Jimmy Ripple Comes Back to the Majors

Jimmy Ripple was a pretty good outfielder for the Giants, Brooklyn and Cincinnati from the late thirties thru the mid-forties. His Baseball-Reference pages note that after a year-plus in the minors after his Reds stint, he reappears in the Majors for a short run with the Philadelphia A's...yet his transaction history stops well before then.

Ripple was sold to the Cardinals in 1941 and sent to their AAA Rochester team. From there he was traded to Toronto, independent at the time. I found a mention of the trade, possibly from  the Rochester Times-Union of July 13, 1942, on this scrapbook:

“TRADED TO TORONTO: Jimmy Ripple, veteran outfielder of major league and International League experience, last night was traded by Red Wings to Toronto for players Bill Beckman and Joe Mack.”

“Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman” by Lee Lowenfish has this selection on this deal:

“During the 1942 season MacPhail was serving as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, an International League team with out any Major League affiliation. In August Rickey phoned young MacPhail and offered him a Minor League first baseman at Rochester, Jimmy Ripple, who he said could help the Blue Jays make the playoffs. ‘We’ll have to make some kind of deal,” Rickey cooed to the unsuspecting MacPhail, suggesting that St. Louis receive a hurler in exchange. ‘I don’t know your staff, Rickey noted innocently, ‘What pitchers do you have?’ When MacPhail mentioned the name Bill Beckmann. Rickey said he would be acceptable.”

Ripple comes back to the majors in 1943 with the Athletics. This from the Montreal Gazette of Aug. 3, 1943...

“Philadelphia Athletics today traded Jim Tyack, 31-year-old outfielder, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Jimmy Ripple, former Cincinnati star, also an outfielder.”

The Athletics sent Ripple to Louisville (Boston Red Sox AAA team) in the offseason, This from the Spokane Daily Chronicle of Feb. 5, 1944:

“Jimmy Ripple, veteran outfielder for the Athletics, has been sold to Louisville of the American Association for an undisclosed price, the A’s announced last night.”

Ripple went from Louisville to Seattle in a deal I could not find, then was released and finished 1944, and his playing career, with San Francisco: Montreal Gazette of July 28, 1944:

“San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast Baseball League have signed Jimmy Ripple, 34, former Major League star outfielder, as a free agent, officials of the club announced today.”

“Ripple….recently was with Seattle Rainiers but was released,”

Another end-of-career journey chronicled!

Ripple and Tyack pics form pinterest.

Beckmann from COMC.com

Joe Mack from the Pecan Park Eagle blog at

https://bill37mccurdy.com/2014/06/30/once-upon-a-time-in-monessen/