Jim Winford

From BR Bullpen

James Head Winford (Cowboy)

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.

Debut September 10, 1932
Final Game September 22, 1938
Born October 9, 1909 in Shelbyville, TN USA
Died December 16, 1970 in Miami, OK USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Jim Winford was a pitcher 14 years (1929-1942), six in the Majors (1932;1934-1938) and 13 in the minors (1929-1935;1937-1942). He was born on Saturday, October 9, 1909, in Shelbyville, TN. He broke into Organized Baseball in 1929 at age 19 and played with Scottdale in the Mid-Atlantic League(1929); Shawnee in the Western Association (1930); St. Joseph in the Western League (WL) (1930); back to Scottdale (1931); the Columbus Red Birds of the American Association (AA) (1931); and the Rochester Red Wings of the International League (IL) (1932).

Winford was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 10, 1932, with the St. Louis Cardinals. Sent back down, he played for Columbus (1933) and Rochester (1933-1934); was briefly with the Cardinals (1934-1935); and then back to Columbus (1935). Brought back up to The Show, on July 30, 1936 at Brooklyn, the Cardinals Winford tossed a 4-hitter in stopping Casey Stengel's men, 7–0. The Cards climbed to within a game of the top as the Chicago Cubs lost.

He played for the Cards (1936-1937); was sent down to the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League (TX) (1938) and was selected off waivers by the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 10, 1938. He pitched a few games for Brooklyn (1938) where he played his final MLB game on September 22, 1938 at age 36. Sent down to the Montreal Royals (IL) (1939) and the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association (SA) in 1939, he was repurchased by St. Louis from Brooklyn on April 3, 1940 only to finish out his career in the minors with the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) (1940); the New Orleans Pelicans (SA) (1940); Columbus (1940-1941); Batesville in the Northeast Arkansas League (1941); and the Oklahoma City Indians (TX) (1942); ending his baseball playing career at age 33. He then turned to minor league managing until 1948, ending his baseball career at age 38.

Between 1932 and 1938 the knuckleballer pitched in 68 games for the Cardinals and Dodgers. When Paul Dean's arm gave out in 1936, Winford, with only 32 major league innings under his belt, stepped into the Cardinal rotation to win 11 games, second on the staff to Dizzy Dean's 24. (FJO)

In 1936, his best year in MLB, he was (11-10) with 10 complete games in 23 games started, 6 games finished, 3 saves, 72 strikeouts, 68 walks and 1 shutout in 192.0 innings pitched with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.411 in 39 games. In 1938, his best year in the minors, he was (17-10) with an ERA of 2.34.

Overall in MLB, he was (14-18) with 10 complete games in 31 games started, 18 games finished, 3 saves, 107 strikeouts, 115 walks and 1 shutout in 276⅓ innings pitched with an ERA of 4.56 and a WHIP of 1.527 in 68 games Overall in the minors, he was (96-78).

Winford served in the U.S. Navy during World War II (BN). He became a fireman in Oklahoma City, OK and was also a security guard there. He died at age 61 at the Heritage House Nursing Home in Miami, OK on December 16, 1970 and is buried at New Hope Cemetery in Meeker, OK.