Jimmie Foxx was one of the greatest home run hitters of all-time.
After Babe Ruth reached the 500 mark, Foxx became the second player in the major league history to climb to that plateau. The slugger finished his career in 1945 with 534 homers and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.
However, it was something that Foxx only did once in his career that often gets missed. It happened 70 years ago.
In his last year in the big leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, Foxx made nine appearances on the mound with a pair of starts. The first came against the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of the doubleheader at Shibe Park on Aug. 19, 1945.
Foxx faced 28 batters before leaving the affair with two outs in the seventh inning. The Phillies led 4-2 when Foxx hit the showers as Andy Karl went the rest of the way to preserve the only pitching victory in Foxx’s career.
Foxx surrendered two runs on four hits, while striking out five. Ironically, two of the hits were by his mound opponent from the Reds, Howie Fox. The better known Foxx was held hitless that day.
For his career, Foxx pitched in 10 games and had an ERA of 1.52.
Started as a Teenager
Foxx joined the Philadelphia A’s in 1925 as a 17-year old. He eventually became the starting first baseman for the A’s and would help them to back-to-back World Series titles in 1929 and 1930.
He was a three-time American League Most Valuable Player and played in the first nine all-star games from 1933 to 1941.
In 1932 he won the first of two straight MVPs as he blasted 58 homers with 169 RBI and a .364 batting average. The next season, he won the triple crown as he hit 48 long balls to go with 163 RBI, while hitting .356.
Changing Teams
Howie Fox
Prior to the 1936 season, Foxx was traded by the A’s to the Boston Red Sox. He won his third MVP award in 1938, while hitting 50 homers and leading the AL with 175 RBI and a .349 batting average.
In the middle of 1942, the Chicago Cubs picked up Foxx on waivers from the Red Sox. After his release from the Cubs in 1944, he signed with the Phillies for what turned out to be his last year.
The Other Fox
Howie Fox pitched nine years in the majors and was in his second season when he faced the other Foxx in Philadelphia.
He finished the 1945 season at 8-13. In his career, he was 43-72 for the Reds, Phillies and Baltimore Orioles. His best season was in 1950 when he posted an 11-8 mark.