Jim Dunn
From BR Bullpen
James William Dunn (Bill)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
- School University of Alabama
- Debut August 26, 1952
- Final Game September 12, 1952
- Born February 25, 1931 in Valdosta, GA USA
- Died January 6, 1999 in Gadsden, AL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
On August 11, 1952 Jim Dunn was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. The Pirates assigned the 20 year old righthander to the Butler Tigers of the Middle Atlantic League where he won six and lost four in his first season out.
Jim got his taste of the major leagues early when the Pirates brought him up for the 1953 season and he appeared in 3 games out of the bullpen with no decisions with a 3.38 ERA before suffering a knee injury that kept him idle most of the season. This would be his only shot at the majors although he spent eight years in pro baseball.
Dunn would spend the next three seasons in the mid minors, had a good year with the class C Billings Mustangs in 1955, winning 15 and losing 7 with a 2.32 ERA and on November 27, 1955 he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the minor league draft. Jim was with the class B Burlington Bees in 1956 and 1957, winning 8 and losing 8 in 1956 and going 12-4 in 1957 with a 2.43 ERA.
He would spend two more years on the mound with the Fort Worth Cats, Pueblo Dodgers and the Lancaster Red Roses with a combined record of 6-8 and call it a career after the 1959 season. Jim had been in pro baseball eight seasons from 1951 to 1959 and despite his early knee injury managed to put together a decent minor league stat sheet. He appeared in 231 contests and was the winner of 67 games while losing 53, pitching 1,072 innings, giving up 1,011 base hits and 555 base on balls for a career 3.91 ERA.
After baseball he became a division superintendent for the Goodyear Corporation. An outstanding golfer who scored three holes in one, Jim died January 6, 1999 at age 67 in Gadsden, AL.
[edit] Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page
