| Jim Wilson | |
|---|---|
 Wilson in about 1952. | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1922-02-20)February 20, 1922 San Diego, California, U.S. | |
| Died: September 2, 1986(1986-09-02) (aged 64) Newport Beach, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1945, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1958, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 86–89 |
| Earned run average | 4.01 |
| Strikeouts | 692 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
James Alger Wilson (February 20, 1922 – September 2, 1986) was anAmerican professionalbaseballpitcher,scout and front-office executive. Although he was well-traveled as a player and compiled a careerwinning percentage of only .491 in 175decisions, he threw the firstno-hit, no-run game inMilwaukee'sMajor League history[1] and was a three-time (1954–56)All-Star who represented both theNational andAmerican leagues. During his front office career he served as the thirdgeneral manager in the franchise history of theMilwaukee Brewers.
A native ofSan Diego, Wilson threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg). He attendedSan Diego State University.
Wilson pitched in all or part of 12 seasons (1945–46; 1948–49; 1951–58) for five Major League franchises and six different cities: theBoston Red Sox,St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles,Philadelphia Athletics,Boston / Milwaukee Braves andChicago White Sox. He began his pro career during World War II in 1943 in the Red Sox'farm system and in his second year, 1944, hewon 19 games with the top-levelLouisville Colonels of theAmerican Association. He made the1945Red Sox' roster coming out ofspring training andstarted 21 games for them during the season's first four months. In his 21st start, on August 9 atBriggs Stadium, Wilson worked into the tenthinning of a 3–3 game. With oneout,Detroit Tigers' sluggerHank Greenberg hit a line drive back through the box that struck Wilson in the head, fracturing his skull and sending him toHenry Ford Hospital.[2] The injury sidelined Wilson for the rest of the campaign[3] and he would pitch only one more game for the Red Sox, on April 23, 1946.
Wilson returned to Louisville for the balance of1946 and all of1947, then was included in a trade to the Browns that yielded sluggingshortstopVern Stephens and starting pitcherJack Kramer. But1948 and1949 saw Wilson bounce among four organizations—the Browns,Cleveland Indians, Tigers and Athletics—and make ineffective appearances in six total big-league games for the Browns and A's. Finally, in 1950, he was acquired by theTriple-ASeattle Rainiers, managed byPaul Richards. Wilson won 24 games (losing 11) for a sixth-place team and led thePacific Coast League instrikeouts. His contract was purchased by the Boston Braves at season's end, and Wilson returned to the Major Leagues for good.
Wilson's first All-Star season came in1954 for the Milwaukee Braves; they had moved from Boston in March 1953. Heno-hit thePhiladelphia Phillies, 2–0 atMilwaukee County Stadium on June 12 of that season. The 32-year-old right-hander beat futureHall of FamerRobin Roberts in the one-hour and 43-minute contest. Wilson issued twobases on balls (both to Phillies'catcherSmoky Burgess) and struck out six.[4] The no-hitter was the first in the Braves' Milwaukee history.[1] Wilson was named an All-Star in the midst of an 8–2 season in 27games pitched with three othercomplete gameshutouts for the contending Braves. But he did not get into the1954 Midsummer classic, an 11–9 loss for hisNational League squad atCleveland Municipal Stadium.
On the eve of the1955 season, Richards, by now both the general manager andfield manager of the Baltimore Orioles, purchased Wilson's contract and moved him into thestarting rotation. Wilson led theAmerican League in games lost (18) that season (as a team, Baltimore lost 97 games), but he again registered four shutouts and was selected to theAL All-Star team, chosen to play in the July 12, 1955, game at his old home field, County Stadium. But again Wilson did not appear and, again, his team was defeated, with the Senior Circuit winning 6–5 in 12 innings.
Wilson began1956 by winning four of his first six decisions in seven starts for Baltimore despite sporting a high (5.03)earned run average. On May 21, Richards traded him to thefirst-division White Sox, and although he pitched more effectively, he registered only a 9–12record for Chicago. Nevertheless, Wilson was selected to the1956 American League All-Star team, and this time he played in the game atGriffith Stadium inWashington, working one inning in the AL's 7–3 loss, allowing twohits and oneearned run, although he retiredWillie Mays on a called third strike to register the final out.[5]
That set the stage for Wilson's most successful big-league season, with the1957White Sox. He won a career-high 15 games (losing eight), and led the American League in shutouts, with five. However, he did not earn a place on the 1957 AL All-Star team. In1958, the 36-year-old Wilson concluded his 16-season playing career, working in 28 games for the White Sox, 23 in a starting role. In his final MLB game, September 14 against theWashington Senators, he worked 82⁄3 innings and surrendered five earned runs, but was credited with the victory in a 6–5 Chicago triumph. That season he also continued his skein oferrorless games as a pitcher. On June 15, 1955, as an Oriole, he muffed an eighth-inning foul pop-up by the White Sox'Jim Rivera for an error. It was the last miscue he would commit in his career, which spanned 116 games through his 1958 retirement. Wilson posted a career .988fielding percentage, committing only 4 miscues in 333 total chances.
Altogether, Wilson appeared in 257 Major Leaguegames pitched, 217 as a starter. He compiled an 86–89 won-lost mark, with 75 complete games and 19 shutouts. In 1,539 innings pitched he notched 692 strikeouts. Wilson also allowed 1,479 hits, 608 bases on balls and 686 earned runs. His career earned run average was 4.01.
Wilson remained in the game as a scout for the Orioles andHouston Astros. He and scout Jim Russo signedJim Palmer for the Orioles in 1963. Palmer recalled in a 1996 book that though 13 teams were interested in him, the Orioles scouts set themselves apart with their polite manners.[6] In 1971, Wilson came back to Milwaukee as the director of scouting and player development of the Brewers,[7] a three-year-oldexpansion team, and following the1972 season, he succeededFrank Lane as Milwaukee's general manager. Although Lane was renowned as a trader, Wilson completed a blockbuster transaction of his own with the Phillies on October 31, 1972, acquiringthird basemanDon Money in a seven-player deal. Money would play 11 seasons for the Brewers and make four American League All-Star teams. Then, in June 1973, during his firstdraft as Brewers' general manager, Wilson selectedRobin Yount with the club's first pick (third overall). After one season inminor league baseball, Wilson promoted the 18-year-old Yount to the1974 Brewers, the beginning of a 20-season, Hall of Fame career for theshortstop andcenter fielder.
But Wilson's stay as general manager in Milwaukee was not a long one. After the1974 season he returned to California to become executive director of theMajor League Baseball Scouting Bureau. He stepped down in 1985 after being stricken with lung cancer[1] and died inNewport Beach at age 64 on September 2, 1986.
· Baseball Almanac| Achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher June 12, 1954 | Succeeded by |