| Jim Gentile | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: (1934-06-03)June 3, 1934 (age 91) San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 10, 1957, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 3, 1966, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .260 |
| Home runs | 179 |
| Runs batted in | 549 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
James Edward Gentile (born June 3, 1934), also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is an American former professionalbaseballfirst baseman. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBrooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers,Baltimore Orioles,Kansas City Athletics,Houston Astros, andCleveland Indians between 1957 and 1966. He was an All-Star from 1961-63, and third in American League MVP voting in 1961.
Gentile was born on June 3, 1934, inSan Francisco, California.[1] He attendedSacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School, graduating in 1952.[2] He was both a toppitcher and hitter on its baseball team.[3] TheSan Francisco Examiner selected him for its first team All-Star/All-City baseball teams in 1951 as a first baseman, and in 1952 as a pitcher.[4][5] He was a starting pitcher in the 1952 East-West high school All-Star game in northern California.[6] The Examiner selected him as the top left-handed pitcher during the 1946-53 high school seasons in the San Francisco area.[7]
Gentile has been inducted into Sacred Heart's Athletic Hall of Fame.[8] Sacred Heart produced other major league baseball players, such asFrank Bertaina,Joe Cronin (future Hall of Famer and American League president),Dolph Camilli,Harry Heilmann (Hall of Fame inductee), andFrank Zupo.[9][10][11]
Gentile was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, with a $30,000 signing bonus.[12]
Gentile was a powerful, left-handedslugger listed at 6' 3", 210 lb.[1] He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a high school pitcher in 1952.[13] He played his first minor league season as a pitcher, earning a 2–6win–loss record.[14] The next year he was converted into a first baseman.[13] He languished for eight years in theminors for a Dodgers team that already had All-StarGil Hodges at first base andNorm Larker.[13][15][16] He dominated the minors, leading two separate leagues in home runs; the 1953Western League with 34, and the 1955Southern Association with 28.[13][15][17][18]
In 1956, playing for theFort Worth Cats in theDouble-ATexas League, Gentile had a .296batting average, with 40home runs, 115runs batted in (RBI), 108runs scored, 104bases on balls, a .412on-base percentage, and 1.003 OPS (on-base plus slugging).[19] He was in the Texas League's top-three in home runs, runs batted in, walks and OPS.[20] In 1957, for theTriple-AMontreal Royals, he hit .275, with 24 home runs, and 90 RBIs, and was in theInternational League's top-ten in home runs, RBIs and OPS.[19][21]
During those same two years for the Dodgers, Gil Hodges hit .265, with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs (1956), and .299, with 27 home runs and 98 RBIs, and was named an all-star (1957).[22] In those same two years, Larker hit .309 and .323 for the Triple-ASt. Paul Saints, though with only 13 and 12 home runs; but it was Larker who became Hodges backup in 1958-59, not Gentile (hitting .277 and .289 respectively as a Dodger).[23][16]
Gentile played for the Dodgers in only four games in 1957, 12 games in 1958, and no games in 1959.[1] His first career major league at bat was pinch hitting forSandy Koufax. His first start came against future hall of famerRobin Roberts.[12][24] He had a down year for theSpokane Indians of thePacific Coast League in 1958, but in 1959 he hit .288, with 27 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a .901 OPS for the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-AAmerican Association.[19]
On September 24, 1957, Gentile started at first base for the Dodgers at Brooklyn's famedEbbets Field in the final game played there, then was replaced byPee Wee Reese in the top of the fifth inning with Reese going to third base and Gil Hodges moving from third to first. The game's final batter, Pittsburgh'sDee Fondy, hit a ground ball toDon Zimmer at shortstop and Zimmer threw to Hodges at first base for the game's final out.[25][26]
Dodgers hall of fame catcherRoy Campanella gave Gentile the nickname “Diamond Jim”, because he was a diamond in the rough.[27][28] As of June 2024, he was one of only five people still living who had played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.[29]
