Shad Barry

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Shad Barry

|image=Shad_Barry_-_Portland_Beavers_-_Obak_Cabinet.jpg

|position=Utility player

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1878|10|27}}

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

|death_date={{death date and age|1936|11|27|1878|10|27}}

|death_place=Los Angeles, California, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 30

|debutyear=1899

|debutteam=Washington Senators

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 7

|finalyear=1908

|finalteam=New York Giants

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.267

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=10

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=391

|teams=

Washington Senators ({{Baseball year|1899}})
Boston Beaneaters ({{Baseball year|1900}}–{{Baseball year|1901}})
Philadelphia Phillies ({{Baseball year|1901}}–{{Baseball year|1904}})
Chicago Cubs ({{Baseball year|1904}}–{{Baseball year|1905}})
Cincinnati Reds ({{Baseball year|1905}}–{{Baseball year|1906}})
St. Louis Cardinals ({{Baseball year|1906}}–{{Baseball year|1908}})
New York Giants ({{Baseball year|1908}})

}}

John Charles "Shad" Barry{{cite news |title=Jack Barry's Wife Sues |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1913-09-09/ed-1/seq-15/#date1=01%2F01%2F1913&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1913&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=2&words=BARRY+Barry+BARRY%27S+JACK+Jack&proxdistance=5&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=Jack+Barry&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |work=Morning Oregonian |issue=LIII No. 16,471 |date=September 9, 1913 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=15}} (October 27, 1878 – November 27, 1936), known also as "Jack" Barry, was an American professional baseball player who spent ten seasons, from 1899 to 1909, in Major League Baseball. Barry was a utility player, having played every position with the exception of catcher and pitcher during his career.

Early life

Barry was born in Newburgh, New York.{{cite web| title = Shad Barry | work = Retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pbarrs101.htm | access-date = 2006-11-28 }} Barry attended Niagara University.{{cite web| title = Shad Barry Stats | work = Baseball-Almanac.com | url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=barrysh01 | access-date = 2006-11-28 }}

Career

Barry began his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1899. On February 11, 1900, Washington sold him (along with Bill Dineen and Buck Freeman) to the Boston Beaneaters for $7500. On a Boston team that included several .300 hitters, Barry was relegated to a utility player role; he played in 81 games in 1900, leading the league in pinch-hitting appearances.{{cite web|title=Shad Barry Stats {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barrysh01.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=December 30, 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Votano|first1=Paul|title=Stand and Deliver: A History of Pinch-Hitting|date=2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786484515|page=22|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cKIvn91tVMAC&pg=PA22|language=en}}

After two seasons, Boston released Barry on May 11, 1901, and he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies five days later. He remained with Philadelphia until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Frank Corridon on July 20, 1904. Chicago later sold him to the Cincinnati Reds on January 20, 1905. Barry had been hitting .212 in 27 games for Chicago, but he hit .324 in 125 games for Cincinnati that year. On July 25, 1906, Barry was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Homer Smoot. He had hit .287 for Cincinnati in 73 games, but he hit only .249 in 62 games with the Cardinals. The Cardinals sold Barry to the New York Giants on August 3, 1908.

In 1909, the Giants sold Barry to the minor league Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association. He played for Milwaukee until 1910 when he was granted a release from his contract. He contacted Walt McCredie, manager of the Portland Beavers in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), and secured a contract for the 1911 season. Barry started wearing eye glasses during the 1911 season, telling The Oregonian, "Certainly I think spectacles will help a batsman [...] This statement may sound far-fetched now, but remember that the catching mitt, the mask, the breast and shin protectors are only recent products."{{cite news |last1=Fawcett |first1=Roscoe |title=Eyeglasses Win Favor |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1911-07-09/ed-1/seq-17/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=5&words=Barry+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=5 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |issue=XXX No. 28 |date=July 9, 1911 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=17}} During the final weeks of the 1911 PCL pennant race, The Oregonian featured columns written by Barry.{{cite news |title=Fans To Have Details |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1911-10-01/ed-1/seq-18/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=10&words=Barry+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |issue=XXX No. 40 |date=October 1, 1911 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=18}} Barry's net worth in 1911 was estimated at $50,000 ({{Inflation|US|50000|1911|fmt=eq}}) by Oregonian sports editor Roscoe Fawcett.{{cite news |title=Stars of Diamond Have Bankrolls |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1911-06-27/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=13&words=Barry+Barry%27s+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=Morning Oregonian |issue=LI No. 15,786 |date=June 27, 1911 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=7}}

In 1100 games over 10 seasons, Barry posted a .267 batting average (1073-for-4014) with 516 runs, 128 doubles, 47 triples, 10 home runs, 391 RBI, 140 stolen bases and 279 bases on balls.

