Summary
James Holdsworth (July 14, 1850 – March 22, 1918), nicknamed "Long Jim", was a professional baseball player who played shortstop in Major League Baseball for seven different teams during his nine-season career from 1872 to 1884.[1][2] Holdsworth died in his hometown of New York City, and is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery.[2] He played in the National Association, National League, and briefly the American Association.
| Jim Holdsworth | |
|---|---|
| Shortstop | |
| Born: July 14, 1850 New York, New York | |
| Died: March 22, 1918 (aged 67) New York, New York | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 14, 1872, for the Cleveland Forest Citys | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 9, 1884, for the Indianapolis Hoosiers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games played | 319 |
| Runs scored | 221 |
| Hits | 432 |
| Batting average | .291 |
| Teams | |
| |
In 1877, the Brooklyn Eagle described Holdsworth as "a good honest player, an excellent bat and a fine outfielder."[3] Holdsworth went through an elaborate wind-up in preparation to hit pitches, such that the press dubbed him "the dancing batter."[4]
Holdsworth carries the distinction of the lowest walk rate in history; he walked just 8 times in 1,489 plate appearances.[5] (A walk was not earned with four balls until 1889, for several years in the 1870s taking as many as nine.[6])
In 1885, he played for the Rochester Flour Cities of the New York State League.[7]
After his retirement, he continued to play in old-timers' games.[8]
References edit
- ^ "Jim Holdsworth". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Jim Holdsworth". retrosheet.org. Retrosheet, Inc. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ Cook, William A. (24 December 2014). The Louisville Grays Scandal of 1877: The Taint of Gambling at the Dawn of the National League. McFarland. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4766-1639-1. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ Arcidiacono, David (3 December 2009). Major League Baseball in Gilded Age Connecticut: The Rise and Fall of the Middletown, New Haven and Hartford Clubs. McFarland. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7864-3677-4.
- ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2022 » Batters » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Bases on Balls Single Season Leaders on Baseball Almanac". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ Batesel, Paul (6 October 2012). Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875. McFarland. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7864-9076-9. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ Nemec, David (1 September 2011). Major League Baseball Profiles, 1871-1900, Volume 1: The Ballplayers Who Built the Game. U of Nebraska Press. p. 557. ISBN 978-0-8032-3024-8. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)