Chris James (baseball)

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Chris James

|image=

|position=Outfielder

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1962|10|04}}

|birth_place=Rusk, Texas, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 23

|debutyear=1986

|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 1

|finalyear=1995

|finalteam=Boston Red Sox

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.261

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=90

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=386

|teams=

Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1986}}–{{mlby|1989}})
San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1989}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1990}}–{{mlby|1991}})
San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1992}})
Houston Astros ({{mlby|1993}})
Texas Rangers ({{mlby|1993}}–{{mlby|1994}})
Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|1995}})
Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1995}})

}}

Donald Chris James (born October 4, 1962) is an American former professional baseball utility player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) 10 years ({{baseball year|1986}}–{{baseball year|1995}}), for eight teams: the National League (NL) Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Houston Astros; and the American League (AL) Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Boston Red Sox. James played first base, third base, outfield, and designated hitter.

Early life

James attended Alto High School in Texas where he was an all-district quarterback. Between the football and baseball seasons of his senior year, he transferred to Stratford High School, from which he graduated in 1981. He initially accepted and then declined a scholarship to play college football at Southern Methodist University where his brother, Craig James, was a running back. He chose instead to enroll at Blinn College to play college baseball.{{cite news |title=All-district quarterback gives up Southern Methodist scholarship |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-odessa-american-all-district-quarter/140210323/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=The Odessa American |agency=Associated Press |date=22 July 1981 |pages=15}}

Career

On May 4, 1991, while playing for the Indians, James had nine runs batted in (RBI) in a 20-6 win over the Oakland Athletics, thereby setting that franchise’s single-game RBI record.{{cite news |title=BASEBALL; Twins End Brewers' Streak at 4 As Starter's Sour Streak Ends, Too|newspaper=New York Times |date=May 5, 1991|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/05/sports/baseball-twins-end-brewers-streak-at-4-as-starter-s-sour-streak-ends-too.html?pagewanted=print|agency=Associated Press}}

In 946 games over 10 seasons, James posted a .261 batting average (794-for-3040) with 343 runs, 90 home runs, 386 RBI and 193 bases on balls. Defensively, he finished his career with an overall .982 fielding percentage.