James Henry Manning (January 31, 1862 – October 22, 1929) was an American professional baseball player, manager, executive and team owner. He played five seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder (261 games), but also as a second baseman (72 games), shortstop (35 games), and third baseman (four games). He played four years in the National League with the Boston Beaneaters (1884–85) and the Detroit Wolverines (1885–87). He also played professional baseball in Kansas City, Missouri, primarily as a second baseman, from 1887 to 1892 and 1894 to 1897, including one year in the American Association with the Kansas City Cowboys.
Manning was one of the three principal organizers of the Western League in 1893 and was the owner and manager of the Kansas City Cowboys/Blues from 1894 to 1900. He was also one of the principal organizers of the American League and the first owner and manager of the Washington Senators when his Kansas City club moved to Washington, D.C. in 1901. He was also the player-manager of the Birmingham Grays in 1892, the owner, manager and second baseman of the Savannah, Georgia baseball club in 1893, and the owner and president of the Kansas City Blue Stockings club in the Western League from 1902 to 1903.
Early years
Manning was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1862. His parents, Thomas and Catherine Manning, were immigrants from Ireland. His father worked as a common laborer. Manning had three younger sisters, Julia, Elizabeth and Mary.
Professional baseball player
Boston
Manning made his debut in professional baseball playing for the Springfield, Massachusetts, club in 1883. He made his major league debut for the Boston Beaneaters in May 1884. At age 22, he appeared in 89 games for the Beaneaters, 73 as an outfielder, nine each at second base and shortstop, and three at third base. He compiled a .241 batting average in 345 at bats, and totaled 52 runs, 83 hits and 35 RBIs in 89 games. In 1885, Manning appeared in 84 games for Boston, 83 of them as an outfielder. His batting average dropped to .206 in 306 at bats.
Detroit
In September 1885, the Detroit Wolverines purchased Manning from the Beaneaters for $500. Manning appeared in 20 games, all at shortstop, for the 1885 Wolverines. The following year, he served as a backup outfielder for the 1886 Wolverines, appearing in 25 games at the position. After batting .269 in 1885 for Detroit, his batting average dropped 83 points to .186 in 1886.
Manning began the 1887 season in Detroit, but the team was loaded with talent, and Manning faced the prospect of again being a backup player. The Sporting Life opined in February 1887, "Jimmy Manning ought not be a substitute in any nine. He is too good a ball player to be idle most of the time." In May 1887, the Wolverines sent their "extra men" (Manning and Knowlton) to the Kansas City Cowboys in order to relieve the club of salary obligations for players it did not need. Manning played in Kansas City for the next two months of the 1887 season, but Detroit reclaimed Manning in July, after an injury to second baseman Fred Dunlap. Manning appeared in only 13 games for the 1887 Wolverines, 10 in the outfield and three at shortstop, compiling a .192 batting average. In late July 1887, The Sporting News reported that Manning was "troubled with malaria" that he had contracted in Kansas City.
Kansas City, Part I
Manning spent all or parts of six seasons with the Kansas City Cowboys from 1887 to 1892. He was acquired from Detroit in the middle of May 1887, and by the middle of July, Manning was referred to in The Sporting Life as "the best and most popular player that ever wore a Kansas City uniform." He was reclaimed by Detroit for 13 games in July, but then returned to Kansas City in the middle of August. Manning compiled a career high .433 batting average in 381 at bats for the 1887 Cowboys. He played at shortstop for the Cowboys in 1887 and performed well defensively, the Kansas City correspondent to The Sporting Life calling him "the greatest of shortstops at short field."
In 1888, Kansas City had two rival baseball teams, both called the Cowboys, with one playing in the American Association, and the other playing in the Western Association. Manning was player-manager of the Cowboys in the Western Association during the 1888 season. He hit .289 and stole 101 bases in 116 games.