Jim Hart (baseball manager)

James Abner Hart (July 10, 1855 – July 18, 1919) was an American professional baseball manager in the late 19th century. In the major leagues of the era, he managed the Louisville Colonels and the Boston Beaneaters for parts of three seasons. During the 1890s, he managed baseball teams in the United Kingdom.

U.S. career
In 1885 and 1886, Hart managed the Louisville Colonels of the major-league American Association. He then served as manager of the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers in 1887 and 1888. In 1889, Hart managed the Boston Beaneaters of the National League.

In 1891, Hart, who was secretary of the Chicago White Stockings (later the Chicago Colts and then the Chicago Cubs), succeeded Albert Spalding as president of the team. Hart was part-owner of the Colts team, and in the 1895 season, the entire Colts team was arrested for creating a disturbance on a Sunday, after which Hart bailed every player out.

U.K. career
Hart went to the U.K. in the 1890s. The professional National League of Baseball of Great Britain was started in 1890. A letter was sent to Albert Spalding in America requesting help in establishing a league. The British requested eight to ten players to coach and convert the existing players, whose primary game was usually soccer. Spalding sent Hart as a skilled manager along with several players: William J. Barr, Charles Bartlett, J. E. Prior and Leech Maskrey.

The original intention had been to have eight teams, but initially there were just four: Aston Villa, Preston North End Baseball Club, Stoke City and Derby Baseball Club. The first three used Jim Hart to decide the line-up of their teams, while Francis Ley at Derby made his own decisions. Hart was a director of Preston North End Baseball Club Limited.