Editing Jimmie Foxx (section)

==Professional career==
===Philadelphia Athletics (1925–1935)===
[[File:JimmyFoxxGoudeycard.jpg|thumb|200px|1933 Goudey baseball card]]
During spring training in 1925, Foxx split duties at catcher with [[Mickey Cochrane]] and [[Cy Perkins]], and when the season started he played the role of third-string catcher. On May 1, 1925, in a game against the [[Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]], he recorded his first career hit off [[Vean Gregg]].<ref name="Millikin, Mark R. pp.48-49">[[#Millikin05|Millikin, Mark R.]], pp. 48-49</ref> In June, Mack optioned Foxx to the [[Providence Grays]] to accumulate time and practice hitting at a higher level instead of sitting on the bench in Shibe Park.<ref name="Millikin, Mark R. pp.48-49"/><ref name="Daniel, H. Harrison pp.21">[[#Daniel04|Daniel, H. Harrison]], pp. 21</ref> In the next season, Foxx appeared in a few more games, mostly as a pinch hitter or a replacement catcher.<ref name="Millikin, Mark R. pp.54">[[#Millikin05|Millikin, Mark R.]], pp. 54</ref> In 1927, Foxx signed a contract for $3,000 ({{Inflation|US|3000|1924|fmt=eq}});<ref name="Millikin, Mark R. pp.57">[[#Millikin05|Millikin, Mark R.]], pp. 57</ref> however, because future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] member Mickey Cochrane was still the primary catcher, he remained in a backup role, but had started to transition to first base. He recorded his first home run on May 31, 1927, against [[Urban Shocker]] of the [[New York Yankees]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192705312.shtml|title=May 31, 1927 Game Log|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> and finished the season batting .323 over 61 games.<ref name="Complete" />

[[1929 Major League Baseball season | In 1929]], installed as the A's regular first baseman, Foxx had a breakthrough year. On May 1, he recorded the first 5-hit game of his career<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS192905010.shtml|title=May 1, 1929 Game Log|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> as well as the first multi home run game of his career, one of three such games that season. By early July, he was batting over .400 until a slump later in the season caused his average to drop. He finished the year with 20 games where he collected 3 or more hits<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=foxxji01&t=b&year=1929|title=1929 Game Logs|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> and finished with a .354 average with 33 home runs.<ref name="sabr"/><ref name="Complete" /> During that year, Foxx appeared on the cover of [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]].<ref name=Time>{{cite magazine|title=Jimmie Fox: July 29, 1929|url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19290729,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628142455/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19290729,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 28, 2006|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=August 20, 2013}}</ref> A strong start to [[1930 Major League Baseball season | the 1930 season]] showed that Foxx was a hitter to be feared, and on May 30, he recorded the first six-hit game of his career,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA193005301.shtml|title=May 30, 1930 Game Logs|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> against the Senators. By the end of June, after hitting 11 home runs in both May and June, he had 22 on the season and was batting .360. A slow end to the season lowered his season numbers, however, he still hit over 30 home runs for the second time in his career and finished with a .335 batting average. The [[1931 Major League Baseball season | 1931 season]] was hampered by injuries and a [[Sinusitis|sinus infection]],<ref name="sabr"/> marking his first season where he did not hit above .300. He still managed to hit 30 home runs, extending his streak to 3 straight seasons.<ref name="Complete" />

