Jim Edmonds - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds (born June 27, 1970) is a former American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

center fielder

Center fielder

A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...

. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...

, the St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

, the San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...

, the Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

, and the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

. He is affectionately known by Cardinal fans as "Jimmy Baseball", "Jimmy Ballgame", "Lassie", and "Hollywood".

Early and personal life

Edmonds was born on June 27, 1970, in Fullerton, California

Fullerton, California

Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...

. He attended Diamond Bar High School

Diamond Bar High School

Diamond Bar High School is located in Diamond Bar, California and is part of the Walnut Valley Unified School District. The school mascot is the Brahma, and the school colors are purple, gold, and white. Diamond Bar High School students participate in programs such as Advanced Placement and...

in Diamond Bar

Diamond Bar, California

Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 55,544 at the 2010 census, down from 56,287 at the 2000 census. It is named after the "diamond over a bar" branding iron registered in 1918 by ranch owner Frederick E...

, in eastern Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

.

Edmonds is married to Allison Jayne Raski. They were married on July 16, 2008, at the St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...

Courthouse in Clayton, MO

Clayton, Missouri

Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...

. The couple have a son and a daughter together. Edmonds also has two teenaged daughters from his previous marriage to Lee Ann Horton.

In September 2007, Jim Edmonds 15 Steakhouse opened in St. Louis, of which he is a 50 percent owner and is named for his jersey number.

Professional career

Edmonds was selected in the seventh round of the 1988 draft

1988 Major League Baseball Draft

-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1988 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...

by the California Angels

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

. Following the draft, he was assigned to the Bend Bucks (in Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon

Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...

), the Angels' Short-Season A affiliate in the Northwest League

Northwest League

The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...

. In 1988, he played in 35 games for the Bucks and hit .221. The following year, he was promoted to the Quad Cities Angels, the team's Class A affiliate in the Midwest League

Midwest League

The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...

. He played in 31 games and hit .261.

In 1990, Edmonds advanced to the Palm Springs Angels

Palm Springs Angels

The Palm Springs Angels were a minor league baseball team of the Class A California League from 1986 to 1993 and an affiliate of the California Angels...

, a "High-A" team in the California League

California League

The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...

. He played 91 games and hit .293. The remained with Palm Springs for the 1991 season as well. In 1992, he was promoted to Double-A with the Midland Angels

Midland RockHounds

The Midland RockHounds are a minor league baseball team based in Midland, Texas, USA. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Citibank Ballpark, located in Midland. Opened in 2002, the stadium seats...

in the Texas League

Texas League

The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

. He hit .313 in 70 games for Midland. He was promoted again in 1992, moving up to Triple-A Edmonton Trappers

Edmonton Trappers

The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada....

for 50 games. The Angels changed Triple-A teams in 1993, so Edmonds played for Vancouver Canadians

Vancouver Canadians

The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...

.

Edmonds was traded from Anaheim to St. Louis for second baseman Adam Kennedy

Adam Kennedy

Adam Thomas Kennedy is an American Major League Baseball second baseman who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and had two stints with the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early years:Kennedy...

and pitcher Kent Bottenfield

Kent Bottenfield

Kent Dennis Bottenfield is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1992 to 2001 for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Anaheim Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...

shortly before the beginning of the 2000 season.

Throughout his career, Edmonds has predominately played center field. However, he has played first base

First baseman

First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...

in stretches, usually as a result of injury to a starting first basemen, but sometimes simply to provide rest to regular position players, or give another outfielder playing time. For instance, Edmonds made six starts at first when Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...

suffered an oblique injury in June 2006. Additionally, he pitched 2 innings

Innings pitched

In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...

while in High-A ball in 1991.

Edmonds has hit 30 or more home run

Home run

In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

s in five seasons, while maintaining a .285 career batting average

Batting average

Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

, and has knocked in over 1,140 runs in his career. He has also received eight Gold Glove Award

Gold Glove Award

The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...

s in his career at center field

Center fielder

A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...

, most of them coming as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

.

Two of Edmonds' most spectacular defensive plays came while on the Cardinals and the Angels. In June 1997, while playing center field for the Anaheim Angels, Edmonds ran straight back towards the center field wall of Kauffman Stadium

Kauffman Stadium

Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...

in Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

, and dove outstretched for a fly ball over his head, making the catch on the warning track. His other memorable catch came when on the St. Louis Cardinals on July 16, 2004, while covering center field against Reds batter Jason LaRue

Jason LaRue

Michael Jason "Rusty" LaRue is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and St...

. LaRue hit a deep shot to center field that surely would have been enough to be a home run. On a dead run, Edmonds scaled the wall, reached his entire right arm over the fence, and caught the ball, ending the game.

