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Jim Gentile

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Jim Gentile
First baseman
Born: (1934-06-03) June 3, 1934 (age 90)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 10, 1957, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
September 3, 1966, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Batting average.260
Home runs179
Runs batted in549
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

James Edward Gentile (born June 3, 1934), also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Indians between 1957 and 1966.

Early life

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Gentile was born on June 3, 1934, in San Francisco, California.[1] He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School.[2]

Gentile was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, with a $30,000 signing bonus.[3]

Early career

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Dodgers organization

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Gentile was a powerful, left-handed slugger listed at 6' 3", 210 lb.[1] He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a high school pitcher in 1952.[4] He played his first minor league season as a pitcher, earning a 2-6 win–loss record. The next year he was converted into a first baseman.[4] He languished for eight years in the minors for a Dodgers team that already had All-Star Gil Hodges at first base and Norm Larker.[4][5][6] He dominated the minors, leading two separate leagues in home runs; the 1953 Western League with 34, and the 1955 Southern Association with 28.[4][5][7][8]

In 1956, playing for the Fort Worth Cats in the Double-A Texas League, Gentile had a .296 batting average, with 40 home runs, 115 runs batted in (RBI), 108 runs scored, 104 bases on balls, a .412 on-base percentage, and 1.003 OPS (on-base plus slugging).[9] He was in the Texas League's top-three in home runs, runs batted in, walks and OPS.[10] In 1957, for the Triple-A Montreal Royals, he hit .275, with 24 home runs, and 90 RBI, and was in the International League's top-ten in home runs, RBI and OPS.[9][11]

During those same two years for the Dodgers, Gil Hodges hit .265, with 32 home runs and 87 RBI (1956), and .299, with 27 home runs and 98 RBI, and was named an all-star (1957).[12] In those same two years, Larker hit .309 and .323 for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, though with only 13 and 12 home runs; but it was Larker who became Hodges backup in 1958-59, not Gentile (hitting .277 and .289 respectively as a Dodger).[13][6]

Gentile played for the Dodgers in only four games in 1957, 12 games in 1958, and no games in 1959.[1] He had a down year for the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League in 1958, but in 1959 he hit .288, with 27 home runs, 87 RBI, and a .901 OPS for the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-A American Association.[9]

On September 24, 1957, Gentile started at first base for the Dodgers at Brooklyn's famed Ebbets Field in the final game played there, then was replaced by Pee Wee Reese in the top of the fifth inning with Reese going to third base and Gil Hodges moving from third to first. The game's final batter, Pittsburgh's Dee Fondy, hit a ground ball to Don Zimmer at shortstop and Zimmer threw to Hodges at first base for the game's final out.[14][15]

Dodgers hall of fame catcher Roy Campanella gave Gentile the nickname “Diamond Jim”, because he was a diamond in the rough.[16][17]

Baltimore Orioles

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On October 19, 1959, the Dodgers traded Gentile to the Baltimore Orioles for $50,000 and 2 players to be named later (Willy Miranda and Bill Lajoie).[18] The Orioles had an option to send Gentile back to the Dodgers within the first thirty days of the 1960 season if he was not playing well. Although he had a poor spring training, Orioles manager Paul Richards decided to give Gentile 150 at bats to become the Orioles first baseman, if he could hit; and if not, Gentile would be sent back to the Dodgers on the 30th day.[19]

where he was named to the 1960 All-Star Game his first full season. He enjoyed his best season in 1961, hitting career highs of .302 batting average, 46 home runs, 141 runs batted in (see below), 96 runs, 147 hits, 25 doubles, 96 walks, .423 on-base percentage, .646 slugging average and 1.069 OPS. He finished third in the MVP ballot (behind Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris). In addition, Gentile hit five grand slams — (including two straight in one game)[20] [21] — setting an American League record that stood until Don Mattingly belted six in 1987.[4]

In a nine-season career, Gentile batted .260 (759-for-2922) with 179 home runs, 549 RBI, 434 runs, 113 doubles, six triples, and three stolen bases in 936 games.[22] Following his major league career, he played one season in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1969.

Gentile managed the Fort Worth Cats when they returned to baseball in 2001 and 2002. Jim also managed the 2005 Mid-Missouri Mavericks of the Frontier League.

Gentile was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.

1961 RBI record keeping error

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Gentile's 141 RBI in 1961 was second only to Roger Maris' 142 RBI, however, analysis by Retrosheet[23] determined Maris was incorrectly credited with an RBI in a game on July 5, 1961. Maris reached base on an error by numerous accounts. Therefore, Gentile and Maris both had 141 RBI in 1961. Gentile's contract with the Orioles in 1961 called for a $5,000 bonus if he led the league in RBI. The Orioles made good on that deal 50 years later and presented Gentile with a check for $5,000 at a game in 2010.[24]

Gentile now lives in Edmond, Oklahoma.[20][25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Jim Gentile Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  2. ^ "Jim Gentile Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  3. ^ "A Conversation With 1960s Slugger Jim Gentile, Part One". FanGraphs Baseball. December 3, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e Finkel, Jon (May 13, 2013). "Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris And Jim Gentile: The Story Of Baseball's Forgotten 1961 Sensation". The PostGame. Yahoo! Sports!. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Finkel, Jon (July 8, 2021). "Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris And Jim Gentile: The Story Of Baseball's Forgotten 1961 Sensation". Jon Finkel. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Norm Larker Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  7. ^ "1953 Western League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  8. ^ "1955 Southern Association Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Jim Gentile Minor, Japanese & Independent Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  10. ^ "1956 Texas League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  11. ^ "1957 International League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  12. ^ "Gil Hodges Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  13. ^ "Norm Larker Minor, Winter & Japanese Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  14. ^ Costello, Rory. "September 24, 1957: Dodgers win final game at Ebbets Field – Society for American Baseball Research". SABR.org. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  15. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: September 24, 1957". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  16. ^ "They Were There: The TGG Interview with Jim Gentile". This Great Game. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  17. ^ "Campanella, Roy | Baseball Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  18. ^ "Jim Gentile Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  19. ^ Corbett, Warren (2009). The Wizard of Waxahachie. Southern Methodist University Press. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-87074-556-0.
  20. ^ a b Klingaman, Mike (June 29, 2021). "Almost 7 million-to-1 odds? Former Orioles slugger Jim Gentile hit back-to-back grand slams in a game in 1961". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  21. ^ Wilks, Ed (May 10, 1961). "Oriole first baseman belts two grand slams". The Florence Times. p. 10. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  22. ^ "Jim Gentile Career Stats at Baseball Reference". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  23. ^ "Retrosheet Begins in Baltimore".
  24. ^ "Ex-Oriole Jim Gentile lost $5,000 over error giving Roger Maris RBI crown".
  25. ^ JIM GENTILE – 1961 Most Valuable Oriole | Urban Shocker's Weblog Retrieved 2012-10-24.
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