James Franklin Busby (January 8, 1927 – July 8, 1996) was an American

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

and

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 * Co ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

who played with 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) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

(1950–52, 1955), Washington Senators (1952–55),

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) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

(1956–57),

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles 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) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

(1957–58, 1960–61),

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) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

(1959–60) and

Houston Colt .45's The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

(1962). Busby was born in

Kenedy, Texas Kenedy is a city in Karnes County, Texas, Karnes County, Texas, United States, named for Mifflin Kenedy, who bought and wanted to develop a new town that would carry his name. The population was 3,473 at the 2020 census, up from 3,296 at the 2010 ...

, and attended

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...

. He threw and batted right-handed and was listed as tall and . A cousin,

Steve Busby Steven Lee "Buzz" Busby (born September 29, 1949) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Kansas City Royals. He batted and threw right-handed. High school Busby attended Fullerton Union High Sch ...

, was a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

between 1972–80. Jim Busby was signed by the White Sox in 1948 and made his major league debut early during the season. He became the regular center fielder for the White Sox in . A fast runner and a good contact hitter, Busby compiled his best offensive seasons early in his career, exceeding the .280

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

mark in 1951, (when he hit a career-best .312) and 1954. He also drove in 80 or more RBI during both 1953—54. But he earned a reputation as a superb defensive outfielder who committed only 42 errors in 3,394

total chances In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...

(.988) over his lengthy career. He was an

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

All-Star in 1951. In all or parts of 13 MLB seasons, Busby batted .262, with 48

home run 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 i ...

s, 438 runs batted in, 541 runs, 1,113 hits, 162 doubles, 35 triples, and 97

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

s in 1,352

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

. Defensively, he recorded a .988

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

as a center fielder. When his career ended, in the middle of the season, he became a full-time

with Houston (through 1967), then spent eight seasons (1968–75) on the staff of the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, before returning to the American League to finish his coaching career with the White Sox (1976) and

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

(1977–78). As a player and coach, Busby had a 29-year MLB career. He died in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

, at 69 years of age.Jim Busby, Oriole and Senator in 1950s, dies in Georgia at 69 He was among AL's best as fielder, base stealer
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Busby, Jim 1927 births 1996 deaths American League All-Stars Atlanta Braves coaches Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Texas Boston Red Sox players Chicago White Sox coaches Chicago White Sox players Chicago White Sox scouts Cleveland Indians players Houston Astros coaches Houston Colt .45s coaches Houston Colt .45s players Major League Baseball center fielders Major League Baseball third base coaches Miami Marlins (IL) players Muskegon Clippers players Oklahoma City 89ers players People from Kenedy, Texas Sacramento Solons players Seattle Mariners coaches TCU Horned Frogs baseball players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Waterloo White Hawks players