Jim Clinton
From BR Bullpen
James Lawrence Clinton (Big Jim)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 8½", Weight 174 lb.
- Debut May 18, 1872
- Final Game July 15, 1886
- Born August 10, 1850 in New York, NY USA
- Died September 3, 1921 in Brooklyn, NY USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jim Clinton was a busy guy, playing every position on the diamond as well as being a player/manager. He managed in his rookie year, and he played for 10 seasons, making stops with 8 teams. His ten-year career, however, had a conspicuous gap from 1877-1881 in its middle. Some years he hit quite well, while other years he hit horribly.
At the age of 21, he was the first manager for the Brooklyn Eckfords, losing all the 11 games while he was manager. Jimmy Wood then took over. As a player that year, Clinton appeared in 11 games in the outfield, 10 at third base, 3 at second base, 2 at shortstop, and 2 at catcher, hitting .258 on a team that hit .219.
The next year he was with the Elizabeth Resolutes, which went 2-21. Clinton appeared in 9 games, hitting .237 on a team that hit .235. His nine games were all at third base. In 1874 he appeared in just 2 games with the Brooklyn Atlantics, one in the outfield and one at second base.
In 1875, he appeared in 22 games with the Atlantics, which went 2-42. He hit only .123. However, the noteworthy thing is that he was given the ball to pitch in 17 games - he had not previously pitched in 1872, 1873, or 1874 in the National Association. His pitching record, not surprisingly, was 1-14. After 1875, he played primarily in the outfield.
In 1876, the National League started, and he hit .338 for the Louisville Grays, a team which hit .249. He played mostly in the outfield, although he pitched one game. After that, he disappeared from the majors for five years, until 1882. At age 31, he appeared with the Worcester Ruby Legs, which went 18-66. Clinton hit .163 as a back-up. All his appearances were in the outfield.
In 1883, he moved to the American Association, where he was to spend the rest of his major league career. He hit .313 with the Baltimore Orioles on a team that hit .246. In 1884 he was again a regular, hitting .270 on a team that hit .233. He had the most at-bats of his career, 437, in 1884. By 1885, he was 34 years old. That year, he was with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, where he hit .238 on a team that hit .258. In 1886, he went back to the Orioles, and finished out his career at age 35 hitting .181 on a team that hit .204.
