Jim Dwyer (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Dwyer |
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Coach Dwyer signing autographs for Miracle fans
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 3, 1950 Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 10, 1973, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 21, 1990, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .260 | ||
| Home runs | 77 | ||
| Runs batted in | 349 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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James Edward Dwyer, born on January 3, 1950, is an American former baseball player. He played as an outfielder for 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). From 1973 to 1990, he played for seven different teams. Jim was known for batting and throwing with his left hand.
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Jim Dwyer's MLB Career
Jim Dwyer went to St. Laurence High School in Burbank, Illinois. After college at Southern Illinois University, the St. Louis Cardinals picked him in the 1971 baseball draft. He spent a few years playing in the Cardinals' minor league teams. Jim finally made his big league debut with the Cardinals on June 10, 1973.
He became known as a player who was good at hitting fast pitches. He often played against right-handed pitchers. Jim could play all three outfield positions, usually as a backup player or filling in when needed.
Playing for Different Teams
In the middle of the 1975 season, the Cardinals traded Jim to the Montreal Expos. He played for the Expos in 1975 and 1976. Later in 1976, he was traded again, this time to the New York Mets.
After the 1976 season, the Mets traded him to the Chicago Cubs. Even though he played very well for the Cubs' minor league team in 1977, he was released. A week later, he signed a new contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals again in parts of 1977 and 1978.
On June 15, 1978, Jim was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Before the 1979 season, the Boston Red Sox bought him from the Giants. He played two seasons with the Red Sox (1979–1980). After that, Jim signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Success with the Baltimore Orioles
With the Baltimore Orioles, Jim Dwyer became a key player for Manager Earl Weaver. He was often used as a corner outfielder, a designated hitter, or a pinch-hitter. A pinch-hitter is a player who bats in place of another player.
Jim had a great season in 1982, hitting for a .304 batting average. His best year was 1983, when he played in 100 games. He hit .286 with eight home runs and 38 runs batted in (RBI). His strong play helped the Orioles reach the 1983 World Series. The Orioles won the World Series in five games!
In Game 1 of the 1983 World Series, Jim Dwyer made history. He hit a home run in his very first World Series at-bat. He was the 18th player ever to do this.
On August 6, 1986, in a game against the Texas Rangers, Jim hit a grand slam. A grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases loaded, scoring four runs. This game was special because it was the first MLB game to feature three grand slams. In 1987, he hit a career-high 15 home runs.
Finishing His Playing Career
In 1988, Jim was traded from the Orioles to the Minnesota Twins. He finished his playing career with the Twins in 1990. He also had a short time with the Montreal Expos in 1989.
Throughout his career, Jim Dwyer had a .260 batting average. He hit 77 home runs and had 349 RBI in 1328 games. He also scored 409 runs, hit 115 doubles, 17 triples, and stole 26 stolen bases. In four postseason games, he hit .333, with one home run and two doubles.
During the off-season, Jim played for the Mayagüez Indians in Puerto Rico from 1977 to 1980. After his MLB career, he played for the Sun City Rays in 1990.
Career Highlights and Achievements
- In 1975, while playing for the Expos, Jim was named the National League's Player of the Week. This was for his amazing hitting from July 28 to August 3, 1975.
- During the Orioles' exciting 1982 season, Jim reached base 13 times in a row over four games.
- In July 1983, Jim was one of the Orioles' best hitters. Even though he didn't play every game, he led the team in batting average (.474). His great hitting helped the Orioles win many games that month.
- Jim was famous for being a great left-handed pinch-hitter. He played in over 500 games in this role. He is currently 17th on the list of MLB's All-Time Pinch Hit Leaders. He had 103 pinch hits, including 10 pinch home runs and 74 RBI.
- Even though he was picked later in the draft (246th overall), Jim's hard work and ability to play many positions helped him have an 18-year career in the major leagues. A famous baseball historian, Bill James, even named Jim as one of "The Greatest Bench Players of All Time."
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing baseball, Jim Dwyer became a coach. In 1991, he coached the Triple-A Portland Beavers. Then, he became a manager for the Kenosha Twins (1992) and the Fort Wayne Wizards (1993–1994).
In 1995, he became the hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins' Double-A team, the New Britain Rock Cats. He stayed with the Rock Cats until 1996. From 1997 to 2005, he worked as the Twins' minor league hitting coordinator. This meant he traveled to different minor league teams to help players with their hitting.
In 2006, Jim became the hitting coach for the Fort Myers Miracle, another Twins' minor league team. He retired in 2016 after coaching with the Miracle for 11 years.
See also
