Jim Willoughby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Willoughby
Pitcher
Born: (1949-01-31) January 31, 1949 (age 76) Salinas, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 5, 1971, for the San Francisco Giants
Last appearance
September 28, 1978, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	26–36
Earned run average	3.79
Strikeouts	250
Teams
San Francisco Giants (1971–1974) Boston Red Sox (1975–1977) Chicago White Sox (1978)

James Arthur Willoughby (born January 31, 1949) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1971 to 1978. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. Jim was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 185 pounds. He batted and threw with his right hand.

Jim Willoughby was known as a ground ball pitcher. This means he threw pitches that often made batters hit the ball on the ground. He mainly used a sinker ball and a slider. He threw these pitches with a special arm motion. Later in his career, he also used a slow curveball.

Jim Willoughby's Early Life

Jim Willoughby was often called "Willow." He was the only son among three children. His family had Pottawatomi heritage, an Indigenous American tribe. His great-aunt, Mamie Echo Hawk, worked for the tribe in Washington D.C. for many years.

Jim was born in Salinas, California. He grew up in Gustine, California, where he went to high school. At Gustine High School, he played four years of varsity baseball. He also played basketball, football, and ran track.

Becoming a Professional Player

In 1967, the San Francisco Giants chose Jim in the 11th round of the MLB Draft. He started playing for their rookie team, the Salt Lake City Giants. While playing in the minor leagues, Jim also studied electrical engineering in college. He attended several universities, including UC Berkeley and Fresno State.

Jim Willoughby's Baseball Career

Playing for the San Francisco Giants

Jim Willoughby made his MLB debut with the Giants in 1971. His first game was against the Houston Astros on September 9. He started as the pitcher but only played three innings. He finished the year with one inning as a relief pitcher.

In 1972, Jim returned to the minor leagues but was called back up to the Giants in August. Three days later, he earned his first career win against the Astros. He pitched a complete game victory, meaning he pitched the entire game. He finished that season with a 6-4 record and a 2.36 ERA. An ERA shows how many earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings.

In 1973, Jim was used as a long reliever and sometimes a starter. He achieved his only career shutout on April 28 against the St. Louis Cardinals. A shutout means the pitcher does not allow the other team to score any runs.

After the 1974 season, the Giants traded Jim to the Cardinals. The Cardinals then traded him to the Boston Red Sox in 1975.

Time with the Boston Red Sox

In 1975, the Boston Red Sox were having a great season. They were on their way to winning their first league championship since 1967. Jim Willoughby helped the team, especially when other pitchers were injured.

Jim had never been a full-time relief pitcher before. But he did very well, appearing in 24 games. He had 5 wins, 2 losses, and 8 saves. A save is when a relief pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team score.

1975 World Series

The Red Sox made it to the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Jim Willoughby played in three important games.

In Game 3, Jim pitched well, retiring nine batters in a row. However, the Reds scored the winning run in the 10th inning, and Jim was given the loss.

In his next appearances, Jim pitched two scoreless innings in Game 5. He was also called in during the deciding Game 7. He helped get the team out of a tough situation with the bases loaded. Even though he pitched well, the Red Sox eventually lost the game and the Series.

In 1976, Jim had a 3-12 record but still pitched well with a 2.86 ERA and 10 saves. In 1977, he broke his right ankle during warm-ups and spent time on the disabled list. He returned later but was not as effective.

Moving to the Chicago White Sox

The Red Sox sold Jim Willoughby to the Chicago White Sox in 1978. In Chicago, he was mainly used as a middle reliever. He played in 59 games, with 1 win, 6 losses, and 13 saves. This was his final season in Major League Baseball.

After the 1978 season, Jim was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals again, but he was released during spring training in 1979. He then played in the minor leagues for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations. He was even on the roster for the Pirates when they won the 1979 World Series, though he didn't play in a game.

Playing in Winter Leagues

Jim also played baseball in Venezuela during the off-season in 1973-74 and 1979-80. In 1979, he played with undiagnosed diabetes. He found out he had it after suffering a diabetic coma in Venezuela. After this, he decided to stop playing baseball professionally.

Life After Baseball

After retiring from playing, Jim Willoughby moved to Massachusetts. He briefly hosted a radio talk show. In 1980, he became the head baseball coach at Suffolk University. However, he resigned a few months later.

He then moved back to California. There, he worked as a construction contractor, building houses in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Returning to Baseball (Briefly)

In 1989, Jim Willoughby was invited to play in a new league called the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He joined the Winter Haven Super Sox. This team had many former Red Sox players from the 1970s. He played one more season in 1990 for the San Bernardino Pride. This meant his professional baseball career lasted 15 years, across four different decades.

Jim Willoughby's Personal Life

Jim Willoughby has been married three times. He has two sons from his second marriage: Trevor and Ryan. Trevor played baseball in college, and Ryan played basketball in high school.

Jim later lived in Pollock Pines, California. He continued to work as a painting and decorating contractor.

Pitching Statistics