James Henry Delsing (November 13, 1925 – May 4, 2006) was an American
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
who is most remembered for having been the
pinch runner
In baseball or softball, a pinch runner is a player substituted into a game for the purpose of base running.
Description
A pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been s ...
for -tall
Eddie Gaedel
Edward Carl Gaedel (June 8, 1925 – June 18, 1961) was the smallest player to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
Gaedel gained recognition in the second game of a St. Louis Browns doubleheader on August 19, 1951. Weighing and standing t ...
on August 19, 1951. He also was the centerfielder replaced by
Hall of Famer Al Kaline
Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...
in Kaline's major league debut on June 25, 1953. During his career, which spanned 822 games over 10 seasons, Delsing played for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
,
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
,
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, and
Kansas City Athletics
The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...
.
Delsing signed his first professional contract at the age of 16 in 1942 for the
Green Bay Bluejays in the
Wisconsin State League
The Wisconsin State League was a class D level baseball league that began in 1905, changing its name to the Wisconsin–Illinois League in 1908 and operating through 1914. The league re–organized under that name in 1926. Another Wisconsin Stat ...
. After two years of
Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
, he joined the
Army Medical Corps
A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians.
List of medical corps
The following organizations are examples of med ...
and served for over a year in Europe during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He resumed his baseball career in 1946 and made his
major league debut with the White Sox in 1948. In 1949, he was acquired by the Yankees, filling in for
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...
for a few games late in the year while DiMaggio recovered from a virus. He was traded to the Browns in 1950 and became an everyday player in St. Louis for the next three seasons. In August 1952, he was traded to the Tigers. His best year in the major leagues came in 1953, when he had a
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .288 and hit 11
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s. Delsing led
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
left fielders with a .996
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
in 1954, but his batting average declined, and in 1955, he began losing playing time to
Charlie Maxwell
Charles Richard Maxwell (April 8, 1927 – December 27, 2024), sometimes known as "Sunday Charlie", "The Sabbath Slugger", and "Ol' Paw Paw", was an American left-handed professional baseball left fielder. A native of Michigan, he played 14 sea ...
. In 1956, he started very few games, used mainly as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...
and
defensive replacement for the Tigers and the White Sox, who reacquired him in May. He spent the next three seasons in the minor leagues, winning the
American Association pennant with the
Charleston Senators in 1958. In 1960, after several of their outfielders suffered injuries, the Athletics added Delsing to their roster in August; he finished his professional career playing 16 games for Kansas City.
Since his time with the Browns, Delsing had resided in the St. Louis. He continued to live there after his baseball career, serving as an advertising salesman for the ''
St. Louis Review'' for over thirty years, helping out with
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
charities, and participating in the St. Louis Browns Fan Club. He died of cancer on May 4, 2006.
Early life
Delsing was born to Ben and Barbara Delsing in
Rudolph, Wisconsin
Rudolph is a village in Wood County, Wisconsin, Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 433 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The village is located within the Rudolph (town), Wisconsin, Town of Rudolph.
History
Rud ...
, on November 13, 1925. He was raised on a dairy farm with his sister, Clairbel. At Rudolph High School, Delsing played
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
on the
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team. "Basketball was our big sport," Delsing recalled. "We did not have enough guys for baseball. We didn't even have football. Our conference had about a half-dozen schools from other towns. I played guard, because I could run."
He was skilled at handling the ball and dribbling, but Delsing also got the chance to play baseball with a semi-pro team in Stevens Point, as well as the Moland Truckers of the Wisconsin Valley League, where he competed against
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, who went on to be a star in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
. Delsing caught the eye of scout
Eddie Kotal, who signed the 16-year-old to a contract for the
Green Bay Bluejays of the
Class D Wisconsin State League
The Wisconsin State League was a class D level baseball league that began in 1905, changing its name to the Wisconsin–Illinois League in 1908 and operating through 1914. The league re–organized under that name in 1926. Another Wisconsin Stat ...
in 1942.
Career
1942–48: early years; reaching the major leagues with the White Sox
Once his junior year of high school ended, Delsing finished Green Bay's season playing
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
for the team. "They thought I was a shortstop, because that's what I was playing in semipro," he recalled. "The only reason I played shortstop for Stevens Point was because nobody else could handle it. But I made a lot of errors. I either kicked the ball away, or I threw it away. I think I made more errors throwing than I did any other way, and it was a tough learning experience."