Barry was offered a player-manager role with the Northwestern League Seattle Giants in 1912. Beavers manager Walt McCredie granted Barry his release to sign with the Giants.{{cite news |title=Untitled |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1911-12-28/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=7&words=Barry+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=Morning Oregonian |issue=LI No. 15,941 |date=December 28, 1911 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=7}} His tenure with Seattle was tumultuous as he feuded with the team owner Dan Dugdale. According to Barry, his attempts to strengthen the roster with new players was thwarted by Dugdale, who refused to allocate money for the contracts. Barry also accused Dugdale of overstepping his role by making transactions without Barry's knowledge. He resigned his position as manager in May 1912 following an argument with Dugdale in the lobby of the Ridpath Hotel in Spokane, Washington.{{cite news |last1=Baxter |first1=Portus |title=Barry Says "Save" Is Dugdale's Cry |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1912-06-02/ed-1/seq-23/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=3&words=Barry+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=16 January 2019 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |issue=XXXI No. 23 |date=June 2, 1912 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=23}} Dugdale claimed the disagreements stemmed from Barry's lack of leadership.{{cite news |last1=Baxter |first1=Portus |title=Bugs Going Strong |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1912-06-23/ed-1/seq-22/#date1=06%2F05%2F1912&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=16&words=Barry+Jack&proxdistance=5&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=Jack+Barry&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 17, 2019 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |date=June 23, 1912 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=22}} Among Barry's accomplishments at the helm of the Giants was signing "Seattle" Bill James out of Saint Mary's College of California.{{cite news |title=James Is Big Hit |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1912-05-19/ed-1/seq-18/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=8&words=BARRY+Barry+JACK+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |issue=XXXI No. 20 |date=May 19, 1912 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=18}} James was sold to the Boston Braves in 1913 and led the National League in winning percentage in 1914.{{cite web |title=Bill James Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jamesbi02.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=16 January 2019}}

The La Grande Pippins of the Western Tri-State League hired Barry as manager for the remainder of the 1912 season for a salary of $300 ({{Inflation|US|300|1912|fmt=eq}}) per month.{{cite news |title=La Grande Takes Spirit |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1912-07-24/ed-1/seq-9/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=11&words=BARRY+Barry+BARRY%27S+JACK+Jack&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Jack+Barry&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=Morning Oregonian |issue=LII No. 16,120 |date=July 24, 1912 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=9}}{{cite news |title=Wilson, Buckaroos' Catcher, Leads All Batting |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1912-06-11/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=06%2F05%2F1912&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=1&words=Barry+Jack&proxdistance=5&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=Jack+Barry&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=East Oregonian |issue=25 |date=June 11, 1912 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=6}}

Barry was fond of regaling his teammates with stories. During the off-seasons, Barry was a freelance writer who submitted his works to various periodicals.{{cite news |last1=W. J. |first1=Petrain |title=Jack Barry Keeps Beavers All Jolly |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1911-08-13/ed-1/seq-14/#date1=01%2F01%2F1910&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1912&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&lccn=&index=0&words=Barry+BARRY+BEAVER+Beaver+BEAVERS&proxdistance=10&county=&frequency=&ortext=&proxtext=Barry+Beavers&phrasetext=&andtext=&rows=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=16 January 2019 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |issue=XXX No. 3 |date=August 13, 1911 |location=Portland, Oregon |page=14}} He used his baseball experience to contribute to World War I, coordinating baseball programs for the American Expeditionary Forces.

Death

After his baseball career, Barry provided security for a bank. He developed prostate cancer and died from it at Verdugo Hills Sanitarium in Los Angeles.{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Bill|title=The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others|date=2009|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476609300|page=22|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4oEwCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA22|language=en}} He was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.