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Finding Aid To The Collection Of John Wesley Coombs Materials, John Wesley Coombs, Colby College Special Collections

Finding Aids

John Wesley ("Colby Jack") Coombs (1882-1957) was an early professional baseball player who set numerous records as a pitcher during his career with the Philadelphia Athletics, the Brooklyn Robins, and the Detroit Tigers. Following his playing career he was a successful coach of college baseball, notably at Duke University, and authored an influential guidebook for baseball instruction. The most successful professional athlete to come out of Colby, he was also the first student to graduate with a B.S. (Chemistry) in 1906. Coombs also received an M.A. in 1946, and the baseball field at Colby was named Coombs Field in his …