These group photographs from the 1920s all include Virgil Barnes of Jackson County, Kansas. Barnes was a major league pitcher in the 1920s who played most of his games with the New York Giants. The images are undated and were taken in different settings. Although the other individuals in the photos are not identified, at least some of them were likely Barnes' teammates.
A right-handed pitcher, Virgil "Zeke" Barnes played seven complete seasons at the major league level. He had 61 major league wins, with a career ERA of 3.66. His best year was 1924, when he had an ERA of 3.06 and a record of 16-10. Barnes made World Series appearances in 1923 and 1924, including the starting assignment in Game 7 of the 1924 World Series.
Barnes was born in Ontario, Kansas, in 1897 and was raised in the nearby town of Circleville. During his major league years, Barnes lived during the off-season in rural Jackson County with his wife Della and their two children. In the mid-1930s, the family moved to Wichita, where Barnes lived until his death in 1958.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Virgil Barnes and others - Barnes is seated on the far left. (*16)