Jim Gentile

Infobox MLB retired
name=Jim Gentile


width=
position=First baseman
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1934|6|3
city-state|San Francisco|California
deathdate=
debutdate=September 10
debutyear=by|1957
debutteam=Brooklyn Dodgers
finaldate=September 3
finalyear=by|1966
finalteam=Cleveland Indians
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.260
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=179
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=549
teams=
* Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1957-by|1958)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|1960-by|1963)
* Kansas City Athletics (by|1964-by|1965)
* Houston Astros (by|1965-by|1966)
* Cleveland Indians (by|1966)
* Kintetsu Buffaloes (by|1969)
highlights=
* 3x All-Star selection (1960, 1961, 1962)

James Edward Gentile (pronounced "jen-TEE-uhl," born June 3, 1934 in San Francisco, California), also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left-handed batter who played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1957-58); Baltimore Orioles (1960-63), Kansas City Athletics (1964-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Cleveland Indians (1966).

A powerful slugger listed at 6' 4", 215 lb, Gentile languished for eight years in the minors for a Dodgers team that already had All-Star Gil Hodges in first base. Traded to Baltimore, Gentile enjoyed his best season in by|1961, hitting a career-highs .302 batting average, 46 home runs, 141 runs batted in, 96 runs, 147 hits, 25 doubles. 96 walks, .346 on base percentage, .646 slugging average and 1,069 OPS. He was considered in the MVP selection (third, behind Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris). In addition, Gentile hit five grand slams -- including two straight in one game --, setting an American League record that stood until Don Mattingly belted six in by|1987.

In a nine-season career, Gentile batted .260 (759-for-2922) with 179 home runs, 549 RBI, 434 runs, 113 doubles, six triples, and three stolen bases in 936 games. Following his major league career, he played one season in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in by|1969.

Gentile managed the Fort Worth Cats when they returned to baseball in by|2001 and by|2002.

Gentile currently is a hitting coach for the Schaumberg Flyers.

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* Batters with two grand slams in the same baseball game
* List of Major League Baseball RBI champions

ources

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