Jim Willoughby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Willoughby |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: January 31, 1949 Salinas, California, U.S. |
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| 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 | |||
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James Arthur Willoughby, born on January 31, 1949, was a baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1978. Jim played for the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and threw with his right hand. Jim was known for throwing ground balls. He used a special pitch called a sinker and a slider. He also threw a slow curveball.
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Early Life and School
Jim Willoughby was often called "Willow" by his friends. He was the only son in his family. Jim had Pottawatomi heritage, which is a Native American tribe. His great-aunt worked for the tribe in Washington, D.C..
Jim was born in Salinas, California. He grew up in Gustine. At Gustine High School, he played many sports. He played baseball, basketball, football, and even ran track. After high school, the Giants picked him in the 1967 MLB Draft. He started playing for their minor league team, the Salt Lake City Giants.
Jim also went to college. He studied electrical engineering. He attended UC Berkeley, Fresno State, Phoenix College, and the College of San Mateo.
Baseball Career Highlights
Playing for the San Francisco Giants
Jim Willoughby first played for the Giants in 1971. His first game was on September 9 against the Houston Astros. He was the starting pitcher but only pitched for three innings. He gave up three runs and lost the game.
In 1972, Jim went back to the minor leagues. But he was called back to the Giants on August 3. Three days later, he got his first big win against the Astros. He pitched a complete game and won 6–2. That season, he had a good record of 6 wins and 4 losses. He also had a low ERA of 2.36.
In 1973, he pitched in 39 games. He got his only career shutout on April 28. He allowed only four hits and one walk against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants won that game 1–0. After the 1974 season, Jim was traded to the Cardinals. Then, he was traded again to the Boston Red Sox in 1975.
Joining the Boston Red Sox
In 1975, the Red Sox were having a great season. They were trying to win their first championship since 1967. Jim helped the team when other pitchers were hurt. He became a relief pitcher, which means he came into games after the starter.
Jim played in 24 games and had 5 wins and 2 losses. He also got eight saves. Even though he pitched well, he did not play in the 1975 ALCS. But he did pitch in three important games of the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
World Series Moments
In Game 3 of the World Series, Jim came into the game when the score was tied. He retired nine batters in a row. Later, in the tenth inning, a controversial play happened. A Reds player tried to bunt, and the Red Sox catcher seemed to bump him. The umpires did not call an interference penalty. This led to the Reds scoring the winning run. Jim was given the loss for that game.
In Game 5, Jim pitched two innings and did not give up any runs. In the deciding Game 7, he came in when the score was tied again. He got a big out against Johnny Bench with the bases loaded. Jim pitched a good eighth inning too. But later, another pitcher came in and the Reds scored the winning run.
In 1976, Jim had a tough record of 3 wins and 12 losses. But he still pitched well with a 2.86 ERA and 10 saves. In 1977, he broke his ankle during warm-ups. He returned later but was not as effective.
Last Stop: Chicago White Sox
The Red Sox sold Jim to the Chicago White Sox in 1978. In Chicago, he was a middle reliever and setup man. He pitched in 59 games. He had 1 win, 6 losses, and 13 saves. This was his last season in Major League Baseball.
After 1978, Jim was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. But he was released before the 1979 season. He then played in the minor leagues for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was even on the Pirates' roster when they won the 1979 World Series. He did not play in a game, but he still got a share of the World Series prize money.
Playing in Winter Leagues
Jim also played baseball in Venezuela during the winter. In 1979, he played with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus type 1. He found out about it when he had a health issue in Venezuela. After this, he decided to stop playing baseball.
Life After Baseball
After retiring from baseball, Jim moved to Massachusetts. He briefly hosted a radio talk show. Then, he became a college baseball coach at Suffolk University. But he resigned after an incident during practice.
Jim then moved back to California. He worked as a construction contractor. He built houses in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Returning to Baseball (Briefly)
In 1989, Jim got a chance to play baseball again. He joined the Winter Haven Super Sox in a new league for older players. He played with some of his old teammates from the Red Sox. These players were sometimes called the 'Buffalo Heads' because of their unique personalities.
Jim played one more season in 1990 for the San Bernardino Pride. This meant he played professional baseball for 15 years across four different decades.
Personal Life
Jim Willoughby had two sons from his second marriage. His son Trevor played baseball at Cal State Fullerton. His son Ryan played basketball in high school. Jim later lived in Pollock Pines, California. He continued to work as a painting and decorating contractor.
