Bill James (jamesbi02)
(Redirected from Seattle Bill James)
William Lawrence James
(Seattle Bill)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 196 lb.
- School Saint Mary's College of California
- High School Oroville Union High School
- Debut April 17, 1913
- Final Game June 4, 1919
- Born March 12, 1892 in Iowa Hill, CA USA
- Died March 10, 1971 in Oroville, CA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"Seattle" Bill James won 26 games in his best season in the big leagues but only played four years in the majors, winning just 37 games in total.
After playing for Saint Mary's College of California, James led the Northwestern League with 26 wins in 1912 while playing for the Seattle Indians (where he earned his nickname). He joined the Boston Braves in 1913 and went 6-10 with a respectable 2.79 ERA. The following summer, 1914, the Braves sat in last place on July 4th, but the "Miracle Braves" rallied to capture the National League pennant as James went 26-7. He went on to win a pair of games in the 1914 World Series against the Philadelphia Athletics, including a two-hitter in Game 2, as his club won the world championship.
Slowed by an arm injury, James went 5-4 in 13 outings in 1915. He made a final appearance for the Braves in 1919 and continued to play in the minors through 1925.
James was almost an exact contemporary of another Bill James, known as "Big Bill James", who pitched for five American League teams from 1911 to 1919.
During World War I, James was an instructor at bomb-throwing for the U.S. Army. He coached in the Pacific Coast League in the 1920s. After baseball, he was an appraiser for Butte County, California, and was also an avid fisherman. He died from a stroke two days short of his 79th birthday and is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Oroville, California.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- NL Winning Percentage Leader (1914)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1914)
- 25 Wins Seasons: 1 (1914)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1914)
- 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1914)
- Won a World Series with the Boston Braves in 1914
Further Reading[edit]
- David Jones: "Bill James", in Bill Nowlin, ed.: The Miracle Braves of 1914: Boston's Original Worst-to-First World Series Champions, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 95-97. ISBN 978-1-933599-69-4
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