Chuck James

Charles Hamilton James

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
• School Chattahoochee Valley Community College
• High School Mableton Christian Academy
• Debut September 28, 2005
• Final Game July 25, 2011
• Born November 9, 1981 in Atlanta, GA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Chuck James was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 20th round of the 2002 amateur draft. The Braves had been ready to select him in the 3rd round, but he injured both arms days before the draft by attempting to jump off a roof into a pool, and hitting the ground before water. He was signed by scout Al Goetz and made his pro debut the next summer with the Danville Braves, going 2-1 with a team-best 1.25 ERA and 68 strikeouts. With the Rome Braves in 2004, he was 10-5 with a team-leading 2.25 ERA and 156 strikeouts and was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year. In 2005, he went from Class A to the majors, going 13-7 with a 2.12 ERA and 193 strikeouts between three minor league stops and notching a 1.59 ERA in a pair of September appearances for Atlanta.

James started 2006 in the Atlanta bullpen and posted a 2.38 ERA in 7 appearances before being sidelined by a hamstring injury in early May. After a month on the disabled list and a stint with the AAA Richmond Braves, he joined the Atlanta rotation in late June and became the first Brave to win his first four big league starts since Jesse Barnes in 1916. Overall, he was 11-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 25 games as a rookie. The next year, 2007, he again won 11 games while losing 10 and striking out 116 in 30 starts.

James began 2008 in the Braves rotation but struggled, going 2-3 with a 8.22 ERA and 16 walks in his first five starts, and ended up back in the minors with Richmond. He made a brief return to the big leagues three years later, with the Minnesota Twins in 2011, putting up a 6.10 ERA in 8 games.

Notable Achievements

• 2004 Pitcher of the Year South Atlantic League Rome Braves

Related Sites

• Chuck James on mlb.com