Jim Pendleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Pendleton |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 7, 1924 St. Charles, Missouri |
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| Died: March 20, 1996 (aged 72) Houston, Texas |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NgL: 1948, for the Chicago American Giants | |||
| MLB: April 17, 1953, for the Milwaukee Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1962, for the Houston Colt .45s | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .255 | ||
| Home runs | 19 | ||
| Runs batted in | 97 | ||
| Teams | |||
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James Edward Pendleton (born January 7, 1924 – died March 20, 1996) was an American baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1953 to 1962. Jim played for teams like the Milwaukee Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Houston Colt .45s. Before joining MLB, he played in the Negro leagues. Jim was a right-handed batter and thrower. He was 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg).
Jim Pendleton's Early Life and Baseball Start
Jim Pendleton was born in St. Charles, Missouri, in 1924. He started his baseball journey with a minor league team in Asheville. In 1948, he moved up to the Negro American League. Playing as a shortstop for the Chicago American Giants, he had a great batting average of .301.
The next year, Jim joined the St. Paul Saints in the American Association. This team was connected to the Brooklyn Dodgers. When he signed with the Dodgers, he made himself seem two years younger. At that time, he was the only black player in the American Association. In 1951, the St. Paul Saints moved him back to shortstop. The following year, he played for the Dodgers' minor league team in Montreal.
From 1950 to 1952, Jim Pendleton consistently hit well. His batting average was between .291 and .301 each season. During this time, he averaged about 14 home runs and more than 15 triples every year. Even with his success in the minor leagues, it was hard for him to get promoted to the Dodgers' main team. The Dodgers already had a star shortstop, Pee Wee Reese. Also, the team was careful about how many black players they promoted to the major leagues each year.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Since Pee Wee Reese was a strong player for the Dodgers, they decided to trade Jim Pendleton. In February 1953, he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves. This trade involved four teams: the Dodgers, Braves, Cincinnati, and the Philadelphia Phillies. Jim made his MLB debut on April 17, 1953, when he was 29 years old.
On August 30 of that same year, Jim had an amazing game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit three home runs! This made him only the second rookie in Major League history to hit three homers in one game. His teammate, Eddie Mathews, had done it just a year before.
Overall, Jim played more than 100 games in the outfield for Milwaukee. He had a good batting average of .299, even though he wasn't a full-time player. This made him quite popular. In 1957, he played 46 games for the Pirates and hit .305. However, after only three at bats in 1958, he was sent back to the minor leagues for the rest of that season.
In 1962, Jim was a member of the very first Houston Colt .45s team. He played in 117 games that year, even at the age of 38. During his entire MLB career, Jim Pendleton played in 444 games over eight seasons. He hit a total of 19 home runs. Jim passed away in Houston, Texas, when he was 72 years old.
See also