He made 28
errors in 49 games and
batted .249 with three
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...
and 30
runs batted in
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBI). Green Bay finished a half-game back of the
Sheboygan Indians for the league pennant.
Delsing graduated high school in 1943 and played for another
Class D team, this time the
Lockport Cubs of the
Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League (PONY League). He started his season as the
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
but asked to be moved to the
outfield
The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
In bat and ball games
...
after making 17 errors. Delsing batted .312, tenth in the league by players who participated in at least 50 games, and he had eight home runs and 69 RBI.
In 1944, the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
of the
Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
American Association purchased his contract; Delsing made the team but would not play for two years, as the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
drafted him for service in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Assigned to the 95th Evacuation Hospital of the
Army Medical Corps
A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians.
List of medical corps
The following organizations are examples of med ...
, he spent over a year in Europe. When he was able to resume playing in 1946, he failed to get much playing time in
spring training
Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
because the Brewers had a lot of outfielders, so he asked to be reassigned and was sent to play for the
Eau Claire Bears of the
Class C Northern League. He batted what would be a career-high .377 in 65 games with 61 RBI, earning a promotion to Milwaukee, where he batted .318 with 20 RBI. This caught the interest of the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, who obtained him from the Brewers after the season.
Delsing attended spring training with the White Sox in 1947 but was assigned to the
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles–based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Hollywood Stars ( ...
of the Class AAA
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, with whom he had a good season.
In 153 games, he batted .316 with 92
runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted bal ...
, 181
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...
, five home runs, and 53 RBI.
Delsing was part of the White Sox roster to begin the 1948 season. His
major league debut was brief. On April 21, he
pinch-hit for
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
Orval Grove in the seventh inning of a game against the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
. Since Delsing batted left-handed, Detroit opted to replace
Dizzy Trout
Paul Howard "Dizzy" Trout (June 29, 1915 – February 28, 1972) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a member of the Detroit Tigers team that finishe ...
(a right-handed pitcher) with
Stubby Overmire (a left-handed pitcher) on the mound, prompting White Sox manager
Ted Lyons
Theodore Amar Lyons (December 28, 1900 – July 25, 1986) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in 21 MLB seasons, all with the Chicago White Sox. He is the franchise ...
to pinch-hit for Delsing before he ever saw a pitch.
He got more playing time in the second game of a
doubleheader against the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
on April 25. Starting in left field, he had two hits and three RBI in a 7–6 loss.
Delsing also had two hits in his next start on April 26, though he had 14 innings to do so as the White Sox lost 12–11 to the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
.
After hitting .211 in nine games through May 8, though, he was sent back to Hollywood.
Said Delsing, "I didn't do much in the big league. I batted under .200
211, actually So the White Sox optioned me back to Hollywood, and I had another good season in
heCoast League."
In 122 games with Hollywood, he batted .333 with 82 runs scored, 154 hits, six home runs, and 56 RBI.
A
September callup by the White Sox, Delsing started in
center field for the ballclub from September 22 through October 3.
In 20 games with Chicago, he batted .190 with 12 hits, no home runs, and five RBI.
On December 14, he was traded to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
for
Steve Souchock.
1949–52: substituting for DiMaggio, everyday outfielder for the Browns
The Yankees sent Delsing to spring training with the
Kansas City Blues in 1949; Delsing served as their everyday centerfielder during the season. He played 151 of 153 games for the Blues, leading Kansas City hitters with a .317 average and hitting 24
doubles, five
triples
TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...
, and seven home runs.
In September, he was called up by the Yankees, and he started four games in place of regular centerfielder
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...
, who was suffering from a virus.
His first game with the Yankees was the second game of a doubleheader against St. Louis on September 14, in which he had two hits and two runs scored.
On September 28, he hit his first major league home run against
Joe Coleman of the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...
. The hit helped the Yankees win 7–5 and keep pace with the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. They trailed the pennant race with Boston by one game that day but went on to sweep the Red Sox in the season's last two games and win the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
(AL) pennant.
In nine games, Delsing batted .350 with five runs scored, seven hits, and three RBI.
