James Jerpe

James Jerpe (1885 – January 16, 1917)[1][2] was an American sports writer and columnist, writing for The Pittsburgh Dispatch, The Pittsburgh Post and The Gazette Times from 1909 until 1916.

James Jerpe
Born1885
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
DiedJanuary 16, 1917 (aged 31)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Resting placeAllegheny Cemetery
OccupationSportswriter
Employer(s)Pittsburgh Dispatch
The Pittsburgh Post
The Gazette Times
Known forBaseball coverage

Early life and career

In 1985, Jerpe was born in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville district to Swedish émigré Andrew H. Jerpe and his second-generation Swedish-American spouse Anna Stomberg.[3][4][5] When his parents moved to Norfolk, Ohio in 1900, James remained behind and soon found work as a copy boy with a local paper.[2] By no later than 1907 he was employed as a reporter,[6] and between 1909 and 1911, he wrote for The Pittsburgh Dispatch and The Pittsburgh Post.[7][8][9] Beginning in January 1912 and continuing through roughly September 1916, Jerpe's byline appeared on a much more regular basis in what would prove his final and, by far, best-remembered incarnation, as columnist and Pirates beat writer for The Gazette Times.[10][11][12]

In 1915, during the Pirates' first east coast trip, Jerpe first complained of having difficulty seeing plays on the field. On his doctor's recommendation, he took a brief leave of absence, but within weeks, Jerpe had become completely blind.[13] Notwithstanding this sudden and disheartening development, Jerpe continued to provide his column, "On and Off the Field"[14][15][16] (and later "Sport-itorials"),[17][18] as well as other featured articles until deteriorating health forced him to bow out altogether in September 1916.[19]

Personal life

In March 1908, Jerpe married Eva J. Thompson,[5] with whom he had two children.[20] In October 1960, their grandson, Andrew F. Jerpe,[21][22][23] gained some measure of notoriety as the 14-year-old who, while making a slightly premature exit from Forbes Field just prior to the conclusion of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, retrieved Bill Mazeroski's Series-ending home run ball.[24][21]

Death

At 9 A.M. on Tuesday morning, January 16, 1917, not quite 5 months after his retirement, Jerpes finally died from his nearly 2-year-long illness.[25] His funeral, held on January 19, attracted many friends and colleagues, including representatives of the Gazette-Times, the Police and Fire Departments, and the Pitsburgh Stove League. In accordance with Jerpe's last wishes, his favorite musical selection, John McCormack's 1916 recording of "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," was played during the funeral service.[26]

References
  1. Spalding's Official Baseball Records; Part 1—Records of 1917: The Year in Baseball; January. p. 5
  2. Post staff (January 17, 1917). "James Jerpe Dies; Well-Known Writer; Friend of Sportsmen, Firemen Passes Away". Pittsburgh Daily Post. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  3. Special to the Post (July 2, 1913). "Sports Writer's Father Dies; Andrew H. Jerpe, Master Mechanic, Succumbs to Heart Failure". The Pittsburgh Post. p. 8. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  4. "Anna Stomberg. United States Census, 1880". FamilySearch. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  5. Post staff (March 17, 1908). "Society: Will Live in Philadelphia". The Pittsburgh Post. p. 5.
  6. Gazette Times staff (September 4, 1907). "Cawley is faced by Citizens". Pittsburgh Gazette Times. p. 2.
  7. Post staff (May 22, 1910). "Trade Boomers Ready to Storm Mountain Towns; Never Before Has Such Interest Been Shown in a Business Extension Excursion". The Pittsburgh Post. p. 21. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  8. Advocate staff (April 14, 1911). "College Graduates as Newspapermen". Harvard Advocate.
  9. Jerpe, James (September 9, 1911). "How Billy Kelly Broke In as Professional Catcher for Oklahoma Team". The Pittsburgh Post. p. 16. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  10. Jerpe, James (January 21, 1912). "Pitchers From Comiskey School Are Compelled to Hit and Field". The Pittsburgh Gazette Times. p. 19
  11. Jerpe, James (January 25, 1912). "Wagner Praises Batterymate of O'Toole". The Pittsburgh Gazette Times. p. 19
  12. Jerpe, James (January 28, 1912). "Pirates Led in Double Plays Last Year". The Pittsburgh Gazette Times. p. 20
  13. Press staff (January 16, 1917). "Jim Jerpe, Noted Baseball Writer, Dies After Illness". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 1. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  14. Jerpe, James (June 14, 1915). "On and Off the Field". The Gazette Times. p 9. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  15. Jerpe, James (August 15, 1915). "On and Off the Field". The Gazette Times. p 20. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  16. Jerpe, James (October 8, 1915). "On and Off the Field". The Gazette Times. p 10. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. Jerpe, James (November 19, 1915). "Sport-itorials". The Pittsburgh Gazette Times. p. 8. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  18. Jerpe, James (June 12, 1916). "Sport-itorials". The Pittsburgh Gazette Times. p. 11. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  19. "Search results for 'James Jerpe' from Aug 28, 1916 thru Jan 15, 1917" . Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  20. Herald staff (January 18, 1917). "Blind Baseball Writer, James Jerpe, Is Dead". The Washington Herald. p. 11
  21. Cohn, Bob (September 19, 2010). "Former Point Breeze teen still wonders about lost Mazeroski ball". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Jerpe is one of seven children. His father worked as a chemical engineer at the Gulf Research Laboratory in Harmarville..."
  22. Keck, Harry (October 13, 1959). "West Virginia Not Conceding, Will Be 'Up' for Pitt Game". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 26. "Yesterday I learned another version from Jim Jerpe Jr., son of a famous baseball writer for the old Gazette-Times. He says that when he registered at Pitt, from which he graduated as a chemical engineer, he was told by the late Karl E. Davis, the then graduate athletic manager, that Jim's dad was responsible for the numbering, which Davis instituted."
  23. Post-Gazette staff (October 8, 1988). "Obituaries: James A. Jerpe". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 10. "James A. Jerpe, 79, a retired chemist for Gulf Oil Corp. and a five-letter man in track and field at the University of Pittsburgh, died yesterday [...] Surviving are four sons, James H. of Stevensville, Md., John M. of Ventura, Calif., Andrew F. of Atlanta and Eric J. of Washington, D.C.; three daughters, Mary Christine Gerszewski of North Dakota, Anna Mercho of Indianapolis, and Johanna Nelson of Louisville, Ky.; and 13 grandchildren."
  24. Associated Press (October 14, 1960). "Boy Now Owner of Home Run Ball". Breckinridge American. p. 6. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  25. "Death Notices: Jerpe". The Pittsburgh Press. January 17, 1917. p. 24.
  26. "Dying Wish of Jim Jerpe Is Carried Out at Funeral; Favorite Musical Selection, 'Beautiful Isle of Somewhere,' Reproduced Upon Victrola During Services at Late Residence". The Pittsburgh Post. January 20, 1917. p. 5.

Further reading

Articles

Books
  • Menke, Frank Grant (1947). The New Encyclopedia of Sports. New York : A. S. Barnes. p. 418.
  • Armstrong, Richard C.; Healy Jr., Martin (2020). George "Mooney" Gibson: Canadian Catcher for Deadball Era Pirates. Jefferson, NC : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-4766-3858-4.
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