Jim Bottomley (April 23, 1900 - December 11, 1959), nicknamed "Sunny Jim", was a left-handed Major League Baseball player. He also served as player-manager for the St. Louis Browns in 1937. As a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals (1922-1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933-1935) and St. Louis Browns (1936-1937), Bottomley was noted for his upbeat demeanor and ability to drive in runs. He had over 100 RBIs in each season from 1924 to 1929.
Bottomley's best season came in 1928, when he hit .325 with 31 home runs and 136 RBIs. That year, he won the National League Most Valuable Player award and led the Cardinals to the World Series, where they lost to the New York Yankees.
He set the Major League record for RBIs in a single game, with 12, set on September 16, 1924 and holds the single-season record for most unassisted double plays by a first baseman, with eight. "Sunny" will also be known as the only man to be sued for hitting a homerun when a fan was hit by the ball when he wasn't looking.
After his career ended, Bottomley moved to near Bourbon, Missouri, where he raised hereford cattle. He spent the last years of his life in nearby Sullivan, Missouri, where he and his wife were eventually laid to rest in the I.O.O.F.. Cemetery.
"Sunny Jim" Bottomley was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously, in 1974.
