Jim Wilhelm

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1952)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Jim Wilhelm

|position=Outfielder

|image=

|caption=

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1952|9|20}}

|birth_place=San Rafael, California, U.S.

|death_date=

|death_place=

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 4

|debutyear=1978

|debutteam=San Diego Padres

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 30

|finalyear=1979

|finalteam=San Diego Padres

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.262

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=12

|teams=

• San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1979}})

}}

James Webster Wilhelm (born September 20, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder, He threw & batted right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft|3|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|190|lb}}.

Wilhelim was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the seventh round of the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft out of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. He spent five seasons in the Padres' farm system, batting .277 with 28 home runs & 269 runs batted in, when he received a September call up in {{mlby|1978}}.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r1tVAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Wheeling & Dealing|newspaper=Regina Leader-Post|date=September 2, 1978|page=23}}

Making his major league debut in centerfield on September 4, Wilhelm doubled off the Atlanta Braves' Larry McWilliams, driving in two runs and putting the Padres ahead to stay in a game they would eventually win 8–4.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL197809040.shtml|title=San Diego Padres 8, Atlanta Braves 4|website=Baseball-Reference.com|location=Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium|date=September 4, 1978}} Facing the Braves again two days later, his sacrifice fly drove in the game's winning run.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL197809060.shtml|title=San Diego Padres 5, Atlanta Braves 3|website=Baseball-Reference.com|location=Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium|date=September 6, 1978}} All told, Wilhelm batted .368 (7-for-19) with two doubles & four RBIs for the season.

He split the {{mlby|1979}} season between Triple-A and the Padres. As the Padres' fourth outfielder, Wilhelm batted .243 with 8 RBIs. He batted .278 with 51 RBIs in just over half a season with the Hawaii Islanders.

Just prior to spring training in {{baseball year|1980}}, on February 15, Wilhelm was traded to the Cleveland Indians with pitcher Bob Owchinko for outfielder Jerry Mumphrey.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=191&dat=19800217&id=ShYuAAAAIBAJ&pg=3754,2851911|title=Padres Send Perry to Rangers|newspaper=Bulletin Journal|date=February 17, 1980|page=9}} Rather than report to the Indians, Wilhelm retired from the game at 27.

His final MLB totals included 49 games played, all with the Padres, with six doubles and three triples among his 32 MLB hits.