The [[1932 Major League Baseball season | 1932 season]] would be Foxx's first truly outstanding year. In a sign of games to come, he recorded three hits and a home run during his first game,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=foxxji01&t=b&year=1932|title=1932 Game Logs|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> the first of 20 games where he would record three or more hits that season. By the end of May, he had recorded 17 home runs, 49 runs batted in, and had a batting average of .417, leading the [[American League]] in every major hitting category.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015313/1932-06-01/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1932&sort=date&rows=20&words=Foxx&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=15&state=Indiana&date2=1932&proxtext=foxx&y=12&x=17&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=3|title=Major League League Leaders|work=[[Indianapolis Times]]|date=June 1, 1932|page=8|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> On July 10, Foxx had his first 3 home run game, against the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]], he also collected 6 hits, including a [[Double (baseball)|double]] in an 18-inning game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE193207100.shtml|title=July 10, 1932 Game Log|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref><ref name="3 Home Run July">{{Cite news |last=Talbot |first=Gayle |date=July 11, 1932 |title=Contest Abounds in Unusual Feats |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1932-07-11/ed-1/seq-11/#date1=1932&index=18&rows=20&words=Foxx+Jimmie&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=District+of+Columbia&date2=1932&proxtext=jimmie+foxx&y=8&x=21&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=May 17, 2022 |work=[[The Washington Star|Evening Star]] |page=11}}</ref> Although a thumb and wrist injury in August slowed his pace,<ref name="sabr"/> he still hit 7 home runs and batted .356 over the month. Foxx finished the season strong, hitting over .390 over the last month of the season and collected another 10 home runs, the fourth such month where he reached double digits in home runs hit. At the end of the season, he had amassed 151 [[runs scored]], 213 hits, 58 home runs, 169 RBI, a .364 batting average, and 438 total bases; he led the AL in every major category except hits and batting average. The batting champion that year, [[Dale Alexander]], hit .367 but played in only 124 games. By modern rules that would have disqualified Alexander, and Foxx would have won the Triple Crown with a 15-point lead over the runner up, [[Lou Gehrig]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1932-batting-leaders.shtml|title=1932 AL Batting Leaders|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> Even though Foxx actually hit 60 home runs that year, two were hit in games that were rained out, erasing them from the official batting records, causing him to narrowly miss [[Babe Ruth]]'s Major League record 60 home runs. In October, Foxx would receive 75 out of the maximum 80 possible MVP votes, giving him his first MVP award in his career.<ref name="Complete" /><ref name="sabr"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn91068401/1932-10-19/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1932&sort=date&rows=20&words=Foxx&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=10&state=North+Carolina&date2=1932&proxtext=foxx&y=21&x=9&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2|title=Foxx and Klein to get Player Awards|work=[[The Daily Dispatch|Henderson Daily Dispatch]]|date=October 19, 1932|page=8|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref>

After an uncharacteristically slow start to [[1933 Major League Baseball season | the 1933 season]] that saw him hitting only .301 with 7 home runs by June 6, he started hitting home runs again, with his second three home run game against the New York Yankees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA193306080.shtml|title=June 8, 1933 Game Log|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> During the month of June, he hit 13 home runs, scored 37 runs, and batted over .380 in 31 games played. On August 14, he [[Hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]] and set a then-AL record 9 runs batted in.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1933-08-15/ed-1/seq-29/#date1=1933&sort=date&rows=20&words=Foxx&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=7&state=District+of+Columbia&date2=1933&proxtext=foxx&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=9|title=Foxx, New Ruler of Swat, Far Shy of Ruth in Personality, but a Greater Terror at Bat|work=[[The Washington Star|Evening Star]]|date=August 15, 1933|page=C-1|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> He would hit multiple home runs in seven games<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=foxxji01&t=b&year=1933|title=1933 Game Logs|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> and collect four or more hits in five games. He finished the season leading the American league in home runs, RBI, and batting average, which secured him the ninth Triple Crown in MLB history.<ref name="Jordan, David M. pp.118">[[#Jordan99|Jordan, David M.]], pp. 118</ref> He also finished with 403 total bases, leading the American League and making him the third player in history to record 400 total bases in back-to-back seasons, with [[Lou Gehrig]] and [[Chuck Klein]] being the others. As a result of his phenomenal season, he was awarded his second MVP award at the end of the year.<ref name="Complete" />

[[Image:Jimmie Foxx, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Al Simmons.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Foxx with [[Babe Ruth]], [[Lou Gehrig]] and [[Al Simmons]]]]

