FOXX, JIMMIE

born Oct. 22, 1907, Sudlersville, Md., U.S. died July 21, 1967, Miami byname of James Emory Foxx U.S. professional baseball player, the second man in major league history to hit 500 home runs. (Babe Ruth was the first.) A right-handed hitter who played mostly at first base, Foxx appeared in his first major league game in 1925 and his last in 1945. He hit his first home run in 1927, reached the 500 mark in 1940, and finished with a total of 534 home runs. His career batting average was .325. Foxx played for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League from 1925 through 1935. In 1932 he hit 58 home runs, his highest single-season output. He was with the Boston Red Sox of the American League (1936mid-1942), hitting 50 home runs and batting in 175 runs in 1938. Subsequently he played for Chicago and Philadelphia in the National League. In 1932, 1933, and 1938 Foxx was chosen the most valuable player in the American League. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.