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by | Mar 12, 2018 | Deciduous Shrubs

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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. ^ a b "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.


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