His promotion to the major leagues came too late in the season for him to be eligible for the playoff roster, but he was voted a partial share of the team's winnings when they beat the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
in the
1949 World Series
The 1949 World Series featured the 1949 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees and 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers season, Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games for their second defeat of the Dodgers in three years, and the 12th cham ...
.
Delsing was part of the Yankees' roster for the 1950 season, but the team had many outfielders, and he only played 12 games (batting .400) through June 15 before being dealt to the St. Louis Browns at the
trade deadline
In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, draft ...
. He was traded with
Snuffy Stirnweiss,
Don Johnson
Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...
, and
Duane Pillette for
Tom Ferrick,
Sid Schacht,
Joe Ostrowski, and
Leo Thomas.
"I became a regular in St. Louis, and I ended up hitting .269 the first year. Of course, it was a good move for my career. I wanted to get out of New York because I knew I wouldn't get to play, but in St. Louis I started," Delsing said of the deal, happy to get more playing time as the Browns' everyday centerfielder.
His first game with the Browns was against the Yankees on June 16; Delsing had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored, but the Browns lost 7–5. In the second game of a doubleheader on July 16, he had three hits and three RBI in a 10–8 victory over the
Washington Senators. He had three hits in a game three times during the year: July 16, August 9 against the Indians, and August 11 against the Tigers.
In 69 games with the Browns, he batted .263 with 25 runs scored, 55 hits, no home runs, and 15 RBI. His combined totals in 81 games between St. Louis and New York were 27 runs scored, 59 hits, no home runs, 17 RBI, and a .269 average.

Used only as a pinch-hitter for the Browns' first few games in 1951, Delsing became the team's regular centerfielder again starting with the sixth game.
On May 16, he pinch-hit for
Cliff Fannin in the third inning of a game against the Athletics and had a two-RBI double against
Carl Scheib. Then, in the eighth inning, his single against
Johnny Kucab scored
Hank Arft and broke a 9–9 tie to give the Browns the winning 10th run. While running the bases against the Yankees on June 6, 1951, he ran into
Phil Rizzuto
Philip Francis Rizzuto ( ; September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007), nicknamed "the Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to ...
, causing the shortstop to drop the ball, enabling the winning run to score in a 5–4 victory for the Browns. He left the Browns' game on June 19 in the fifth inning and did not play again for 13 games.
On July 4, he had two hits and three RBI in a 6–5 loss to Cleveland.
Delsing's most famous moment in baseball came on August 19, 1951.
Browns owner
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck Jr. ( ; February 9, 1914 – January 2, 1986), also known as "Sport Shirt Bill" and "Wild Bill" was an American Major League Baseball franchise owner and promoter. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indian ...
, as a publicity stunt, hired a man with
dwarfism
Dwarfism is a condition of people and animals marked by unusually small size or short stature. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dwarfism is . '' ...
to play a game for the Browns. The
Eddie Gaedel
Edward Carl Gaedel (June 8, 1925 – June 18, 1961) was the smallest player to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
Gaedel gained recognition in the second game of a St. Louis Browns doubleheader on August 19, 1951. Weighing and standing t ...
popped out of a cake before the second game of a doubleheader against the Tigers, holding a toy bat and wearing the uniform number ''1/8''. Gaedel pinch-hit for
Frank Saucier to lead off the game, drawing a walk against
Bob Cain
Robert Max "Sugar" Cain (October 16, 1924 – April 8, 1997) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns between 1949 and 1954. He batted and threw left-handed. On August 19, 1951 ...
, who said that the short Gaedel's strike zone was "about the size of a baby's bib." Delsing was promptly sent in to
pinch-run for Gaedel, and he played center field for the rest of the game as the Browns lost 6–2. In 2001, Delsing told the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'', "A lot of people say Maris hit 61, but I'm the only one who ran for a midget."
In 1951, the Browns finished in last place in the AL, posting a record of 52–102.
Delsing played 131 of their games, batting .249 with 59 runs scored, 112 hits, eight home runs, and 45 RBI.
Delsing again opened 1952 as a reserve player but, after only about a week, was playing nearly every day. The Browns used him in center field and in left field at various points during the season.
In the first game of a doubleheader against the Senators on May 4, he had three hits (including two doubles) in a 2–1 loss. He pinch-hit in the ninth inning for pitcher
Ken Holcombe on July 6 and hit a home run against
Art Houtteman in an 8–6 loss to the Tigers. On August 8, he had a three-RBI double against
Bob Feller
Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
in a 12-inning, 10–9 loss to Cleveland. He batted .255 with 34 runs scored, 76 hits, one home run, and 34 RBI through 93 games with the Browns.
