Dion James facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dion James |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 9, 1962 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 16, 1983, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| NPB: April 9, 1994, for the Chunichi Dragons | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: October 8, 1994, for the Chunichi Dragons | |||
| MLB: April 21, 1996, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .288 | ||
| Home runs | 32 | ||
| Runs batted in | 266 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 8 | ||
| Runs batted in | 40 | ||
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Dion James was a professional baseball player from the United States. He was born on November 9, 1962. Dion played as an Outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven years. His career spanned from 1983 to 1996.
Dion James was a talented player from Sacramento, California. He played baseball at C. K. McClatchy High School. The Milwaukee Brewers picked him in the first round of the 1980 draft. This meant he was one of the top young players chosen that year.
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Dion James's Baseball Journey
Dion played for several teams during his career. He started with the Milwaukee Brewers. Later, he played for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. These teams are part of the American League and National League.
Starting Strong with the Brewers
In 1984, Dion James was named the Rookie of the Year for the Brewers. He became the main center fielder for the team. That year, he had a great batting average of .295. This means he got a hit almost 3 out of every 10 times he batted.
Time with the Braves and Indians
In 1987, Dion was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He changed his batting style, which helped him hit with more power. He hit .312 that year, with 37 doubles and 10 Home runs. After his time with the Braves, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1989.
Playing for the Yankees
Dion later joined the New York Yankees in 1992. He became their everyday left fielder in 1993. That season, he had an impressive batting average of .332. After playing in Japan for a year, he returned to the Yankees in 1995. He even got to play in the postseason for the first time in his career.
A Very Unusual Play
Dion James was involved in a very rare event during a game. This happened on April 12, 1987. He was playing for the Atlanta Braves against the New York Mets. Dion hit a fly ball into center field.
The Bird Incident
As the ball flew, it hit a dove in the air. Sadly, the bird died. The Mets' center fielder, Kevin McReynolds, was unable to catch the ball because of this. Dion James reached second base and was given a double. He later scored a run in that game. This made him one of only two players in MLB history to hit a bird during a regular season game.
Career Highlights and Stats
Over his 11 seasons, Dion James played in 917 games. He had a career batting average of .288. This means he was a consistent hitter. He also hit 32 home runs and had 266 runs batted in (RBI). His fielding percentage was .987, showing he was a very good outfielder.
