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Jim Gentile
James Edward Gentile (born June 3, 1934), also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Indians between 1957 and 1966. He was an All-Star from 1961-63, and third in American League MVP voting in 1961.
Gentile was born on June 3, 1934, in San Francisco, California. He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School, graduating in 1952. He was both a top pitcher and hitter on its baseball team. The San Francisco Examiner selected him for its first team All-Star/All-City baseball teams in 1951 as a first baseman, and in 1952 as a pitcher. He was a starting pitcher in the 1952 East-West high school All-Star game in northern California. The Examiner selected him as the top left-handed pitcher during the 1946-53 high school seasons in the San Francisco area.
Gentile has been inducted into Sacred Heart's Athletic Hall of Fame. Sacred Heart produced other major league baseball players, such as Frank Bertaina, Joe Cronin (future Hall of Famer and American League president), Dolph Camilli, Harry Heilmann (Hall of Fame inductee), and Frank Zupo.
Gentile was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, with a $30,000 signing bonus.
Gentile was a powerful, left-handed slugger listed at 6' 3", 210 lb. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a high school pitcher in 1952. He played his first minor league season as a pitcher, earning a 2–6 win–loss record. The next year he was converted into a first baseman. He languished for eight years in the minors for a Dodgers team that already had All-Star Gil Hodges at first base and Norm Larker. He dominated the minors, leading two separate leagues in home runs; the 1953 Western League with 34, and the 1955 Southern Association with 28.
In 1956, playing for the Fort Worth Cats in the Double-A Texas League, Gentile had a .296 batting average, with 40 home runs, 115 runs batted in (RBI), 108 runs scored, 104 bases on balls, a .412 on-base percentage, and 1.003 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He was in the Texas League's top-three in home runs, runs batted in, walks and OPS. In 1957, for the Triple-A Montreal Royals, he hit .275, with 24 home runs, and 90 RBIs, and was in the International League's top-ten in home runs, RBIs and OPS.
During those same two years for the Dodgers, Gil Hodges hit .265, with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs (1956), and .299, with 27 home runs and 98 RBIs, and was named an all-star (1957). In those same two years, Larker hit .309 and .323 for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, though with only 13 and 12 home runs; but it was Larker who became Hodges backup in 1958-59, not Gentile (hitting .277 and .289 respectively as a Dodger).
Gentile played for the Dodgers in only four games in 1957, 12 games in 1958, and no games in 1959. His first career major league at bat was pinch hitting for Sandy Koufax. His first start came against future hall of famer Robin Roberts. He had a down year for the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League in 1958, but in 1959 he hit .288, with 27 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a .901 OPS for the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-A American Association.
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Jim Gentile
James Edward Gentile (born June 3, 1934), also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Indians between 1957 and 1966. He was an All-Star from 1961-63, and third in American League MVP voting in 1961.
Gentile was born on June 3, 1934, in San Francisco, California. He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School, graduating in 1952. He was both a top pitcher and hitter on its baseball team. The San Francisco Examiner selected him for its first team All-Star/All-City baseball teams in 1951 as a first baseman, and in 1952 as a pitcher. He was a starting pitcher in the 1952 East-West high school All-Star game in northern California. The Examiner selected him as the top left-handed pitcher during the 1946-53 high school seasons in the San Francisco area.
Gentile has been inducted into Sacred Heart's Athletic Hall of Fame. Sacred Heart produced other major league baseball players, such as Frank Bertaina, Joe Cronin (future Hall of Famer and American League president), Dolph Camilli, Harry Heilmann (Hall of Fame inductee), and Frank Zupo.
Gentile was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, with a $30,000 signing bonus.
Gentile was a powerful, left-handed slugger listed at 6' 3", 210 lb. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a high school pitcher in 1952. He played his first minor league season as a pitcher, earning a 2–6 win–loss record. The next year he was converted into a first baseman. He languished for eight years in the minors for a Dodgers team that already had All-Star Gil Hodges at first base and Norm Larker. He dominated the minors, leading two separate leagues in home runs; the 1953 Western League with 34, and the 1955 Southern Association with 28.
In 1956, playing for the Fort Worth Cats in the Double-A Texas League, Gentile had a .296 batting average, with 40 home runs, 115 runs batted in (RBI), 108 runs scored, 104 bases on balls, a .412 on-base percentage, and 1.003 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He was in the Texas League's top-three in home runs, runs batted in, walks and OPS. In 1957, for the Triple-A Montreal Royals, he hit .275, with 24 home runs, and 90 RBIs, and was in the International League's top-ten in home runs, RBIs and OPS.
During those same two years for the Dodgers, Gil Hodges hit .265, with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs (1956), and .299, with 27 home runs and 98 RBIs, and was named an all-star (1957). In those same two years, Larker hit .309 and .323 for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, though with only 13 and 12 home runs; but it was Larker who became Hodges backup in 1958-59, not Gentile (hitting .277 and .289 respectively as a Dodger).
Gentile played for the Dodgers in only four games in 1957, 12 games in 1958, and no games in 1959. His first career major league at bat was pinch hitting for Sandy Koufax. His first start came against future hall of famer Robin Roberts. He had a down year for the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League in 1958, but in 1959 he hit .288, with 27 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a .901 OPS for the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-A American Association.