Jim Holdsworth

Jim Holdsworth
Shortstop
Born: (1850-07-14)July 14, 1850 New York, New York
Died: March 22, 1918(1918-03-22) (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
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
National Association of Base Ball Players Union of Morrisania (1870)   Major leagues Cleveland Forest Citys (1872) Brooklyn Eckfords (1872) New York Mutuals (1873) Philadelphia White Stockings (1874) New York Mutuals (1875–1876) Hartford Dark Blues (1877) Troy Trojans (1882) Indianapolis Hoosiers (1884)

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.

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

1. "Jim Holdsworth". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
2. "Jim Holdsworth". retrosheet.org. Retrosheet, Inc. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
3. Cook, William A. (December 24, 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 July 4, 2022.
4. Arcidiacono, David (December 3, 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.
5. "Major League Leaderboards » 2022 » Batters » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
6. "Bases on Balls Single Season Leaders on Baseball Almanac". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
7. Batesel, Paul (October 6, 2012). Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875. McFarland. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7864-9076-9. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
8. Nemec, David (September 1, 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 July 4, 2022.

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)