Looking to improve their offense, the Browns included him in a trade with
Ned Garver
Ned Franklin Garver (December 25, 1925 – February 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (1948–1952), the Detroit Tigers (1952–195 ...
,
Bud Black
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black (born June 30, 1957) is an American professional baseball manager and pitcher who most recently served as manager of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 1981 through 1995, most not ...
, and
Dave Madison
David Pledger Madison (February 1, 1921 – December 8, 1985) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played in , and for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers. Born in Brooksville, ...
to the Tigers for slugger
Vic Wertz
Victor Woodrow Wertz (February 9, 1925 – July 7, 1983) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1947 to 1963. Wertz played for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Br ...
,
Don Lenhardt,
Dick Littlefield
Richard Bernard Littlefield (March 18, 1926 – November 20, 1997) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Car ...
, and
Marlin Stuart on August 14.
1952–56: everyday player with the Tigers, lost playing time in 1956
Upon joining the Tigers, Delsing was used as the everyday left fielder.
Souchock and Delsing hit back-to-back home runs in the first game of a doubleheader against the Browns on August 17; Delsing had three hits in that game, but the two runs were all for Detroit as they lost 4–2. In the first game of a doubleheader against Cleveland on September 3, Delsing had two hits (including a home run) and three RBI against Feller as the Tigers won 11–8. Though Delsing played 60 fewer games with Detroit in 1952 than he did with St. Louis, he tripled his home run total. Additionally, he batted .274 with 14 runs scored, 31 hits, and 13 RBI. In 126 games combined between the two teams, he batted .260 with 48 runs scored, 107 hits, four home runs, and 49 RBI.
Moved to his favorite position in 1953, Delsing enjoyed his best season as the Tigers' everyday centerfielder.
On April 17, he hit two home runs against Feller and had four RBI as the Tigers beat the Indians 6–5. The next day, he had four hits in the first game of a doubleheader against the Browns, but St. Louis won 8–7. Delsing had three RBI and scored a run on May 1 in a 7–3 victory over the Athletics. On June 12, Delsing scored a run in the seventh inning with a triple, then snapped a 1–1 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run against
Sonny Dixon as the Tigers beat the Senators 2–1. The next day, he hit a
grand slam against
Bob Porterfield in a 7–6 victory over the Senators. Against the Yankees on June 19, he hit two home runs against
Bob Kuzava as the Tigers won 3–2.
In a 5–2 loss to the Athletics on June 25, Delsing was replaced in the sixth inning in centerfield by future
Hall of Famer Al Kaline
Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...
, who was making his major league debut. The next day, Delsing had three hits against the Senators, including a two-RBI double against
Johnny Schmitz as the Tigers won 7–3. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Athletics on September 9, he had three hits, including a home run against
Harry Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd Sr. (June 10, 1887 – October 20, 1966) was an American newspaper publisher, politician, and leader of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in Virginia for four decades as head of a political faction that bec ...
, as the Tigers won 8–2. Delsing set career highs in almost every category in 1953, including games played (138), batting average (.288), runs scored (77), hits (138), home runs (11), and RBI (62).
In 1954, Delsing was shifted back to left field in favor of speedy newcomer
Bill Tuttle. Delsing was injured several times during the season. He twisted a knee while sliding into a base (even though he was sliding head-first), he tore some ligaments in the other knee, and he was hit in the head with a pitch by
Bob Turley
Robert Lee Turley (September 19, 1930 – March 30, 2013), known as "Bullet Bob", was an American professional baseball player and financial planner. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1951 through 1963. After his retire ...
.
In spite of all that, he still played 122 games.
On May 13, he had two hits and scored three runs in an 8–3 victory over the Athletics. He had four hits including a home run against Coleman on May 25 in a 12-inning, 5–4 victory over the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. On July 22, he had three hits and four RBI, including a home run against
Moe Burtschy
Edward Frank "Moe" Burtschy (April 18, 1922 – May 2, 2004) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Philadelphia / Kansas City Athletics (1950, 1951, 1954–56). He was listed as tall and . ...
as the Tigers beat the Athletics 9–4. He had three hits and three RBI on September 20 in a 4–3 victory over Baltimore. Six days later, he had four hits and scored two runs, including a home run against
Mike Garcia in a 13-inning, 8–7 victory over Cleveland. In 122 games, he batted .248 with 39 runs scored, 92 hits, six home runs, and 38 RBI.
