Jim Fridley Explained

Jim Fridley
Position:Left fielder
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Birth Date:6 September 1924
Birth Place:Philippi, West Virginia, U.S.
Death Place:Port Charlotte, Florida, U.S.
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:April 15
Debutyear:1952
Debutteam:Cleveland Indians
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:September 27
Finalyear:1958
Finalteam:Cincinnati Redlegs
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.248
Stat2label:Home runs
Stat2value:8
Stat3label:Runs batted in
Stat3value:53
Teams:

James Riley Fridley (September 6, 1924 – February 28, 2003) was an American professional baseball player. During his Major League Baseball career, he was a backup outfielder, playing mostly at left field for three different teams between 1952 and 1958. Nicknamed "Big Jim", Fridley was listed at 6feet and 205lb and batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Philippi, West Virginia.

After finishing high school, Fridley worked briefly for the FBI and later served in the U.S. Army for four years during World War II. Following his service discharge, he attended West Virginia University on a football scholarship, playing both for the WVU baseball and football teams. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 1948, playing for them one year (1952) before joining the Baltimore Orioles (1954) and Cincinnati Redlegs (1958). His most productive season came in 1954, when he posted career-highs in games (85), runs (25), RBI (36) and extrabases (17).

In a three-season career, Fridley was a .248 hitter (105-for-424) with eight home runs and 53 RBI in 152 games, including 50 runs, 12 doubles, five triples, three stolen bases, and a .309 on-base percentage. In 123 outfield appearances, he posted a collective .982 fielding average (four errors in 228 chances). He also played in the minor league systems of the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. Fridley died in Port Charlotte, Florida at age 78.

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