[1] In 1926 he led the National League (NL) in runs batted in and total bases, helping the Cardinals win their first World Series championship.

After finishing his playing career with the Browns, Bottomley joined the Chicago Cubs organization as a scout and minor league baseball manager.

[2] Bottomley also played semi-professional baseball for several local teams to make additional money, earning $5 a game ($101 in current dollar terms).

The Cardinals decided to invite Bottomley to a tryout in late 1919, and signed him to a $150-a-month ($2,636 in current dollar terms) contract.

That year, Bottomley played for the Mitchell Kernels of the Class-D South Dakota League, posting a .312 batting average in 97 games, as Barrett continued to scout him.

During his time in the minor leagues, the media began to call Bottomley "Sunny Jim", due to his pleasant disposition.

[6] Fully recovered from his leg injury in 1922, Bottomley batted .348 with 14 home runs, 15 triples, and a .567 slugging percentage for the Chiefs.

[15] He also became the second Major League player in history to join the 20–20–20 club, and became the first (since achieved by Jimmy Rollins in 2007) to record a 30 double, 20 triple, 30 home run season.

[18] In 1929, Bottomley hit 29 home runs, finishing seventh in the NL, while his 137 RBIs were fifth-best, and his .568 slugging percentage placed him in eighth.

[19] After having what manager Gabby Street considered a "poor year" in 1930,[20] Bottomley struggled in the 1930 World Series, batting .045 in 22 at-bats, as the Cardinals lost to the Philadelphia Athletics.

[21][22][23] Amid questions about Bottomley's status with the Cardinals heading into the 1931 season, he demonstrated renewed hitting ability during spring training.

[24] Despite the presence of Ripper Collins, a superior fielder who transferred to the Cardinals from the Rochester Red Wings of the International League, Street announced that Bottomley would remain the starting first baseman.

Bottomley left the Reds during spring training in 1935 due to a salary dispute,[35] deciding to return to the team in April.

[36] Before the 1936 season, the Reds traded Bottomley to the St. Louis Browns of the American League (AL), who were managed by Hornsby, for Johnny Burnett.

[37] During a July road trip, Bottomley announced his retirement as a result of an injured back;[38][39] however, he changed his mind and decided to remain with the team.

[2][42] Bottomley led the Browns to 21 more victories, as the team finished the season in eighth place, with a 46–108 record.

After a bad start to the season, and with team president Jack Corbett not adding capable players, Bottomley resigned and was replaced with Dick Porter.

[48] Bottomley married Elizabeth "Betty" Browner, who operated a St. Louis beauty parlor, on February 4, 1933.

[2] After he retired from baseball in 1938, Bottomley and his wife moved to the Bourbon, Missouri, area, where he raised Hereford cattle.

[54] He and his wife Betty were interred in the International Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery, Sullivan, Missouri.

Bottomley was the second player in baseball history to hit 20 or more doubles, triples, and home runs in one season (Frank Schulte being the first)[55] and the first of two players (Lou Gehrig being the other) to collect 150 or more doubles, triples, and home runs in a career.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America charged that the Veterans Committee was not selective enough in choosing members.

Frisch and Bill Terry, also a member of the Veterans Committee at the time, shepherded the selections of teammates Jesse Haines in 1970, Dave Bancroft and Chick Hafey in 1971, Ross Youngs in 1972, George Kelly in 1973, and Freddie Lindstrom in 1976.