Jim Gilliam, baseball player, 1953-1966

Jim Gilliam

Born: 10/17/1928 in Nashville, TN, USA

Died: 10/8/1978 in Inglewood, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1953-04-14 | Final Game: 1966-09-30

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: James William Gilliam

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Jim Gilliam was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball during the 1950s and 1960s, recognized for his versatility and ability to contribute both offensively and defensively. Born in 1928, he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 14, 1953, and played until his retirement on September 30, 1966. Over the course of his career, Gilliam appeared in 1956 games, showcasing his skills with a solid batting average of .265, amassing 1,889 hits, 65 home runs, and 558 RBIs. He was also known for his speed on the base paths, successfully stealing 203 bases. Gilliam's contributions to the game were highlighted by his selection as an All-Star on two occasions and his recognition as Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. His playing style was characterized by a keen eye for hitting and an ability to get on base, making him a valuable asset in the lineups of the Dodgers, a team that played a significant role in the integration of baseball. Throughout his career, Gilliam exemplified the competitive spirit of the era, helping to solidify the Dodgers' legacy as one of the dominant teams of the time. His impact on the field and his contributions to the game have left a lasting mark in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
931.0 795.0 164.0 223.0 31.0 21.0 6.0 82.0 111.0 2.0 27.0 0.281 0.369 0.395 0.764

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1946 54.0 48.0 5.0 15.0 2.0 2.0 0 2.0 4.0 0 1.0 0.312 0.377 0.438 0.815
1947 281.0 248.0 47.0 66.0 11.0 4.0 0 17.0 25.0 0 9.0 0.266 0.333 0.343 0.676
1948 323.0 273.0 57.0 77.0 11.0 5.0 2.0 26.0 43.0 0 13.0 0.282 0.380 0.381 0.761
1949 269.0 223.0 54.0 64.0 7.0 10.0 3.0 36.0 39.0 2.0 4.0 0.287 0.393 0.448 0.841
1950 4.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0.333 0.333 1.333 1.666

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2094 7600 1255 2021 325 80 65 624 219 1102 416 0.266 0.360 0.355 0.715 3931.0

Career AVG .266 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .360 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +10.9% above league average.

Career SLG .355 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 7.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.715 vs. league average 0.709 across their career seasons — near 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
1946 BEG NN2 21 48 4 14 2 2 0 6 1 5 0 0.292 — — — — 108.4
1947 BEG NN2 59 214 40 55 10 3 0 27 7 26 0 0.257 .262 (-2%) .336 (+1%) .376 (-12%) .712 (-6%) -187.2
1948 BEG NN2 58 219 48 63 9 4 0 33 8 35 0 0.288 .263 (+9%) .340 (+14%) .379 (-4%) .719 (+5%) 282.3
1953 BRO NL 151 605 125 168 31 17 6 63 21 100 38 0.278 .264 (+5%) .335 (+14%) .397 (+4%) .733 (+9%) 1318.8
1954 BRO NL 146 607 107 171 28 8 13 52 8 76 30 0.282 .261 (+8%) .333 (+8%) .390 (+7%) .723 (+8%) 1042.5
1955 BRO NL 147 538 110 134 20 8 7 40 15 70 37 0.249 .258 (-4%) .332 (+3%) .393 (-10%) .726 (-4%) -317.7
1956 BRO NL 153 594 102 178 23 8 6 43 21 95 39 0.300 .258 (+16%) .331 (+20%) .397 (avg) .728 (+9%) 1538.8
1957 BRO NL 149 617 89 154 26 4 2 37 26 64 31 0.250 .257 (-3%) .323 (avg) .391 (-20%) .715 (-11%) -1208.8
1958 LAD NL 147 555 81 145 25 5 2 43 18 78 22 0.261 .257 (+1%) .324 (+8%) .394 (-15%) .719 (-4%) -214.0
1959 LAD NL 145 553 91 156 18 4 3 34 23 96 25 0.282 .256 (+10%) .323 (+19%) .392 (-12%) .715 (+2%) 738.6
1960 LAD NL 151 557 96 138 20 2 5 40 12 96 28 0.248 .255 (-3%) .323 (+11%) .387 (-18%) .711 (-5%) -117.5
1961 LAD NL 144 439 74 107 26 3 4 32 8 79 34 0.244 .258 (-6%) .328 (+9%) .399 (-14%) .727 (-3%) -38.7
1962 LAD NL 160 588 83 159 24 1 4 43 17 93 35 0.270 .257 (+5%) .326 (+13%) .393 (-15%) .719 (-2%) 178.8
1963 LAD NL 148 525 77 148 27 4 6 49 19 60 28 0.282 .246 (+14%) .308 (+15%) .371 (+3%) .680 (+8%) 968.7
1964 LAD NL 116 334 44 76 8 3 2 27 4 42 21 0.228 .250 (-9%) .312 (+2%) .377 (-24%) .690 (-12%) -620.4
1965 LAD NL 111 372 54 104 19 4 4 39 9 53 31 0.280 .245 (+14%) .310 (+20%) .371 (+3%) .682 (+11%) 954.5
1966 LAD NL 88 235 30 51 9 0 1 16 2 34 17 0.217 .248 (-13%) .309 (+2%) .376 (-29%) .685 (-15%) -495.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
43 162 18 36 7 0 2 13 24 9 0.222

