Hugh Ambrose (Hughie) Jennings

Hugh Ambrose “Hughie” Jennings

Detroit Tigers Baseball Player (1907, 1909 – 1910, 1912, 1918)
Detroit Tigers Baseball Manager (1907 – 1920)

Hughie Jennings was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania and while playing semi-professional baseball in his hometown drew the attention of major league scouts signing with the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1891. He stayed with the Colonels/Baltimore Orioles for parts of nine seasons helping them win three championships in the mid-1890’s with his outstanding hitting and fielding at shortstop. He would go on to play in parts of twelve additional seasons compiling a .312 batting average with 1,526 hits, 992 runs scored, 840 RBI and 359 stolen bases, while also earning a Law degree in the off-seasons. At the end of his regular playing days (he would play six games for the Tigers over six different seasons), he would go on to manage the Detroit Tigers for fourteen seasons and the New York Giants for two, compiling a record of 1,184 – 995 and is the second winningest Tigers manager. Hughie Jennings was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1958. He passed away on February 1, 1928 at 58 years of age.