On October 19, 1959, the Dodgers traded Gentile to the Baltimore Orioles for $50,000 and two players to be named later (Willy Miranda andBill Lajoie).[30] The Orioles had been trying to trade for Gentile for years, but the Dodgers had asked too much in return.[12] The Orioles had an option to send Gentile back to the Dodgers within the first thirty days of the 1960 season if he was not playing well. Although he had a poor spring training, Orioles managerPaul Richards decided to give Gentile 120 or 150at bats to become the Orioles first baseman, if he could hit; and if not, Gentile would be sent back to the Dodgers on the 30th day.[31][12] Gentile remembered that Campanella told him he had to be prepared when he got his shot, so he could be sure to take advantage, and that he should not give up.[12]
On the season in 1960, Gentile played in 138 games for the Orioles, with 464 plate appearances and 384 at bats. He hit .292, with 21 home runs, 68 walks, 98 RBIs (5th best in the American League), and a .903 OPS (which would have ranked 5th if he had enough at bats).[1][32] He was named to the both1960 All-Star Games in his first full season, with a hit in the July 11, 1960 first game.[33] He did not play in the July 13, 1960 second all-star game, though he was on the American League roster.[34]
He enjoyed his best season in1961, hitting career highs of .302 batting average, 46 home runs, 141 runs batted in (see below), 96 runs, 147hits, 25doubles, 96 walks, .423 on-base percentage, .646slugging average and 1.069 OPS. He finished third in theMVP ballot (behindMickey Mantle andRoger Maris). In addition, Gentile hit fivegrand slams — (includingtwo straight in one game)[35][36] — setting an American League record that stood untilDon Mattingly belted six in1987.[13] He was again selected to play in both 1961 all-star games.[37][38]
In 1962, Gentile hit 33 home runs, with 87 RBIs, 80 runs, a .251 batting average and .821 OPS.[1] He was again named to play in both all star games, and was the starting first baseman in both games, on July 10, 1962 and July 30, 1962.[39][40] In 1963, hit .248, with 24 home runs and 72 RBI.[1] Gentile did not consider 1963 a good year, and believed he would be traded.[41] In November of 1963, the Orioles traded Gentile, along with $25,000, to the Kansas City Athletics for first basemanNorm Siebern.[30]
Gentile was inducted into theBaltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.[42]
He played a full season for the A's in 1964, hitting .251, with 28 home runs, 71 RBIs, 71 runs and 84 walks. He formed a power hitting duo withRocky Colavito (34 home runs and 102 RBI), who also became a good friend, but unlike the up and coming Orioles the A's finished in last place.[43][44] Early in the 1965 season, the A's traded Gentile to the Houston Astros forJesse Hickman and a player to be named later (Ernie Fazio).[30]
Between the A's and Astros he played in his fewest games since becoming a full-time major league player, and hit less than 20 home runs in a season for the first time as a major leaguer.[1] In the middle of the 1966 season, the Astros traded him to the Cleveland Indians forTony Curry.[30] He had played part of 1966 for theOklahoma City 89ers in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), the Astros Triple-A team.[19] His major league playing time continued to fall, and he hit less than ten home runs total that year; his final year in the major leagues.[1]
In a nine-season major league career, Gentile batted .260 (759-for-2,922) with 179 home runs, 549 RBI, 434 runs, 113 doubles, sixtriples, and threestolen bases in 936 games.[45] He was particularly good with the bases loaded. In 86 plate appearances he hit .400 with a .453 on-base percentage, .729 OPS, and six grand slam home runs.[12]
Gentile continued to play baseball after his major league career ended. In 1967-68, he played two seasons with thePhiladelphia Phillies' PCL affiliate, theSan Diego Padres. In his total 11 season minor league career, he hit 245 home runs, with 797 RBIs, a .272 average, 764 walks and an .888 OPS.[19] He finished his professional baseball career playing one season in Japan for theKintetsu Buffaloes in1969, where, on opening day he ruptured his achilles tendon.[41][19]
Gentile managed theFort Worth Cats when they returned to baseball in2001 and2002.[46] Gentile also managed the 2005Mid-Missouri Mavericks of theFrontier League.[47]
Gentile's 141 RBI in 1961 was second only to Roger Maris' 142 RBI, however, analysis by Retrosheet[48] determined Maris was incorrectly credited with an RBI in a game on July 5, 1961. Maris reached base on an error by numerous accounts. Therefore, Gentile and Maris both had 141 RBI in 1961. Gentile's contract with the Orioles in 1961 called for a $5,000 bonus if he led the league in RBI. The Orioles made good on that deal 50 years later and presented Gentile with a check for $5,000 at a game in 2010.[49][12]
Gentile now lives inEdmond, Oklahoma.[35][50]
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