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Thomas G. Kain (July 7, 1907 - June 24, 1971) was a minor league baseball pitcher for 14 seasons, a three-time championship winning manager at that level for six seasons, a scout for Major League Baseball teams and a college football referee.

Early life and amateur career[]

Kain was born in Nashville, Tennessee and attended Hume-Fogg High School. He then attended University of Georgia where he played football, as a fullback and halfback, and baseball.[1]

Playing and managerial career[]

Kain pitched in 1927, from 1929 to 1937, 1939 and from 1941 to 1943, spending most of his career in the New York Yankees farm system. He went 103-79 in 252 games, winning as many as 16 games in a season four times.[2]

He then managed in the minor leagues from 1939 to 1943 and again in 1946 for the Butler Yankees (1939-1941), Amsterdam Rugmakers (1942) and Norfolk Tars (1943, 1946). He led his teams to the playoffs each year he managed.[1]

Scouting career[]

Kain scouted for the Yankees from 1947 to 1948, the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1949 to 1951, the Philadelphia Phillies from 1956 to 1959 and the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1968.[1]

During the offseason, Kain referred college football in the Southeastern Conference, a job he held for 28 years. He was considered the top referee at the time, being selected to 14 straight Senior Bowls.[1]

He was elected to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.[3]

He died in Nashville.

References[]

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