Jim Command was born on Monday, October 15, 1928, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Command was 25 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 20, 1954, with the Philadelphia Phillies. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Jim Command baseball stats page.
"(Jim) Command scouted for the Detroit Tigers for 34 years, from 1960 to 1994, recruiting the likes of Kirk Gibson and Grand Rapids athletes Mickey Stanley and Dave Rozema. He contributed to two world championship teams and received a world series ring in 1984. He also coached baseball at Grand Valley State University for three seasons in the 1970s, leading the Lakers to their first conference championship in any sport. He was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 (alongside President Gerald Ford)." - Staff Writer Jonathan Van Zytveld in Michigan Live (Grand Rapids Sports, Grand Rapids Hall of Fame athlete Jim Command dies at 85, 08/12/2014)
Jim Command |
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Jim CommandJim Command Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| - | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
Jim CommandJim Command Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1954 | 26 | Phillies | 9 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .222 | .300 | .444 |
| 1955 | 27 | Phillies | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 2 Years | 14 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .174 | .240 | .348 | ||
Jim CommandJim Command Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1954 Phillies | 3B | 6 | 4 | 118 | 14 | 2.3 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 2.97 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 3B Totals | 6 | 4 | 118 | 14 | 2.3 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 2.97 | |
| 1 Year | 6 | 4 | 118 | 14 | 2.3 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 2.97 | |
Jim CommandJim Command Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1954 Phillies | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4 | 1 | n/a | 18.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 | - | - | - |
| 1955 Phillies | 0 | 0 | .000 | 5 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 2 Years | 0 | 0 | .000 | 9 | 1 | n/a | 23.0 | 5.8 | 3.8 | - | - | - |
Jim CommandJim Command Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 1954 Philadelphia Phillies | 5 | Undetermined | - | - |
| 1955 Philadelphia Phillies | 18 | Undetermined | - | - |
| Jim Command Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

James Dalton Command was a Major League Baseball player with the Philadelphia Phillies (1954-1955). When Jim made his big league debut on June 20, 1954, he became the first Creston High School graduate to reach the majors! Command played in 14 regular season games, six at third base, and struggled at the plate, but he was a very versatile ballplayer during his 14 minor league seasons — playing all infield positions, outfield positions, and late in his career, he converted to catcher!

Jim Command Baseball Card | 1952 ACEO Baseball Card (#NNO) | Baseball Almanac Collection
Did you know that Jim Command hit a grand slam for his first big league hit (in his fourth career game)? In the Grand Rapids Press, Command recalled the moment:
Command's blast was a history maker as well as a memory maker. It was the first time since the turn of the century that a major league player's first hit was a grand slam homer, a feat since duplicated a few times, once by present Phils star Chase Utley in 2003 when he was called up to replace Placido Polanco.
It was only one of three career grand slams surrendered by (Carl) Erskine, the other two to Pittsburgh Pirates star Ralph Kiner.
Jim Command got the inside story on his blast from a friend of his on the Dodgers, Ben Wade.
"When the bases were loaded, (Dodgers manager) Walter Alston went to the mound to ask Erskine what the fuck he knew about this rookie batter Command. When Erskine told him he didn't know anything, Alston said 'Screw it, just pitch to him.'"
And so he did.
And Command hit it out, tying the score in the eighth inning of a game the Phils would lose in the ninth. Command also doubled in the game-tying run in the nightcap off another Dodgers pitching ace, Don Newcombe.
Source: Grand Rapids Press. Scott Scholten. October 18, 2009. Grand Rapids' Jim Command recalls grand slam in first at-bat for Phillies 55 years ago.
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