Defensively, he led AL left fielders with a .996
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
, committing only one error all season.
After the 1954 season, Delsing spent the winter working out in a gym and showed up to 1955 spring training in good shape. He was again used as the Tigers' left fielder, but starting in mid-May, he began losing occasional starts to
Charlie Maxwell
Charles Richard Maxwell (April 8, 1927 – December 27, 2024), sometimes known as "Sunday Charlie", "The Sabbath Slugger", and "Ol' Paw Paw", was an American left-handed professional baseball left fielder. A native of Michigan, he played 14 sea ...
.
On April 27, he had three hits and three RBI in an 11–3 win over Baltimore. In the second game of a doubleheader against Boston on May 15, he hit a home run against
George Susce and had three RBI in a 9–3 victory. He had his third three-RBI game of the year on June 6, along with three hits, but the Tigers lost that game 7–5 to the Yankees. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Athletics on July 10, he had three hits in a 9–5 Tiger defeat. Hitting .270 through June, he batted .193 in the latter half of the season.
In 114 games, Delsing batted .239 with 49 runs scored, 85 hits, 10 home runs, and 60 RBI.
Not a starter to begin the 1956 season, Delsing went hitless in his first 10 games before getting traded back to his original team, the White Sox, along with
Fred Hatfield for
Jim Brideweser, Harry Byrd, and
Bob Kennedy on May 15.
Because they already had three starters in the outfield, the White Sox used Delsing mainly as a pinch hitter and
defensive replacement.
In 55 games with Chicago, he batted .122 with 11 runs scored, five hits, no home runs, and two RBI. His combined average between Chicago and Detroit was .094.
1957–60: battling for one last stint in the majors
In 1957, the White Sox assigned Delsing to their AAA team, the
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...
of the American Association. In 139 games, Delsing batted .289 with 68 runs scored, 132 hits, eight home runs, and 70 RBI.
The
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
attempted to purchase his contract during the year, but Chicago was not interested in ceding him to another team. Milwaukee acquired
Bob Hazle instead, who enjoyed a successful year as the Braves won the NL pennant.
After the 1957 season, the Tigers repurchased his contract, assigning him to the
Charleston Senators of the American Association.
Delsing was one of several veteran players who helped Charleston win the American Association pennant in 1958. In 154 games for Charleston, he batted .287 with 78 runs scored, 167 hits, seven home runs, and 74 RBI.
After the season, the Tigers included him in a trade that sent
Reno Bertoia and
Ron Samford to the
Washington Senators for
Eddie Yost and
Rocky Bridges.
''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'', in its preview of the 1959 Senators, was pessimistic about Delsing, saying he and fellow outfielder
Faye Throneberry "don't scare many pitchers when they walk up to the plate." He was on card #386 in the 1959 ''
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures trading cards and other collectibles. Formerly based in New York City, Topps is best known as a leading producer of Baseball card, baseball and other sports and Non-sports tradi ...
'' set, but Delsing never played a game with the Senators; an injured back hurt his chances of making the team.
Acquired by the
Houston Buffs of the American Association after spring training, Delsing played the whole of the 1959 season with them. "It was different in Houston," Delsing remembered. "I probably hit the ball as well as I ever did. If you check the records, you will see that lefthanded hitters don't do much hitting down there, because of the wind. The outfielders give you the right field line, and bunch you up toward the alleys in right-center and left-center. Those power alleys are where most of my base hits used to be. I would hit a good line drive and be headed around first going to second with a double, I thought, and some outfielder would be scooping up the ball, and I would be out. They just knew how to play the ballpark and the wind conditions. It was like that in the whole league. I thought it was a righthand-hitting league."
In 149 games, he batted .233 with 51 runs scored, 122 hits, four home runs, and 40 RBI.
"I played Triple-A ball because I felt that I could still play in the big leagues," Delsing said of the late 1950s. "When you sit on the bench all year, like I did in Chicago in 1956, there is nothing you can do...you're not in shape...You just can't stay in shape and be sharp and be ready to play, when you're not playing."
