James Joseph Dykes (November 10, 1896 - June 15, 1976) was a Major League Baseball infielder, manager and coach.

A native from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dykes batted and threw right-handed. He started his majors career on May 6, 1918 as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics, remaining with the club for the next 14 years mostly at third base. He also did a fine job defensively at shortstop and first base as well as the outfield.

At the end of the 1932 season, Dykes was sold to the Chicago White Sox togheter with Al Simmons and Mule Haas . Two years later he succeded Lew Fonseca as White Sox manager. Dykes was playing leader from 1934 through 1939 and bench manager from 1940 through 1946. With the Sox, he was selected an All-Star in 1933 and 1934.

In 22 seasons, Dykes was a career .280 hitter with 108 home runs and 1071 RBI in 2282 games. In three World Series with the Athletics (1929-31), he hit .288 with one homer and 11 RBI in 18 games.

After Ted Lyons replaced him as the Chicago manager, Dykes managed two years in the minors. He returned to the majors in 1949 as a coach with the Athletics. A year later, owner Connie Mack retires after 50 of managing his team, naming Dykes as his succesor for the the 1951 season. Mack maintained his position as president of the club and Dykes held at charge until the end of the 1953 pennant race.

Named the Baltimore Orioles manager in 1954, Dykes was lost in the club's reorganization, which ended with Paul Richards designated as both field and general manager of the Orioles for the 1955 season. Then, Dykes finished a 35-year association with the American League when he signed as a coach with the National League Cincinnati Redlegs, leading them as interim manager for part of 1958. But he came back to the AL as manager of the Detroit Tigers in 1959. At this point, Frank Lane, then general manager of the Cleveland Indians, and famous by his amazing transactions, sent Joe Gordon to Detroit and brought Dykes to Cleveland in a rare trade of managers. Dykes managed the Indians from 1960-61.

In 21-season as a manager, Dykes compiled a 1406-1541 record. He never won a pennant, and his highest point was third place. He ended his 44-year majors career in 1964 after completing three seasons of coaching for the Milwaukee Braves and Kansas City Athletics. Although he had a different style of managing his teams, Dykes had authority, was testy and combative; he liked to make use of his entire roster and was regarded as a motivator of players.

Jimmy Dykes died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at age of 79.

External links

• Jimmy Dykes at:
  • Baseball Library (biography)
  • Baseball Reference (player and managerial records)