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1966 WS LAN 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.000
1965 WS LAN 7 28 2 6 1 0 0 2 1 0 0.214
1963 WS LAN 4 13 3 2 0 0 0 0 3 1 0.154
1959 WS LAN 6 25 2 6 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.240
1956 WS BRO 7 24 2 2 0 0 0 2 7 3 0.083
1955 WS BRO 7 24 2 7 1 0 0 3 8 1 0.292
1953 WS BRO 6 27 4 8 3 0 2 4 0 2 0.296
1948 NLC BEG 4 15 3 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 1 0 0 0
2B 1166 940 2549 3096 132 696
3B 767 602 536 1269 91 110
OF 222 207 407 13 7 3
SS 12 10 21 30 1 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 BEG 2B 11 8 18 23 1 5
1946 BEG 3B 6 4 3 4 1 0
1946 BEG SS 3 2 3 6 1 0
1947 BEG 2B 51 51 122 152 12 24
1947 BEG SS 9 8 18 24 0 5
1948 BEG 2B 58 58 130 197 12 39
1953 BRO 2B 149 0 332 426 19 102
1954 BRO 2B 143 139 340 388 17 99
1954 BRO OF 4 5 9 0 0 0
1955 BRO 2B 99 91 213 269 16 64
1955 BRO OF 46 43 96 2 3 0
1956 BRO 2B 102 98 233 326 11 64
1956 BRO OF 56 54 107 6 1 1
1957 BRO 2B 148 148 407 390 11 90
1957 BRO OF 2 1 9 0 0 0
1958 LAN 2B 32 26 65 68 1 19
1958 LAN 3B 44 39 38 103 9 16
1958 LAN OF 75 71 142 5 2 2
1959 LAN 2B 8 6 16 13 1 2
1959 LAN 3B 132 127 121 245 16 18
1959 LAN OF 3 4 6 0 0 0
1960 LAN 2B 30 23 51 69 1 12
1960 LAN 3B 130 119 101 262 15 21
1961 LAN 2B 71 66 133 179 6 45
1961 LAN 3B 74 35 48 104 7 9
1961 LAN OF 11 9 14 0 0 0
1962 LAN 2B 113 96 192 262 9 60
1962 LAN 3B 90 60 51 126 11 12
1962 LAN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1963 LAN 2B 119 110 242 277 8 61
1963 LAN 3B 55 27 25 66 5 6
1964 LAN 2B 25 17 47 50 6 8
1964 LAN 3B 86 62 54 121 12 7
1964 LAN OF 2 0 0 0 0 0
1965 LAN 2B 5 3 6 7 1 2
1965 LAN 3B 80 77 55 135 8 13
1965 LAN OF 22 20 24 0 1 0
1966 LAN 1B 2 0 1 0 0 0
1966 LAN 2B 2 0 2 0 0 0
1966 LAN 3B 70 52 40 103 7 8

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2
Second Base 1162
Third Base 771
Shortstop 12
Left Field 203
Center Field 5
Right Field 29

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1963 TSN All-Star 2B
1953 Rookie of the Year
1953 TSN Rookie of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1965 Most Valuable Player NL 30th 3.0 280 0
1963 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 62.0 280 1
1958 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 4.0 336 0
1956 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 103.0 336 4
1953 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 11.0 24 11