| Jim Lonborg | |
|---|---|
 Lonborg in 1969 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1942-04-16)April 16, 1942 (age 83) Santa Maria, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 23, 1965, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 10, 1979, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 157–137 |
| Earned run average | 3.86 |
| Strikeouts | 1,475 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
James Reynold Lonborg (born April 16, 1942) is an American former professionalbaseball right-handedstarting pitcher, who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) with theBoston Red Sox,Milwaukee Brewers, andPhiladelphia Phillies. Though nicknamed "Gentleman Jim", he was known for fearlessly pitching on the inside of the plate throughout his fifteen-year career.
Lonborg was born on April 16, 1942, inSanta Maria, California.[1][2] His father was a professor of agriculture.[3] Lonborg attendedSan Luis Obispo High School inSan Luis Obispo, California,[2] where he excelled in both baseball and basketball.[4][1] One of his teammates was future major league pitcherMel Queen, who would also become his brother-in-law.[1]
He attendedStanford University as a pre-med student on an academic scholarship,[5][3] graduating in 1963.[6] He pitched on the school's baseball team as awalk-on,[3] and was its MVP as a junior.[1] He was a walk-on player on the basketball team as well, but did not see a future as there was a star player ahead of him.[4][3] He has been inducted into Stanford's Athletics Hall of Fame as a baseball player.[7]
During his college years, theBaltimore Orioles had an interest in Lonborg, and he played as an amateur on teams sponsored by the Orioles during his college career.[1] In 1963, he played in theBasin League for the Oriole-sponsored Winner Pheasants, along with future Oriole Hall of Fame pitcherJim Palmer, and future Oriole player and .300 hitterMerv Rettenmund.[8][1][9]
On August 14, 1963, he signed as an amateur free agent with theBoston Red Sox.[10] The Red Sox had offered him a much higher signing bonus than the Orioles.[1]
Longborg spent only one year in the Red Sox minor league system (1964) before being called up to the team in 1965.[11] In his rookie year for Boston, Lonborg had a 9–17 win loss record and 4.47earned run average (ERA). In 1966, he improved his record to 10–10, and his ERA to 3.86.[2]
In the 1967 Red Sox'"Impossible Dream" season,[5] Lonborg tied for theAmerican League (AL) lead for pitchers inwins (22) andgames started (39), and led the AL instrikeouts (246).[12] He also led the league in hitting batters (19),[12] after his pitching style changed under the tutelage of pitching coachSal "The Barber" Maglie.[1][13]
That year, the Red Sox were involved in a four-way race for the AL pennant with theDetroit Tigers,Minnesota Twins, andChicago White Sox; the race was reduced to three teams after the White Sox lost adoubleheader to theKansas City Athletics, on September 27. The Red Sox and Twins faced each other in the season's final series and entered the final day (October 1) tied for first place; the Tigers were half a game out of first and needed to sweep a doubleheader from theCalifornia Angels to force a playoff between the winner of the Red Sox–Twins game. Lonborg outdueled TwinsaceDean Chance in that finale, while the Tigers defeated the Angels in the first game but lost the second, putting the Red Sox in theWorld Series for the first time since1946.[1][14]
In that World Series against theSt. Louis Cardinals, Lonborg pitched a one-hit shutout in Game 2 on October 5,[15] only the fourth one-hitter in Series history. He followed that up with another victory in Game 5 four days later by limiting the Cards to three hits, and pitching a complete game again.[16] Longborg's boyhood idolSandy Koufax was calling the World Series as a television broadcaster, and gave Longborg game preparation advice on visualizing himself pitching, that aided Longborg's success in his two victories.[1]
