Chris James

Born: 10/4/1962 in Rusk, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1986-04-23 | Final Game: 1995-10-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Donald Chris James

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Biography

Chris James was an accomplished position player whose career spanned from 1986 to 1995. Born in 1962, he made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during the late 20th century, a period characterized by offensive explosion and the emergence of power hitters. Over his nine-year career, James played in 946 games, accumulating 794 hits and belting 90 home runs, while driving in 386 runs. His batting average of .261 reflected his ability to contribute consistently to lineups, and he also showcased speed on the bases with 27 stolen bases. Known for his versatility and solid offensive skills, James played for several teams, demonstrating adaptability across various playing environments. His tenure in the league coincided with an era that emphasized power hitting, and while he was not among the most prolific sluggers, his contributions were vital for the teams he played for. James's career encapsulated the evolving nature of baseball during the 1980s and early 1990s, as he navigated through a landscape that was beginning to embrace the long ball while still valuing traditional hitting techniques. His legacy includes not just his statistics, but also the influence he had on younger players who followed in his footsteps.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
946	3040	343	794	145	24	90	386	27	193	490	0.261	0.307	0.413	0.721	-190.8

Career AVG .261 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .307 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 6.0% below league average.

Career SLG .413 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.721 vs. league average 0.722 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
1986	PHI	NL	16	46	5	13	3	0	1	5	0	1	13	0.283	—	—	—	—	0.0
1987	PHI	NL	115	358	48	105	20	6	17	54	3	27	67	0.293	.262 (+12%)	.331 (+4%)	.415 (+26%)	.746 (+16%)	1033.9
1988	PHI	NL	150	566	57	137	24	1	19	66	7	31	73	0.242	.254 (-5%)	.317 (-11%)	.377 (+3%)	.695 (-3%)	-552.4
1989	PHI	NL	45	179	14	37	4	0	2	19	3	4	23	0.207	.254 (-19%)	.319 (-30%)	.375 (-30%)	.694 (-30%)	-925.0
1989	SDP	NL	87	303	41	80	13	2	11	46	2	22	45	0.264	.254 (+4%)	.319 (-2%)	.375 (+14%)	.694 (+7%)	-925.0
1990	CLE	AL	140	528	62	158	32	4	12	70	4	31	71	0.299	.257 (+16%)	.324 (+5%)	.385 (+15%)	.710 (+10%)	974.4
1991	CLE	AL	115	437	31	104	16	2	5	41	3	18	61	0.238	.255 (-7%)	.323 (-15%)	.384 (-17%)	.708 (-16%)	-1420.5
1992	SFG	NL	111	248	25	60	10	4	5	32	2	14	45	0.242	.255 (-5%)	.322 (-12%)	.377 (-1%)	.699 (-6%)	-358.8
1993	HOU	NL	65	129	19	33	10	1	6	19	2	15	34	0.256	.265 (-4%)	.332 (avg)	.403 (+21%)	.735 (+12%)	239.2
1993	TEX	AL	8	31	5	11	1	0	3	7	0	3	6	0.355	—	—	—	—	239.2
1994	TEX	AL	52	133	28	34	8	4	7	19	0	20	38	0.256	.269 (-5%)	.338 (+7%)	.424 (+26%)	.763 (+17%)	402.3
1995	KCR	AL	26	58	6	18	3	0	2	7	1	6	10	0.310	.266 (+16%)	.337 (+10%)	.417 (+12%)	.755 (+11%)	108.8
1995	BOS	AL	16	24	2	4	1	0	0	1	0	1	4	0.167	—	—	—	—	108.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	15	13	95	8	0	7
3B	48	42	35	65	10	7
OF	568	511	1059	29	14	8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1986	PHI	OF	11	10	19	0	0	0
1987	PHI	OF	108	90	198	5	2	1
1988	PHI	3B	31	31	26	44	6	3
1988	PHI	OF	116	114	256	7	3	3
1989	PHI	3B	11	7	5	13	2	2
1989	PHI	OF	37	37	61	3	1	0
1989	SDN	3B	6	4	4	8	2	2
1989	SDN	OF	79	74	145	3	2	0
1990	CLE	OF	14	12	25	1	0	0
1991	CLE	1B	15	13	95	8	0	7
1991	CLE	OF	39	37	78	2	0	1
1992	SFN	OF	62	57	112	2	3	2
1993	HOU	OF	34	32	65	4	3	1
1993	TEX	OF	7	7	14	0	0	0
1994	TEX	OF	48	33	63	2	0	0
1995	KCA	OF	5	3	9	0	0	0
1995	BOS	OF	8	5	14	0	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
First Base	15
Third Base	48
Left Field	325
Center Field	51
Right Field	228
Designated Hitter	204

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1995	KCA	AL	$310,000
1994	TEX	AL	$500,000
1993	HOU	NL	$500,000
1992	SFN	NL	$650,000
1991	CLE	AL	$1,367,500
1990	CLE	AL	$560,000
1989	PHI	NL	$230,000
1988	PHI	NL	$138,000
1987	PHI	NL	$65,000
Total Career Earnings			$4,320,500