His [[1934 Major League Baseball season | 1934 season]] saw Foxx continue to terrorize American League pitchers. He finished the season with 44 home runs, 130 runs batted in and a .334 average. While his numbers were down compared to his previous two seasons, he still finished in the top 5 in several batting categories. This also marked the third straight season where he hit 40 or more home runs.<ref name="Complete" /> At the end of the season, during an exhibition game in [[Winnipeg]], he got [[Hit by pitch|hit by a pitch]] in the head and was knocked unconscious.<ref name="sabr"/> After the incident, he suffered sinus problems for the rest of his career. In late 1934, Foxx, along with [[Babe Ruth]], [[Lou Gehrig]], [[Charlie Gehringer]], among others, went on a [[1934 Japan Tour|tour of Japan]] and played 18 games against Japanese teams.<ref name="Jordan, David M. pp.121-122">[[#Jordan99|Jordan, David M.]], pp. 121-122</ref> The start of [[1935 Major League Baseball season| the 1935 season]] saw Foxx return to his original position at catcher because of the loss of [[Mickey Cochrane]] to the [[Detroit Tigers]].<ref name="sabr"/> After poor performance and a series of injuries to the other Athletic infielders, Connie Mack placed Foxx back at first base.<ref name="Jordan, David M. pp.121-122"/> Even after finishing the season leading the American League in home runs for the 3rd time<ref name="Complete" /> and finishing in the top 10 in most batting categories, it was still not enough for the Athletics to finish above last place. Connie Mack sold Foxx to the [[Boston Red Sox]] along with [[Johnny Marcum]] for $150,000 (equivalent to approximately ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|150000|1936|r=0}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}).<ref name="sabr"/><ref name="Jordan, David M. pp.123">[[#Jordan99|Jordan, David M.]], pp. 123</ref>

===Boston Red Sox (1936–1942)===
[[File:1937 all stars crop FINAL2.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Seven of the American League's [[1937 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1937 All-Star players]], from left to right [[Lou Gehrig]], [[Joe Cronin]], [[Bill Dickey]], [[Joe DiMaggio]], [[Charlie Gehringer]], Jimmie Foxx, and [[Hank Greenberg]]. All seven would be elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Fame]].]]
His first season with the Red Sox was another standout campaign as he led the team in every batting category except [[stolen base]]s. He finished in the top 10 in most offensive categories by the end of the season and hit over 40 home runs for the fourth time in his career.<ref name="Complete" /> The following season was the first time where health problems had a large effect. He fell ill with the flu during spring training in 1937 and was admitted to the hospital with pain in his forehead and vision problems.<ref name="sabr jimmie">{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-real-jimmie-foxx/|title=The Real Jimmie Foxx|work=[[SABR]]|access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> He missed the first handful of games in the season before returning with the club. He still continued to hit home runs that would leave the ballpark, including one that left [[Fenway Park]] by the center field flagpole.<ref name="sabr"/> Hall of Fame pitcher [[Lefty Gomez]] once joked about a home run hit off him, stating "I knew immediately what it was. That was a home-run ball hit off me in 1937 by Jimmie Foxx" in response to [[Apollo program|Apollo]] [[astronaut]]s finding objects on the [[Moon]].<ref name="Freedman, Lew pp.64">[[#Freedman14|Freedman, Lew]], pp. 64</ref> There is no record of Foxx hitting a home run off Gomez that season, but Foxx had hit 14 home runs off Gomez during his career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.fcgi?id=foxxji01&t=b|title=Jimmie Foxx Home Run Log|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>

In 1938, Foxx put on an offensive showcase during the months of May, June, and September, recording at least 10 home runs and 30 RBI in each of those three months,
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=foxxji01&year=1938&t=b|title=1938 Batting Splits|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> including over 40 in the final month of the season. On June 16, 1938, he tied an [[American League]] record when he [[Base on balls|walked]] six times in a game.<ref name="sabr"/> His totals at the end of the year set many Red Sox single-season team records. His 175 RBI that year remain a Boston Red Sox record, his 50 home runs were a record until Hall of Famer [[David Ortiz]] surpassed it in 2006 with 54,<ref name="sabr"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/leaders_bat_season.shtml|title=Red Sox Single Season Records|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> and his 398 total bases were most by a Red Sox until [[Jim Rice]] collected 406 total bases in 1978. Foxx was awarded his third and final MVP award at the end of the season, leading the AL in most categories, with only [[Hank Greenberg]]'s 58 home runs surpassing Foxx's own total of 50.

