Jim Fanning, baseball player, 1954-1957

Jim Fanning

Born: 9/14/1927 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 4/25/2015 in London, ON, CAN

MLB Debut: 1954-09-11 | Final Game: 1957-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: William James Fanning

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Biography

Jim Fanning, born in 1927, was a professional baseball player who made his mark primarily as a position player during a brief career spanning from 1954 to 1957. Fanning played a total of 64 games in Major League Baseball, where he recorded 24 hits and drove in 5 runs, culminating in a batting average of .17. Despite not hitting any home runs and not successfully stealing any bases, Fanning's contributions to the teams he played for during the post-World War II era remain part of baseball's rich tapestry. Though his playing time was limited, Fanning's journey through the majors reflected the challenges many players faced during this period, including fierce competition for roster spots and the evolving dynamics of the game. His career served as a testament to the perseverance required to reach the highest levels of baseball, even if the statistics do not fully capture the impact he had on and off the field. Fanning's legacy is a reminder of the many players whose stories contribute to the history of America's pastime.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
64 141 5 24 2 0 0 5 0 6 26 0.170 0.209 0.184 0.394 -611.3

Career AVG .170 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 34.2% below league average.

Career OBP .209 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 36.5% below league average.

Career SLG .184 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 53.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.394 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 45.5% 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 11 38 2 7 0 0 0 1 0 1 7 0.184 — — — — 0.0
1955 CHC NL 5 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1956 CHC NL 1 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1957 CHC NL 47 89 3 16 2 0 0 4 0 4 17 0.180 .257 (-30%) .323 (-31%) .391 (-48%) .715 (-40%) -611.3

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 52 38 213 25 5 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 CHN C 11 11 40 6 0 0
1955 CHN C 5 4 30 2 0 0
1956 CHN C 1 1 5 3 2 1
1957 CHN C 35 22 138 14 3 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 52

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Buena Vista University Storm Lake IA 1948, 1949, 1950