---

Hugh Jennings broke into the big leagues in 1891, playing for Louisville of the American Association. He remained in the big leagues for 18 years as one of the game’s great shortstops of the late 1800s.

From 1892-1899 he was a teammate of the great John McGraw with the NL’s Baltimore Orioles. Before the advent of the American League in 1901, the NL’s two top teams faced off in the postseason. Dubbed the “World Championship Series”, the winner was granted the much-coveted Temple Cup. Together McGraw and Jennings took Baltimore to the series three times where they earned the Cup twice.

Jennings had a penchant for taking one for the team. He led his league in getting hit by pitches five straight seasons. In 1896 he got plunked 51 times to set the MLB mark. By the time he played his last game in 1918, Jennings reached base as a hit batsmen a record 287 times. Both records remain the big league standard.

By virtue of his 1928 death date, nine years before the opening of the Hall of Fame, Hugh Jennings remains on the want list of many collectors. In the collection is this odd-shaped letter from Jennings. The infielder who later coached and managed was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945.

---

Hugh Jennings became the manager of the Detroit Tigers in 1907. His first three seasons piloting the Bengals resulted in American League pennants.

Jennings’ arrival in the Motor City coincided with Ty Cobb’s first batting crown. The Georgia Peach earned each of his 12 batting titles with Jennings as his skipper.

He later managed the New York Giants for parts of two seasons when old friend John McGraw took leave.In 14 season at the helm of the Tigers Jennings amassed a 1,131-972 win/loss record.

The scarcity of Jennings’s autograph makes any example desirable. Shown here is the rest of the note containing his signature.

---

Teammates with the NL’s Orioles for eight seasons, Hugh Jennings and John McGraw developed a lifelong relationship. Best of friends, the two annually celebrated their birthdays together whenever possible. Jennings served as best man in McGraw’s wedding and later as a pallbearer when McGraw’s wife tragically died at age 23.

When Jennings left the Tigers in 1920, McGraw came calling. Jennings coached on McGraw’s New York Giants staff from 1921-1925. Together they helped the Giants win four pennants and two World Series titles.

Shown here is a program from John McGraw day. For more information on the day and on the Giants’ skipper, click here.

---

Outfielder George Harper played three seasons under Hugh Jennings in Detroit. Here Harper writes a handwritten letter reflecting on his former skipper.

Harper writes, “Hugh Jennings was as good a manager as I ever played for. One of my best years was when he was my manager in 1916, my batting average was .346. George Harper, October 1, 1974.”

While Harper recalls Jennings in a positive light, his recollections of the 1916 season are a bit faulty. Harper’s batting average that season was .161 though he did hit .345 in the minors the following year.

---

Tuxedo Tobacco pulled together the greatest baseball players of the day for this advertisement. Hailing itself as, “The Perfect Pipe Tobacco”, Tuxedo secured the services of “Hughie Jennings, Manager of Detroit ‘Tigers’.

According to the advertisement, Jennings says, “After a red-hot finish in a ball game a pipe full of Tuxedo makes victory sweeter, or defeat more endurable. Ee-yah for Tuxedo”.

Also featured in the ad are Christy Mathewson, Joe Tinker, Wilbert Robinson, Tyrus R. Cobb, and G.C. Alexander.