Jim Lillie/pagetext

From SABR Encyclopedia

James Lillie, an old Kansas City ball player, died at the home of a friend in this city last Monday of typhoid fever, with which he had been ill for some time. Just before his death his friend said: "You are not going to give up, Jimmie?" His reply was: "I am afraid, Charlie, it is three strikes and out." These were his last words. He died a few minutes afterward. Lillie played with the Kansas City Club the first year the National League placed a team in the city. He was a great favorite and played a first-class game. He first attracted attention by his ball playing while with the New Haven, Ct., team, and soon afterwards joined the Buffalo Ball Club. About one year ago he was badly burned in trying to save his wife, whose clothes had caught on fire. The wife and little child died. He was buried this morning. ^[1]