2004 Season

The 2004 season

2004 Major League Baseball season

* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...

was Edmonds' best season. He hit .301, had a .643 slugging percentage, 42 HRs, and 111 RBI; all but batting average were career highs. As a result, he earned a Silver Slugger Award, a Gold Glove Award

Rawlings Gold Glove Award

, and was fifth in the voting for the Most Valuable Player Award.

A defining moment of Edmonds' career came in the 2004 National League Championship Series

2004 National League Championship Series

-Game 1:Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe series opener at St. Louis' Busch Stadium was a slugfest involving four homers, 17 runs, and 22 hits, eventually won by St. Louis, 10–7. Houston struck the first blow of the series when Carlos Beltrán hit a two-run home...

, in which Edmonds hit an extra-inning home run to win Game 6. In Game 7, Edmonds made a spectacular defensive play in center, helping the Cardinals win the pennant.

During a Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

-Cardinals game at Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...

on July 19, 2004, pitcher Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...

was ejected from the game for throwing at Edmonds. Zambrano screamed at Edmonds as he rounded the bases on a home run, earning Zambrano a five-game suspension.

Edmonds, along with Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...

and Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen

Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...

, earned the nickname "MV3" for their phenomenal 2004 seasons. Edmonds was on the cover of video game MLB Slugfest 2004.

After 2005

On Mother's Day

Mother's Day (United States)

In the United States, Mother's Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that they make to society....

, May 14, 2006, Edmonds was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat

Pink bat

In baseball, pink bats are limited-supply baseball bats manufactured by Louisville Slugger for use by select Major League Baseball players on Mother's Day, first introduced in 2006 in association with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization...

to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2006, Edmonds helped the St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

win their first World Series

2006 World Series

The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...

title since 1982

1982 World Series

-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...

while contributing 4 RBI.

In his last two seasons in St. Louis (2006 and 2007), Edmonds struggled with post-concussion syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or occasionally up to a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury . PCS may also...

, which caused dizziness and blurred vision.

On December 14, 2007, Edmonds was traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for prospect David Freese

David Freese

David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...

. As part of the deal, the Cardinals also agreed to pay part of Edmonds' 2008 salary. Edmonds' 241 home runs with the Cardinals are the fourth-most in franchise history.

On May 9, 2008, the Padres released him after hitting only .178 with one home run in 90 at bat

At bat

In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...

s. On May 14, 2008, the Chicago Cubs, in need of a left-handed bat, signed Edmonds to a one-year contract of which the Cubs were only responsible for the league minimum. He started the next day against his former team, the Padres, and went 1 for 4. Edmonds was not well received initially by the fans in Chicago, but after joining the Cubs, he hit over .300 with 8 home runs in his first six weeks. On June 21, 2008, Edmonds hit two home runs in the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

. He also has two other multi-homer games as a Cub: one on July 31, 2008 against the Milwaukee Brewers and one on August 8, 2008 against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Edmonds did not play in 2009, sitting out because he did not receive what he or his agent considered a good offer. In January 2010, he announced his intention to return to the majors. On January 28, Edmonds signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

. The Brewers added him to the major league roster on March 25. At that time, he said, "last year was a mistake, I should have played somewhere.”

On August 9, 2010, Edmonds was traded to the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

in exchange for Chris Dickerson

Chris Dickerson (baseball)

Christopher Charles Dickerson is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...

. Both Edmonds and Dickerson had to clear waivers because the non-waiver Trade Deadline had already passed.

On February 4, 2011, Edmonds signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

; however, after continuing symptoms from a strained Achilles tendon suffered during the 2010 season, Edmonds officially announced his retirement from baseball on February 18, 2011.

Awards

Edmonds' fielding ability has earned him recognition from Major League coaches and managers, who voted him a Rawlings

Rawlings (company)

Rawlings is a sports equipment manufacturing company in the United States. It was founded in 1887. The parent company is Jarden, Inc. Rawlings specializes in baseball equipment, but also manufactures softball, basketball, training equipment and American footballs...

Gold Glove

Rawlings Gold Glove Award

winner eight times in nine seasons from to .

ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

's Rob Neyer

Rob Neyer

Rob Neyer is a baseball author and writer for SB Nation. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS, and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist from 1996 to January 2011 before becoming SB Nation's National Baseball Editor...

lists Edmonds as #12 of the top 100 players of the first decade of the 21st century due to his productivity at the plate and gold-glove skills in center field.

External links

Jim Edmonds' photo gallery
Jim Edmonds page at stlcardinals.scout.com
http://15stl.com/ Jim Edmonds 15 Steakhouse in St. Louis

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.