Shad Barry

John Charles "Shad" Barry (October 27, 1878 – November 27, 1936), known also as "Jack" Barry, was an American professional baseball player who spent ten seasons, from 1899 to 1909, in Major League Baseball. Barry was a utility player, having played every position with the exception of catcher and pitcher during his career.

Early life Barry was born in Newburgh, New York. Barry attended Niagara University.

Career Barry began his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1899. On February 11, 1900, Washington sold him (along with Bill Dineen and Buck Freeman) to the Boston Beaneaters for $7500.

After two seasons, Boston released Barry on May 11, 1901, and he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies five days later. He remained with Philadelphia until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Frank Corridon on July 20, 1904. Chicago later sold him to the Cincinnati Reds on January 20, 1905. Barry had been hitting .212 in 27 games for Chicago, but he hit .324 in 125 games for Cincinnati that year. During the final weeks of the 1911 PCL pennant race, The Oregonian featured columns written by Barry. Barry's net worth in 1911 was estimated at $50,000 by Oregonian sports editor Roscoe Fawcett.

In 1100 games over 10 seasons, Barry posted a .267 batting average (1073-for-4014) with 516 runs, 128 doubles, 47 triples, 10 home runs, 391 RBI, 140 stolen bases and 279 bases on balls. His tenure with Seattle was tumultuous as he feuded with the team owner Dan Dugdale. According to Barry, his attempts to strengthen the roster with new players was thwarted by Dugdale, who refused to allocate money for the contracts. Barry also accused Dugdale of overstepping his role by making transactions without Barry's knowledge. He resigned his position as manager in May 1912 following an argument with Dugdale in the lobby of the Ridpath Hotel in Spokane, Washington. Dugdale claimed the disagreements stemmed from Barry's lack of leadership. Among Barry's accomplishments at the helm of the Giants was signing "Seattle" Bill James out of Saint Mary's College of California. James was sold to the Boston Braves in 1913 and led the National League in winning percentage in 1914.

The La Grande Pippins of the Western Tri-State League hired Barry as manager for the remainder of the 1912 season for a salary of $300 per month.

Barry was fond of regaling his teammates with stories. During the off-seasons, Barry was a freelance writer who submitted his works to various periodicals. He used his baseball experience to contribute to World War I, coordinating baseball programs for the American Expeditionary Forces. He was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.