Andrew H. "Jap" Payne (December 6, 1879 – August 22, 1942) was an American baseball player in the Negro leagues. He played multiple positions, including outfield and infield.
Biography
Standing at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m), Payne was described as "unimposing," but he became known for slapping line drives past infielders, as well as having an excellent arm.[4][self-published source][5]
Payne was rumored to have gotten the nickname "Jap" due to his slanted eyes.
In August, 1907, Payne lost his temper and attacked an umpire, causing a near-riot, and his language occasionally forced umpires to throw him out of games.[6][self-published source]
Sportswriter and fellow player Jimmy Smith put Payne on his 1909 "All American Team."[7] Prior to the 1930 season, pitcher Dizzy Dismukes included Payne in his list of nine greatest all-time outfielders and wrote:
Jap Payne in a moment of need could do more acrobatic stunts to help a pitcher out of a tight situation than all the outfielders put together. Almost any ball Jap could get within three to five feet of before hitting the ground he caught, as he usually took a dive for them. In reading of Hack Wilson's catch of Simmons' drive during the last World Series,[8] I thought of catches I had seen Payne make.[9]
In 1953, future Hall of Famer Pop Lloyd named Payne as the right fielder on his all-time team.[5][10]
^Associated Press (October 9, 1929). "Play by Play on Opener". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 24. Retrieved August 12, 2021. "Simmons lined out to Wilson, who made a diving catch, but held the ball. Stephenson ran over to see if Wilson had hurt himself, but he had not."
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