Jim Blakesley

James Tilton Blakesley

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 190 lb.
• Born October 16, 1896 in Mulhall, OK USA
• Died July 8, 1965 in Inglewood, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Jim Blakesley spent 14 seasons in minor league baseball, including two in the Pacific Coast League. He played from 1920 to 1933 and hit over 200 home runs.

He began his career in 1920, playing for the Henryetta Hens (hitting .296 with six home runs in 116 games) and Wichita Jobbers (hitting .403 in 16 games), hitting a combined .309 with six home runs, 36 doubles and 10 triples in 132 games. In 1921, with the Wichita Witches, he hit .350 with 25 home runs, 46 doubles and 192 hits in 150 games, finishing fourth in the Western League in slugging percentage (.600).

He remained with the Witches for 1922, hitting .342 with 14 home runs, 60 doubles, five triples and 222 hits in 159 games. Despite his seemingly lofty numbers, he finished only fourth in the Western League in doubles and 10th in hits. In 1923, with the newly named Wichita Izzies, he hit .359 with 36 home runs, 53 doubles, 16 triples, 246 hits, 439 total bases and a .641 slugging percentage. He led the Western League in triples and total bases, tied for the league lead in games played (169), finished second in hits (behind Shags Horan), second in home runs (one behind C. McDowell's 37), third in at-bats (685) and fourth in slugging percentage.

He moved to the Vernon Tigers of the Pacific Coast League for 1924. In 181 games that year, he hit .315 with 218 hits, 51 doubles, 14 triples and 11 home runs. With Vernon again in 1925, he slumped and hit only .286 with 26 doubles, 13 triples and 13 home runs in 121 games. He was featured on a Zeenut baseball card that year.

He rebounded big time in 1926 as he played for the Western League's Omaha Buffaloes (140 G, 208 H, 39 HR, .384 BA) and the Southern Association's New Orleans Pelicans (10 G, .290 BA). Combined, he hit .379 with 217 hits, 49 doubles, 11 triples, 39 home runs and 405 total bases in 150 games. He led the Western League in slugging percentage (.728), finished second in home runs (behind Guy Sturdy's 49), and placed third in total bases and batting average. Back with the Pelicans in 1927, Blakesley hit .305 with only three home runs in 117 games.

He played for the Eastern League's New Haven Profs in 1929 and had his last truly great year, hitting .382 with 217 hits, 50 doubles, 13 triples and 19 home runs in 152 games. He led the league in hits, doubles, total bases and batting average, finished second in games played (behind Adolph Schinkle's 154), triples (behind Bill Albert's 14) and slugging percentage (behind Daniel Harris' .618) and tied with Harris for fourth in home runs.

In 1929, he returned to New Orleans and the Southern Association, hitting .336 with 22 doubles, 14 triples and eight home runs in 135 games for the Pelicans. With New Orleans again in 1930, Blakesley hit .332 with 173 hits, 24 doubles, 16 triples and six home runs in 140 games. He split 1931 between the Eastern League's Richmond Byrds and New Haven Bulldogs as well as the Texas League's Dallas Steers. He hit .282 with 24 doubles, 13 triples and nine home runs in 139 games.

With Richmond again in 1932, Blakesley hit .317 with four home runs in 58 games. The 36-year-old signed with the New York Yankees and played for their Piedmont League squad, the Durham Bulls, in 1933, hitting .330 with eight home runs in 46 games. Thus ended his playing career.

Overall, Blakesley hit .333 with 2,338 hits, 487 doubles, 148 triples and 201 home runs in 1,849 games. He had 3,724 total bases.

His place of death has also been listed as Altadena, CA.