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Joseph Leo Birmingham (August 6 1884 - April 24 1946) was an outfielder who occasionally played infield for the Cleveland Naps.

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[edit] Background

He was a mediocre hitter, but he had one of the strongest throwing arms and he was a fine defensive center fielder. He was named the manager of the Naps in 1912 after Harry Davis was fired, and he stayed at the helm for three more seasons. His tenure was marked with a bit of controversy, as he benched the team's namesake Nap Lajoie in the 1913 season, which would be his best finish as manager (86-66, 3rd place). His next season would be a disaster, as the Naps lost 102 games, and in 1915, he was fired after only 28 games. He managed the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1916, but was replaced late in the season.

Birmingham died in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico in 1946 at the age of 61.

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