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Another Edition of “Baseball’s Forgotten Stars!”

Jim “Junior” Gilliam

In reading recently about Ernie Banks and other African-American major leaguers from the 1950s who started their professional careers in the Negro Leagues, I came across information on Jim Gilliam who played 14 years for the Dodgers.

While not a Hall-of-Famer, Gilliam was a clutch performer who had a fine career, which included membership, as either a player or coach, on ten Dodger pennant winners (seven as a player), and four World Series championships. Similar to Banks, Gilliam was also highly regarded throughout the major leagues for his many outstanding personal qualities, including integrity, temperament, and sportsmanship.

So let’s turn our baseball spotlight today on James “Junior” Gilliam, a star player who’s been largely overlooked over the passage of time. I think you’ll find his career information interesting:

“He didn’t hit with power…but he did the little things to win ballgames. He never griped or complained. He was one of the most unselfish ballplayers I know.” – Walter Alston

That’s quite a compliment coming from the long-time Dodger Hall-of-Fame manager. After four years in the Negro Leagues playing for the Baltimore Elite Giants (1946-1950),  Jim Gilliam made his major league debut on April 14, 1953, at age 24 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

His assignment that year? Take over second base from Jackie Robinson, who was switched to the outfield and eventually to third base. That would be a formidable task for any ballplayer, but rookie Jim Gilliam was up to the challenge. He responded by hitting .278, with 125 runs, 63 RBIs, .383 on-base percentage, 100 walks (second in the league) and 21 stolen bases (third in the league). His 710 plate appearances led the league, as did his 17 triples, the most by a Dodger since 1920. For his outstanding play, he received both the National League and the Sporting News Rookie of the Year honors.

The switch-hitting, Nashville native spent his entire career in the Dodger organization, 14 seasons as a player (1953-1966), and 14 more as a coach. A versatile infielder and lead-off man known for coming through in the clutch, he put up solid career numbers:  .265 average, with 1889 hits, 304 doubles, 71 triples, 65 home runs, 558 RBIs, and a .360 on-base percentage. He scored over 100 runs in each of his first four seasons, and also led the league in walks with 96 in 1959. An excellent bunter, he led the league in sacrifices in 1962 with 15. In 1965 he was part of the major leagues’ first all-switch-hitting infield, along with shortstop Maury Wills, first baseman Wes Parker, and second baseman Jim Lefebvre. After his playing days ended, he became one of the first African-American coaches in the major leagues.

Jim’s best season was probably the pennant-winning year of 1956 when he hit .300, with 102 runs, a .399 on-base percentage, and 21 stolen bases, placing fifth in MVP voting. On July 21 of that year, he tied an 1892 major league record with 12 assists in one game. 

Although he hit only .211 in 39 post-season games, he played a key role in many of the Series and repeatedly contributed important hits and significant at-bats. His best World Series performance was the 1953 Fall Classic, in which he hit .296, with eight hits in 28 at-bats, and two home runs.

Jim also made significant contributions to the 1955 World Series, hitting .292 and drawing a crucial walk with the bases loaded in the second inning of Game Three which proved to be the winning run. In the Dodgers’ 8-5 win in Game Four, he drove in the first run. The Dodgers won the Series in seven games for their first and only World Series championship in Brooklyn.

In a losing cause, he also contributed key at-bats in the 1956 World Series, notable for Don Larsen’s historic Perfect Game. He walked with one out in the tenth inning of Game Six and scored on a single by Robinson to give the Dodgers a 1–0 victory, tying the Series. In three at-bats in Larsen’s gem, he struck out and grounded out twice. He later played key roles in other Dodger World Series appearances, most notably in 1963.

In the 1960s, after speedster Maury Wills joined the team, he gave up his lead-off spot without complaint to hit behind Wills. Catcher Jeff Torborg recalled his contribution to the Dodgers’ success:

“What a great team player he was. He’d hit behind Maury, take pitch after pitch after pitch. And when Maury got to second, he’d give himself up by hitting the ball to the right side, even with two strikes, which most hitters won’t do.”

Jim Gilliam suffered a massive brain hemorrhage at his home on September 15, 1978, and died on October 8, at age 49, one day after the Dodgers clinched their tenth pennant while he was a member of the team. His uniform #19 was retired by the Dodgers two days later. A street sign in his honor was installed in front of First Horizon Park in Nashville, Tennessee, his home town. In 1981, the City of Los Angeles dedicated a park in honor of Jim Gilliam’s legacy. 

So let’s take a moment to remember a fine ballplayer, Jim Gilliam, described by teammate Davy Lopes as, “A father, friend, and locker room inspiration who will never be forgotten.”

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Gary Livacari 

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Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from Junior Gilliam Wikipedia page

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