Jim Bottomley, baseball player, 219 home runs, 1922-1937

Jim Bottomley

⭐ Hall of Fame 1974

Born: 4/23/1900 in Oglesby, IL, USA

Died: 12/11/1959 in St. Louis, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1922-08-18 | Final Game: 1937-09-16

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: James Leroy Bottomley

📋 View Manager Career

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Jim Bottomley, born in 1900, was a prominent first baseman in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1922 until 1937. Known for his powerful hitting and consistent performance, Bottomley played in a total of 1,991 games, where he recorded 2,313 hits and amassed 219 home runs. His impressive offensive capabilities were underscored by a remarkable batting average of .310 and an outstanding 1,422 runs batted in, reflecting his ability to drive in runs during crucial moments. Additionally, he showcased his speed on the bases with 58 stolen bases throughout his career. Bottomley was a key figure in the league during the 1920s and 1930s, an era characterized by a transition towards more offensive play and the emergence of powerful sluggers. His contributions were vital to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played the majority of his career and was a significant part of the team’s success during that period. His legacy extends beyond just statistics; he was a two-time All-Star and won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1928, solidifying his place in baseball history as one of the era's standout players. Jim Bottomley's impactful career left an indelible mark on the game, and he remains a celebrated figure in the annals of baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1991 7471 1177 2313 465 151 219 1422 58 664 591 0.310 0.369 0.500 0.869 25069.0

Career AVG .310 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — +9.8% above league average.

Career OBP .369 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — +7.3% above league average.

Career SLG .500 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — +25.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.869 vs. league average 0.742 across their career seasons — +17.2% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1922 STL NL 37 151 29 49 8 5 5 35 3 6 13 0.325 .285 (+14%) .345 (+4%) .397 (+37%) .743 (+21%) 488.3
1923 STL NL 134 523 79 194 34 14 8 94 4 45 44 0.371 .282 (+31%) .344 (+23%) .390 (+37%) .734 (+31%) 3226.8
1924 STL NL 137 528 87 167 31 12 14 111 5 35 35 0.316 .283 (+11%) .345 (+5%) .389 (+28%) .734 (+17%) 1674.6
1925 STL NL 153 619 92 227 44 12 21 128 3 47 36 0.367 .288 (+27%) .349 (+18%) .407 (+42%) .756 (+31%) 3981.0
1926 STL NL 154 603 98 180 40 14 19 120 4 58 52 0.299 .279 (+7%) .345 (+5%) .390 (+30%) .735 (+18%) 2122.1
1927 STL NL 152 574 95 174 31 15 19 124 8 74 49 0.303 .282 (+7%) .344 (+12%) .392 (+30%) .736 (+22%) 2620.9
1928 STL NL 149 576 123 187 42 20 31 136 10 71 54 0.325 .280 (+16%) .342 (+17%) .395 (+59%) .737 (+40%) 4587.0
1929 STL NL 146 560 108 176 31 12 29 137 3 70 54 0.314 .289 (+9%) .353 (+11%) .415 (+37%) .769 (+25%) 2928.0
1930 STL NL 131 487 92 148 33 7 15 97 5 44 36 0.304 .293 (+3%) .354 (+4%) .429 (+15%) .784 (+10%) 982.4
1931 STL NL 108 382 73 133 34 5 9 75 3 34 24 0.348 .276 (+26%) .338 (+19%) .388 (+38%) .726 (+29%) 2089.9
1932 STL NL 91 311 45 92 16 3 11 48 2 25 32 0.296 .275 (+8%) .335 (+4%) .391 (+21%) .726 (+13%) 733.6
1933 CIN NL 145 549 57 137 23 9 13 83 3 42 28 0.250 .270 (-8%) .329 (-6%) .377 (+5%) .707 (avg) -98.0
1934 CIN NL 142 556 72 158 31 11 11 78 1 33 40 0.284 .278 (+2%) .340 (-5%) .392 (+12%) .733 (+4%) 245.1
1935 CIN NL 107 399 44 103 21 1 1 49 3 18 24 0.258 .279 (-8%) .342 (-14%) .399 (-19%) .742 (-17%) -1362.0
1936 SLA AL 140 544 72 162 39 11 12 95 0 44 55 0.298 .283 (+5%) .349 (+1%) .404 (+18%) .753 (+10%) 978.3
1937 SLA AL 65 109 11 26 7 0 1 12 1 18 15 0.239 .276 (-14%) .342 (+1%) .398 (-17%) .740 (-9%) -128.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
24 90 8 18 5 1 1 10 7 22 0.200

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1931 WS SLN 7 25 2 4 1 0 0 2 2 5 0.160
1930 WS SLN 6 22 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 9 0.045
1928 WS SLN 4 14 1 3 0 1 1 3 2 6 0.214
1926 WS SLN 7 29 4 10 3 0 0 5 1 2 0.345

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1885 0 18337 814 223 1562
2B 1 0 0 1 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1922 SLN 1B 34 0 346 12 5 22
1923 SLN 1B 130 0 1264 43 18 95
1924 SLN 1B 133 0 1297 48 24 110
1924 SLN 2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1925 SLN 1B 153 0 1466 74 21 133
1926 SLN 1B 154 0 1607 54 19 118
1927 SLN 1B 152 0 1656 70 20 149
1928 SLN 1B 148 0 1454 52 20 113
1929 SLN 1B 145 0 1347 75 13 122
1930 SLN 1B 124 0 1164 41 12 127
1931 SLN 1B 93 0 897 43 12 95
1932 SLN 1B 74 0 662 41 10 67
1933 CIN 1B 145 0 1511 72 15 112
1934 CIN 1B 139 0 1303 77 15 106
1935 CIN 1B 97 0 934 53 8 74
1936 SLA 1B 140 0 1250 47 10 103
1937 SLA 1B 24 0 179 12 1 16

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1885
Second Base 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1928 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1928 Most Valuable Player
1925 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1925 TSN All-Star 1B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1933 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 6.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 8.0 80 0
1928 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 76.0 80 0
1927 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 6.0 80 0
1925 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 28.0 80 0
1924 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 4.0 80 0