Jim Russell, baseball player, 1942-1951

Jim Russell

Born: 10/1/1918 in Fayette City, PA, USA

Died: 11/24/1987 in Orlando, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1942-09-12 | Final Game: 1951-10-01

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 181 lbs

Full name: James William Russell

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Biography

Jim Russell, born in 1918, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball from 1942 until 1951. He made his debut during a transformative era in the sport, marked by the impact of World War II and the gradual integration of the game. Over the course of his career, Russell appeared in 1,035 games, showcasing his skills as an effective hitter and versatile player. He recorded 959 hits, culminating in a batting average of .267, and contributed significantly to his teams with 67 home runs and 428 RBIs. Known for his speed on the bases, Russell also excelled in base stealing, successfully swiping 59 bases throughout his career. His ability to combine hitting with speed made him a valuable asset to his teams during the post-war period, as players adapted to the evolving dynamics of the game. After concluding his playing days on October 1, 1951, Russell left behind a legacy of resilience and competitiveness that reflected the spirit of baseball during a pivotal time in its history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
11.0 9.0 2.0 1.0 0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.111 0.273 0.333 0.606

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1945 11.0 9.0 2.0 1.0 0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.111 0.273 0.333 0.606

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1035 3595 554 959 175 51 67 428 59 503 427 0.267 0.360 0.400 0.760 7313.1

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .360 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +8.1% above league average.

Career SLG .400 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — +8.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.760 vs. league average 0.701 across their career seasons — +8.4% 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
1942 PIT NL 5 14 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.071 — — — — 0.0
1943 PIT NL 146 533 79 138 19 11 4 44 12 77 67 0.259 .255 (+1%) .324 (+9%) .346 (+3%) .671 (+6%) 764.8
1944 PIT NL 152 580 109 181 34 14 8 66 6 79 63 0.312 .261 (+19%) .325 (+22%) .357 (+29%) .683 (+26%) 3091.4
1945 PIT NL 146 510 88 145 24 8 12 77 15 71 40 0.284 .260 (+9%) .328 (+15%) .354 (+22%) .683 (+19%) 1976.6
1946 PIT NL 146 516 68 143 29 6 8 50 11 67 54 0.277 .256 (+8%) .328 (+10%) .358 (+12%) .687 (+11%) 1221.3
1947 PIT NL 128 478 68 121 21 8 8 51 7 63 58 0.253 .262 (-4%) .336 (+2%) .376 (+1%) .712 (+1%) 163.9
1948 BSN NL 89 322 44 85 18 1 9 54 4 46 31 0.264 .263 (avg) .340 (+6%) .379 (+8%) .719 (+7%) 500.2
1949 BSN NL 130 415 57 96 22 1 8 54 3 64 68 0.231 .262 (-12%) .343 (-2%) .384 (-10%) .727 (-6%) -425.0
1950 BRO NL 77 214 37 49 8 2 10 32 1 31 36 0.229 .265 (-14%) .346 (-5%) .401 (+6%) .747 (+1%) 19.9
1951 BRO NL 16 13 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 6 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 11 0 81 2 1 9
OF 942 0 2255 67 45 18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1942 PIT OF 3 0 12 0 0 0
1943 PIT 1B 6 0 38 0 0 3
1943 PIT OF 134 0 285 16 3 3
1944 PIT OF 149 0 345 20 5 7
1945 PIT OF 140 0 313 9 9 1
1946 PIT 1B 5 0 43 2 1 6
1946 PIT OF 134 0 308 7 11 1
1947 PIT OF 119 0 343 6 7 3
1948 BSN OF 84 0 246 3 2 0
1949 BSN OF 120 0 269 3 7 3
1950 BRO OF 55 0 131 3 1 0
1951 BRO OF 4 0 3 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 11
Left Field 568
Center Field 355
Right Field 30

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 29th 1.0 336 0