Delsing started 1960 with Charleston, playing 37 games before joining the
Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers, also of the American Association, who he played 82 games for. With both those teams, he batted .297 with seven home runs and 37 RBI. After not playing in the major leagues since 1956, he got his chance to return in August when the
Kansas City Athletics
The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...
, who had experienced several injuries to their outfielders, added him to their roster.
Delsing had hits in each of his first four games with the Athletics.
On September 5, he had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored in an 8–7 victory over the White Sox. He appeared in his final major league game on September 30, when, as he had in his debut 12 years earlier, Delsing pinch-hit for the pitcher (
Dick Hall). This time, he reached base on an error by shortstop
Dick McAuliffe before being replaced in the next inning by new pitcher
Ken Johnson. In 16 games for Kansas City, Delsing batted .250 with two runs scored, 10 hits, no home runs, and five RBI.
For 1961, if Delsing wanted to continue with the organization, the Athletics were either going to have him
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
or play for a minor league affiliate in Hawaii, but Delsing opted to retire instead.
"I always say that for me, it was pulling on that big-league uniform every day," Delsing described his biggest thrill of playing in the major leagues.
Over a 10-year major league career, Delsing batted .255 with 322 runs scored, 627 hits, 40 home runs, and 286 RBI. As an outfielder, he recorded a .989 fielding percentage.
In 1,227 minor league games, his batting average was .301.
"I always preferred center field," Delsing recalled. "My throwing arm was accurate, but I didn't have that overpowering arm which guys like Al Kaline had. And I could run...I was never a power hitter. My power alleys' were to left-center and right-center. I was not a pull hitter. I was more of a line-drive hitter, just going for singles and doubles."
Personal life
On November 1, 1949, Delsing married Roseanne Brennan, a stewardess for an airline. They bought a house in St. Louis in 1952 and continued to live there until around 1984, when they moved to the
Chesterfield area west of the city.
During his time with the Tigers, Delsing rented houses on Winthrop Street and Evergreen Road in the northwest part of Detroit.
Over the offseason, Delsing worked as a carpenter during his baseball career.
The Delsings had five children: daughters Kim (b. 1951), Jamie (b. 1954), and Mari (or Moochie) (b. 1956) and sons
Jay
Jays are a paraphyletic grouping of passerine birds within the family Corvidae. Although the term "jay" carries no taxonomic weight, most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually ...
(b. 1960) and Bart (b. 1963).
Jay went on to join the
Professional Golfers' Association where he played golf competitively,
and Jim's grandson
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Timothy Twellman (born February 29, 1980) is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Twellman is best kn ...
was the Most Valuable Player of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
in 2005.
After Delsing retired, he spent 30 years as an advertising salesman for the ''
St. Louis Review'', a
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
newspaper. Delsing was also involved in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the St. Nicholas food pantry, the Ascension Altar Society, and other Catholic charities.
His time with the Browns made him a well-qualified member of the St. Louis Browns Fan Club, formed in 1984 to remember the franchise, which moved to Baltimore to become the
Orioles
Oriole or Orioles may refer to:
Animals
* Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae
* New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae
Music
* The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and early ...
after the 1953 season.
Several of his former Browns teammates remained friends with him, such as
Sherm Lollar
John Sherman Lollar Jr. (August 23, 1924 – September 24, 1977) was an American professional baseball player and Coach (baseball), coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1946 to 1963, most prominently as a member of the Chic ...
(his best friend in St. Louis), Arft (who lived 15 minutes away from him in 1994), and
Don Robinson (Delsing was in his wedding). Delsing died of cancer on May 4, 2006.
See also
*
Chicago White Sox all-time roster
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delsing, Jim
1925 births
2006 deaths
Baseball players from Wisconsin
Charleston Senators players
Chicago White Sox players
Dallas Rangers players
Detroit Tigers players
Eau Claire Bears players
Green Bay Bluejays players
Hollywood Stars players
Houston Buffs players
Indianapolis Indians players
Kansas City Athletics players
20th-century American sportsmen
Kansas City Blues (baseball) players
Lockport Cubs players
Major League Baseball outfielders
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players
New York Yankees players
St. Louis Browns players
People from Rudolph, Wisconsin
Baseball players from St. Louis County, Missouri
United States Army personnel of World War II