Jim Greengrass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Greengrass |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 24, 1927 Addison, New York |
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| Died: September 9, 2019 (aged 91) Chatsworth, Georgia |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1952, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1956, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .269 | ||
| Home runs | 69 | ||
| Runs batted in | 282 | ||
| Teams | |||
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James Raymond Greengrass (born October 24, 1927 – died September 9, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He was a strong outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jim's career lasted five seasons, from 1952 to 1956. He played for the Cincinnati Reds / Redlegs and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jim was a right-handed batter and thrower. He was about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighed around 200 pounds. Sadly, his career was affected by a health issue called phlebitis. This condition causes swelling in veins, which made it hard for him to play.
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Jim Greengrass's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Jim Greengrass was born in Addison, New York. He went to Addison High School. In 1944, when he was just 16 years old, he signed with the New York Yankees. This was during World War II.
His early career was spent in the minor leagues. He even tried being a pitcher for a while. Jim also spent two years (1946–1947) serving in the military.
On August 28, 1952, the Yankees traded Jim to the Cincinnati Reds. He was part of a deal that sent four players and some money to Cincinnati. In return, the Yankees got a famous pitcher named Ewell Blackwell.
Playing for the Cincinnati Redlegs
After joining the Reds, Jim finally got a chance to play regularly in the major leagues. In September 1952, he started 17 games in the outfield. He hit five home runs and brought in 24 runs. He also had a good batting average of .309.
The next year, 1953, was a great one for Jim. He played in 153 games for the Redlegs as a left fielder. He hit 20 home runs and had 100 runs batted in (RBI). He was one of three Redlegs players to reach 100 RBIs that season. Jim also finished sixth in the voting for the Rookie of the Year award.
In 1954, Jim's performance was still strong. He played in 139 games and had 95 RBIs. He hit a personal best of 27 home runs that year. Jim also holds a record for hitting four doubles on Opening Day in 1954. He shares this record with another player named Pop Dillon.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
In 1955, Jim had a slow start to the season. On April 30, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He made a great first impression with his new team. In his first game with the Phillies on May 1, he got two hits and hit his first home run of the season. He continued to get hits in his next five games as a Phillie.
Jim ended up batting .272 with 12 home runs in 94 games for the Phillies. He played mostly as a right fielder. However, 1955 was his last strong year in the major leagues.
His health issues with phlebitis started to cause more problems. In 1956, his last year in MLB, he struggled. He batted only .205 with five home runs while playing as a backup outfielder.
Overall, Jim Greengrass had a lifetime batting average of .269 in the major leagues. He had 482 hits, including 82 doubles, 16 triples, and 69 home runs. Even with his health challenges, he continued to play in the minor leagues until 1961.
Later Life and Passing
Jim Greengrass passed away in Cartersville , Georgia, on September 9, 2019.
