:Jay Kirke

{{Short description|American baseball player (1888–1968)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Jay Kirke

|image=Jay Kirke.jpg

|position=First baseman / Outfielder

|birth_date={{Birth date|1888|6|16}}

|birth_place=Fleischmanns, New York, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1968|8|31|1888|6|16}}

|death_place=New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 28

|debutyear=1910

|debutteam=Detroit Tigers

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 2

|finalyear=1918

|finalteam=New York Giants

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.301

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=7

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=148

|teams=

• Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1910}})
• Boston Rustlers / Braves ({{mlby|1911}}–{{mlby|1913}})
• Cleveland Naps / Indians ({{mlby|1914}}–{{mlby|1915}})
• New York Giants ({{mlby|1918}})

}}

Judson Fabian Kirke (June 16, 1888 – August 31, 1968) was an American professional baseball first baseman.

Kirke played baseball locally around Fleischmanns, New York before signing with the Kingston Colonials of the Hudson River League and thereafter progressing through the minor leagues.{{cite news |title=Field of Sports |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-freeman-field-of-spor/126506370/ |access-date=16 June 2023 |work=The Kingston Daily Freeman |date=6 April 1914 |pages=5}}

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 through 1918 for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Rustlers / Braves, Cleveland Naps / Indians, and New York Giants. In 1,148 big league at bats, Kirke had a solid career batting average of .301 while playing seven different positions, primarily first base. Kirke enjoyed a long minor league career after his final stint in the big leagues with the New York Giants.

While playing in the minor leagues with the Louisville Colonels with player-manager Joe McCarthy, Kirke told McCarthy that, as a player, McCarthy did not "look so good" to his fellow ballplayers. McCarthy credited Kirke's remark with inspiring him to quit playing and focus instead on managing.{{cite news |last1=Garber |first1=Mary |title=Kirke Gained Fame As Minor Leaguer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sentinel-kirke-gained-fame-as-minor/126505970/ |access-date=16 June 2023 |work=Twin City Sentinel |date=12 August 1946 |pages=8}} McCarthy would go on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager.

After a long and successful career as both a minor league player and manager, Kirke moved to New Orleans while his son, Judson, played and managed in the minors.{{cite web |title=Jay Kirke Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kirke-002jud |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=16 June 2023 |language=en}}