Jim Linger

James Linger

• Bats Right, Throws right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 195 lb.

• Born September 6, 1990 in Box Hill Australia

BR Minors page

James Linger made his minor league debut in 2009. His father Mark Linger was a member of the Australian national team.

Linger hit .393/.433/.571 with 12 runs in 7 games for the Queensland Rams in the 2008 Claxton Shield, outperforming many US pros. He was third in the event in runs, trailing only Paul Rutgers and Brad Dutton, both of whom played 5 more games. Linger signed with the Atlanta Braves for $120,000 over five years following that performance; he was scouted by Phil Dale.

James then joined the Australian national team for the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament; the 17-year-old was the youngest player in the entire tourney. Backing up Dutton at shortstop, Linger went 2 for 8 with a steal in the competition, but Australia did not qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

Linger was not as good in the 2009 Claxton Shield, if still productive at .268/.317/.393. He made his minor league debut with the 2009 GCL Braves, hitting .273/.324/.364 and fielding .976 at second base. He was a last-minute addition to Australia's team for the 2009 Baseball World Cup, replacing Justin Huber when Huber was called up to the majors.

Sources

• Peter Flintoff's website
• Australian Baseball Federation
• IBAF
• 2009 Braves Media Guide