was a steady, solid player who gained a reputation as a leader on Mack's powerhouse deadball era team.
In 1910, he helped the team win the World Series four games to one over the Chicago Cubs. In 1911 and 1913 the A's met John J. McGraw’s New York Giants, beating them four games to two in their first meeting – with Jack Barry batting .368 – and four games to one in the second meeting. [1]
Stuffy McInnis, Eddie Collins, Jack Barry, and Frank “Home Run” Baker [3]
Babe Ruth, Bill Carrigan, Jack Barry and Vean Gregg
In 1915, the year after the Boston Braves swept the Athletics in the World Series, Red Sox owner Joe Lannin paid $8,000 for Barry's services, as Mack was dismantling the team. Upon joining the Red Sox, he hit just .262 but played reliable defense at shortstop, proving to be the last piece of the puzzle in what was to be another pennant-winning team. He played in the World Series in 1915 and 1916 for the Red Sox.
Acknowledged as the team's on-field leader, he became a player-manager in 1917, leading the team to a 90-win season and a second-place finish to the Chicago White Sox.
On October 18, 1917, Jack and four other Red Sox players, who had enlisted as yeomen in the naval reserve, were called to active duty and ordered to report for duty on November 3, 1917. He served all of 1918 in the military. Jack returned to Boston in 1919, but after 31 games was traded back to the Athletics on June 27, 1919. Instead of returning to his old team, he decided to retire. In an 11-season career, Barry posted a .243 batting average with 10 home runs and 429 RBI in 1223 games.
Barry became the head coach at Holy Cross in 1921 and continued in that position for 40 years until his death in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts at age 73. During his tenure, he posted the highest career winning percentage (.806) in collegiate history and won the 1952 College World Series. He was among the initial class of inductees to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1966. In 2007, he was an inaugural veteran inductee of the College Baseball Hall of Fame along with Lou Gehrig, Christy Mathewson, and Joe Sewell. [2]
(1) Russ Dodge, John Joseph “Jack” Barry (Find A Grave) www.findagrave.com/memorial/11901474
(2) 2007 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees (Major League Baseball) www.mlb.com/college-baseball-hall-of-fame/class-of-2007
(3) The Philadelphia Athletics $100,000 Infield: Stuffy McInnis, Eddie Collins, Jack Barry, and Frank “Home Run” Baker.