Jim Sundberg
| Jim Sundberg | |||
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| Catcher | |||
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Born: May 18, 1951 Galesburg, Illinois |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 4, 1974, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 24, 1989, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .248 | ||
| Home runs | 95 | ||
| Runs batted in | 624 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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James Howard Sundberg (born May 18, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher known for being one of the best defensive catchers of his era. He played for a number of Major League teams, most significantly the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, with whom he won a World Series. He batted and threw right-handed.
Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Sundberg graduated from the University of Iowa. While attending the University of Iowa he joined The Delta Upsilon Fraternity. On January 10, 1973, he was selected by Texas Rangers in the 1st round of the secondary free agent draft. In 1974, he made the rare jump from Class A level baseball to the major leagues with the Rangers. As a rookie, Sundberg was selected to be a reserve in the 1974 All-Star Game and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year balloting (teammate Mike Hargrove won the award). Sundberg had 101 assists in 1975, becoming the first American League catcher to have more than 100 assists in a season since the end of the Second World War.
Sundberg established himself as one of the top defensive catchers in the American League by winning six consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1976 to 1981. In December 1983, after ten years with the Rangers, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. After playing one season with the Brewers, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals. Sundberg's veteran experience helped bolster the Royals' young pitching staff, and the team's combined earned run average improved to second best in the American League. The Royals went on to win the 1985 World Series. In Game Six of that series, Sundberg scored the dramatic ninth inning winning run by sliding into home plate, skillfully avoiding the tag of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter. Sundberg reached base when he laid down a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a force out at third. In 1986, Sundberg helped the Royals pitching staff lead the league in earned run average, however they fell to third place in the American League's Western Division.
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