Called upon to pitch the seventh and deciding game with only two days rest, he lasted six innings, but allowed six earned runs in a 7–2 loss.[17] TeammateDan Osinski remembered, "Lonborg couldn't break a pane of glass in the bullpen when he was warming up. We all knew that, and [Dick Williams] still started him. You know he could have pitched the bullpen an inning apiece, or something. It just gave Gibson too big a lead against us that we couldn't come back from."[18] Shortly after being fired by the Red Sox, pitching coachSal Maglie also criticized Williams's handling of Lonborg. "It was obvious Lonborg didn't have it. Williams should have gotten him out sooner, and I told him so. It was a crime that he let a man who'd done such a great job for him all season take a pounding like that. It was degrading."[19]
Lonborg received the1967Cy Young Award, with 90% of the votes,[20] (becoming the first Red Sox pitcher so honored[21]). He was selected to the 1967 AL All-Star Team, though he did not play in theAll-Star Game,[22] and finished prominently in voting for theMLB Most Valuable Player (MVP) award (placing 6th in the voting, with teammate Yastrzemski winning the award).[2][20]
In December of 1967, Lonborg tore the ligaments in his left knee while skiing, and his pitching career thereafter was marked by many injuries.[23][24] In trying to compensate for his knee injury, he developed right shoulder problems that lasted the remainder of his career.[1] After pitching 273.1 innings in 1967, he never threw more than 167.2 innings in a season over the next four years with the Red Sox, and won only 27 games from1968 through 1971.[2] In both 1970 and 1971, he spent time with theTriple-ALouisville Colonels while trying to recover from his injuries and to regain his pitching form, and he finished the 1971 season with the Red Sox going 10–7, his best record since 1967.[1][24][25] It would not be until 1976, years after leaving Boston, that Lonborg's right shoulder would be pain free.[24]
Lonborg was traded along withGeorge Scott,Ken Brett,Billy Conigliaro,Joe Lahoud andDon Pavletich to theMilwaukee Brewers in a ten-player trade that also sentTommy Harper,Marty Pattin,Lew Krausse and minor-league outfielder Pat Skrable to the Red Sox on October 10, 1971.[26] In 1972, he had his second best season to date, with at 14–12 record, 2.83 ERA, and 143 strikeouts in 223 innings for the Brewers.[2] His success was in part attributable to pitching coachWes Stock, who changed Lonborg from a power pitcher into one who relied on control and change of speed.[24]
With thePhiladelphia Phillies needing to improve its pitching staff beyondSteve Carlton, a future Hall of Fame pitcher and 329 game winner,[27] both Lonborg and Brett were acquired along withKen Sanders andEarl Stephenson from the Brewers forDon Money,John Vukovich andBill Champion on October 31, 1972.[28] Like Stock, Phillies pitching coachRay Rippelmeyer suggested adjustments that improved Lonborg's pitching significantly.[24]
Lonborg spent the next six and a half seasons with Philadelphia before his release midway through the 1979 season.[10] In 1974, he was 17–13 with a 3.21 ERA, leading the Phillies starting pitchers (including Carlton) in wins and ERA; and in 1976 Lonborg was 18–10 with a 3.08 ERA, second among starting pitchers in wins (Carlton had 20), and first in ERA.[2][10][29][30] The Phillies reached the NL Championship Series in1976 and1977, losing both times. Lonborg pitched one game in each series, losing each.[31][2] The Phillies lost the NL championship again in 1978, but Lonborg did not appear in the playoffs.[32][2]
Lonborg's MLB career statistical totals include a 157–137 record with 1,475 strikeouts, a 3.86 ERA, 90complete games, 15shutouts, and2464+1⁄3innings pitched in 425 games.[2] Lonborg was selected to theBoston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002.[33]
Longborg's nickname was "Gentleman Jim".[24]
After retiring, Lonborg attended theTufts University School of Dental Medicine, and graduated in 1983 and began practicing.[3] He worked as a generaldentist inHanover, Massachusetts, until he retired in 2017.[1] He is active in manynonprofit organizations, includingCatholic Charities,Little League Baseball, andThe Jimmy Fund,[1] as well as the Susan G. Komen foundation and those seeking to treat cystic fibrosis.[3] Lonborg lives inScituate, Massachusetts.[3]
On the Boston-basedsitcomCheers, the photo ofSam Malone pitching is actually that of Lonborg. At times, Sam also wore Lonborg's number 16 Red Sox jersey.[34]