Jim Brosnan, baseball player, 1954-1963

Jim Brosnan

Born: 10/24/1929 in Cincinnati, OH, USA

Died: 6/28/2014 in Park Ridge, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1954-04-15 | Final Game: 1963-09-21

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 197 lbs

Full name: James Patrick Brosnan

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Biography

Jim Brosnan was a professional baseball pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1963. Born in 1929, Brosnan showcased his talent on the mound during a transformative era in baseball, which included the integration of African American players and the advent of the modern game. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 55 wins and 47 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.54. His effectiveness as a pitcher was further underscored by his ability to accumulate 507 strikeouts and secure 67 saves, demonstrating his versatility and skill in both starting and relief roles. Brosnan's playing style was characterized by his strategic approach to pitching, which allowed him to navigate the challenges posed by some of the era's most formidable hitters. He was known for his ability to deliver in high-pressure situations, often coming into games to secure crucial outs. Beyond his on-field contributions, Brosnan also gained recognition for being one of the first players to write about the game, penning a memoir that provided insight into the life of a professional athlete during the 1950s and early 1960s. His legacy continues to resonate, as he remains a noteworthy figure in baseball history for both his pitching accomplishments and his contributions to the sport's literature.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
55 47 385 47 7 2 67 831.3 790 327 80 312 507 3.54 0

Career ERA 3.54 vs. league average 3.85 across their career seasons — 8.1% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1954 CHC NL 1 0 18 0 0 0 0 33.3 44 35 18 17 9.45 3.90 (-142%) -
1956 CHC NL 5 9 30 10 1 1 1 95.0 95 40 45 51 3.79 3.96 (+4%) -
1957 CHC NL 5 5 41 5 1 0 0 98.7 79 37 46 73 3.38 3.83 (+12%) -
1958 CHC NL 3 4 8 8 2 0 0 51.7 41 18 29 24 3.14 3.86 (+19%) -
1958 STL NL 8 4 33 12 2 0 7 115.0 107 44 50 65 3.44 3.86 (+11%) -
1959 STL NL 1 3 20 1 0 0 2 33.0 34 18 15 18 4.91 3.90 (-26%) -
1959 CIN NL 8 3 26 9 1 1 2 83.3 79 31 26 56 3.35 3.90 (+14%) 1054.0
1960 CIN NL 7 2 57 2 0 0 12 99.0 79 26 22 62 2.36 3.82 (+38%) 3414.8
1961 CIN NL 10 4 53 0 0 0 16 80.0 77 27 18 40 3.04 4.03 (+25%) 1300.8
1962 CIN NL 4 4 48 0 0 0 13 64.7 76 24 18 51 3.34 3.96 (+16%) 1432.0
1963 CIN NL 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 4.7 8 4 3 4 7.71 — 0.0
1963 CHW AL 3 8 45 0 0 0 14 73.0 71 23 22 46 2.84 3.46 (+18%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
385 177 10 27 10 1 1 9 0 7 54 0.153 0.185 0.237 0.422 0.0

Career AVG .153 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 40.5% below league average.

Career OBP .185 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 43.1% below league average.

Career SLG .237 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 39.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.422 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — 41.0% below 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
1954 CHC NL 18 8 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1956 CHC NL 30 22 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1957 CHC NL 41 20 2 5 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1958 CHC NL 8 19 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 6 0.105 — — — — 0.0
1958 STL NL 33 31 2 3 2 0 0 1 0 3 11 0.097 — — — — 0.0
1959 STL NL 20 7 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1959 CIN NL 26 23 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.043 — — — — 0.0
1960 CIN NL 57 15 1 3 2 0 1 4 0 1 6 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1961 CIN NL 53 13 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 0.154 — — — — 0.0
1962 CIN NL 48 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1963 CIN NL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1963 CHW AL 45 13 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.308 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1961 WS CIN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 3 0 0 6.0 9 5 4 5 7.50

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1961 WS CIN 0 0 3 0 0 6.0 9 5 4 5 7.50

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 385 47 59 146 8 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 CHN P 18 0 3 10 1 2
1956 CHN P 30 10 8 11 0 0
1957 CHN P 41 5 4 19 1 1
1958 CHN P 8 8 4 12 0 2
1958 SLN P 33 12 8 18 1 1
1959 SLN P 20 1 4 8 0 1
1959 CIN P 26 9 5 15 1 2
1960 CIN P 57 2 7 14 0 2
1961 CIN P 53 0 9 18 3 0
1962 CIN P 48 0 4 8 1 0
1963 CIN P 6 0 0 3 0 0
1963 CHA P 45 0 3 10 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 385

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1961 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 3.0 224 0