:Jim Breazeale

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Jim Breazeale

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| team =

| number =

| position = First baseman

| positionplain =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1949|10|3}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|3|13|1949|10|3}}

| death_place =

| bats = Left

| throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = September 13

| debutyear = 1969

| debutteam = Atlanta Braves

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = July 19

| finalyear = 1978

| finalteam = Chicago White Sox

| statyear =

|statleague = MLB

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 33

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 9

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .223

| awards =

| teams =

Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1969}}, {{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1972}})
Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1978}})

}}

James Leo Breazeale Jr. (October 3, 1949 – March 13, 2025) was an American professional baseball first baseman. Standing {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and weighing {{convert|210|lb}}, he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox.

Biography

Breazeale was a highly regarded amateur player at Sam Houston High School in Houston and drew comparisons to fellow Houstonian Rusty Staub.{{cite news |last1=Ballenger |first1=Frank |title=Breazeale Better Than Staub |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112824263/breazeale-better-than-staub/ |access-date=10 November 2022 |work=The Index-Journal |date=25 May 1968 |pages=6}}

Breazeale was drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the eighth pick of the first round of the January 1968 Major League Baseball Draft. He played four seasons in the Major Leagues, three with the Braves ({{mlby|1969}}; {{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1972}}), and one for the Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1978}}).

Breazeale began the 1973 season on the disabled list until early June because of an ankle fracture resulting from a December 20, 1972 traffic collision near Uvalde, Texas.[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/22/archives/two-atlanta-braves-hurt-in-crash.html "Sports News Briefs," United Press International (UPI), Thursday, December 21, 1972.] Retrieved January 28, 2023. The automobile carrying Breazeale and teammate Mike McQueen was struck head-on by a car with a driver who attempted to pass a semi-trailer truck. Prior to the accident, he had been expected to become the starting first baseman, allowing Hank Aaron to play the outfield again.{{cite news |title=Two Atlanta players injured in accident |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112824504/two-atlanta-players-injured-in-accident/ |access-date=10 November 2022 |work=The Tribune |agency=Associated Press |date=22 December 1972 |pages=6}}

In his MLB career, Breazeale played 89 games with 179 at bats and 40 hits. He had three home runs, 33 RBIs, 20 runs, and a .223 batting average. He played his final game on July 19, 1978 with the White Sox.

Breazeale's heart failed in 2021, and he began using a left ventricular assist device.{{cite news |title=Former baseball player talks about his time in the pros, credits Houston area doctor with saving his life |url=https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/10/24/former-baseball-player-talks-about-his-time-in-the-pros-credits-houston-area-doctor-with-saving-his-life/ |access-date=March 21, 2025 |publisher=KPRC-TV |date=October 21, 2022}} He died on March 13, 2025, at the age of 75.{{cite web |title=James Leo Breazeale, Jr. |url=https://www.taylorbros.net/obituary/james-breazeale-jr?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1gaJ-SZoJYit5UlMAj8NuRdMCQ8WES5lEFBdxQIG4sIGhXqY-5eVOnk8s_aem_NWSMZD9_PbaV9QGKntZ0eg |website=Taylor Bros. Funeral Home |access-date=18 March 2025}}