Jim Brady (baseball)

Jim Brady
Pitcher
Born: March 2, 1936 (1936-03-02) (age 76)
Jersey City, New Jersey
Batted: Left Threw: Left 
MLB debut
May 12, 1956 for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
August 2, 1956 for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics
Win-Loss record     0–0
Earned run average     28.42
Innings     6⅓
Teams

James Joseph Brady, Jr., Ph.D. (born March 2, 1936, in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American economist, retired university educator and administrator, and a former left-handed pitcher in professional baseball. He attended and earned three degrees from the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Brady served as the sixth president of Jacksonville University[1] from 1989 through 1996[2] after service as dean of both the university's College of Arts and Sciences and Davis College of Business. Prior to that, he held the department chair in economics at Old Dominion University and was a member of the economics faculty of his alma mater, Notre Dame.[3]

As a baseball player, the 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 185 lb (84 kg) Brady was signed off his college campus as an undergraduate by the Detroit Tigers as a $37,500 "bonus baby" in 1955. Detroit's farm system director, John McHale, was a Notre Dame alumnus and Brady promised his father he would return to college to complete his education when he signed his contract.[3] Under the terms of the bonus rule then in effect, however, Brady was forced to spend the first two years of his pro career on a Major League roster.

Nicknamed "Diamond Jim" because of his bonus status, Brady missed the 1955 season due to an injury, then made his MLB debut on May 12, 1956, hurling a perfect ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox in a 7–6 loss at Briggs Stadium.[4] A week later, he pitched another scoreless inning against the Baltimore Orioles, but was treated roughly in his next four appearances, surrendering 20 earned runs on 15 hits and ten bases on balls in only 4⅓ innings of work.[5]

He made only those six appearances, all in relief, during the 1956 season, then was sent to the minors for good in 1957. He retired as an active player after appearing in eight games for the 1961 Knoxville Smokies of the Class A Sally League.[6]

According to Jacksonville University, as of 2011, Brady was an arbitrator in North Florida.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Jacksonville University "Distinguished Dolphins"
  2. ^ Jacksonville University 75th anniversary brochure
  3. ^ a b Gagnon, Cappy, Notre Dame Baseball Greats from Anson to Yaz, page 108
  4. ^ Boxscore from Retrosheet
  5. ^ Jim Brady 1956 pitching log from Retrosheet
  6. ^ Minor league statistics from Baseball Reference

External links