In 1939, health problems popped up again for Foxx. Early in the season, he sought treatment for pain caused by his presumed sinus problem on a road trip from Chicago to Washington.<ref name="sabr jimmie"/> Later on in the season, he had an emergency [[appendectomy]] in Philadelphia which cut his season short. There were very few teammates that knew how serious his health problems were. One who did was [[Ted Williams]], who he would talk to regularly.<ref name="sabr jimmie"/> It was at this time that Foxx had begun to drink more heavily, although it was used as a self-medication for the chronic pain that he experienced in his later career.<ref name="sabr"/> While his heavy drinking is well known, teammates, including [[Ted Williams]], attest that he was never overtly drunk or violent and continued to act as a mentor to his younger teammates, including [[Dom DiMaggio]].<ref name="sabr"/> With all of the health problems and chronic pain that Foxx had experienced, he still had an outstanding offensive season, hitting an AL leading 35 home runs and batting over .360. He finished second in MVP voting behind [[Joe DiMaggio]].<ref name="Complete" /> His next two seasons saw a continued decline, but Foxx continued to play at near-MVP levels. He hit 36 home runs in 1940, which marked his 12th straight season where he hit 30 or more. He finished sixth in MVP balloting and he was an All Star in his final full season in 1941 where he hit .300 and drove in 105 batters over 135 games played.<ref name="Complete" /> On September 24, 1940, he hit his 500th career home run against [[George Caster]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1940-09-25/ed-1/seq-14/#date1=1940&index=1&rows=20&words=Foxx+Jimmie&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=District+of+Columbia&date2=1940&proxtext=jimmie+foxx&y=10&x=8&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|title=Bosox, A's on Slugging Spree|work=[[The Washington Star|Evening Star]]|date=September 25, 1940|page=A-14|access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> becoming the second member of the [[500 Home Run Club]] after [[Babe Ruth]]. He suffered a broken toe during spring training in 1942 and broke a rib during batting practice later in the season.<ref name="sabr"/> In the twilight of his career, his contract was sold to the [[Chicago Cubs]] for $10,000 ({{Inflation|US|10000|1942|fmt=eq}}) in June.

===Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944)===
With the Cubs in 1942, he split time between first base and [[Pinch hitter|pinch hitting]] duties, and by the end of the season, it was clear that his career was in sharp decline. Over 100 games, he hit .226 and had only eight home runs, by far the lowest totals of his career since his first full season in 1929. He sat out all of 1943 and returned as a pinch hitter in 1944, playing only 14 games.<ref name="Complete" />

===Philadelphia Phillies (1945)===
Foxx joined the Phillies in 1945 and was a [[Two-way player#Baseball|two-way player]]. Between hitting and pitching, he hit 7 home runs over 89 games and compiled a 1–0 record and 1.59 [[earned run average]] (ERA) over 22{{fraction|2|3}} innings.<ref name="Complete" /> He retired at the end of the season.

Foxx finished his 20-year career with 534 home runs, 1,922 runs batted in, 1,751 runs scored, 2,646 hits, 458 doubles, 125 [[Triple (baseball)|triples]], 1,452 walks and a .325 batting average. His 12 consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs was a major league record until it was broken by [[Barry Bonds]] in 2004. At the end of his career, his 534 home runs placed him second only to Ruth on the all-time list and first among right-handed hitters. He retained these positions until [[Willie Mays]] passed Foxx for second place in 1966. Foxx set the record for the youngest player to reach 500 home runs at age 32 years and 338 days in the final week of the [[1940 in baseball|1940]] Major League Baseball season. It held until August 4, 2007, when it was broken by [[Alex Rodriguez]] at age 32 years and 8 days. During the 1930s, no one hit more home runs than Foxx's 415 between the Athletics and Red Sox.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-statistical-leaders-by-decade|title=MLB Records by Decade|work=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> Six years after retirement, he was elected to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1951.<ref name="Complete" /><ref name="sabr"/>