Jim Hart

James Aristotle Hart (July 10, 1855 – July 18, 1919) was an American professional baseball manager in the late 19th century. In the major leagues of the era, he managed the Louisville Colonels and the Boston Beaneaters for parts of three seasons. During the 1890s, he managed baseball teams in the United Kingdom.

U.S. career In 1885 and 1886, Hart managed the Louisville Colonels of the major-league American Association. Hart was part-owner of the Colts team, and in the 1895 season, the entire Colts team was arrested for creating a disturbance on a Sunday, after which Hart bailed every player out.

U.K. career Hart went to the U.K. in the 1890s. The professional National League of Baseball of Great Britain was started in 1890. A letter was sent to Albert Spalding in America requesting help in establishing a league. The British requested eight to ten players to coach and convert the existing players, whose primary game was usually soccer. Spalding sent Hart as a skilled manager along with several players: William J. Barr, Charles Bartlett, J. E. Prior and Leech Maskrey. Hart was a director of Preston North End Baseball Club Limited.

Proposed innovation

An 1894 newspaper article reveals a proposal by Hart - the addition on numbers to the backs of player uniforms for identification by fans, with scorecards being printed with player names matching the numbers. (See also Uniform number (Major League Baseball)) This proposal would not be implemented in the Major Leagues on a permanent basis, however, until 1929.