Jim French
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1965-1971)
Jim French was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1971 for the Washington Senators, a span of 7 seasons. In 234 career games, he hit .196 with 119 hits, 5 home runs, and 51 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1965-09-12
- Last Game
- 1971-05-14
Full name: Richard James French
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 234 | 607 | 53 | 119 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 51 | 3 | 121 | 78 | .196 | .328 | .262 | .590 | -645 |
Career AVG .196 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — 20.5% below league average.
Career OBP .328 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .262 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 28.6% below league average.
Career OPS .590 vs. league average .680 across their career seasons — 13.3% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | WS2 | AL | 13 | 37 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 5 | .297 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | WS2 | AL | 10 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | WS2 | AL | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .062 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | WS2 | AL | 59 | 165 | 9 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 19 | .194 | .236 (-18%) | .298 (-7%) | .340 (-29%) | .638 (-19%) | -410.6 |
| 1969 | WS2 | AL | 63 | 158 | 14 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 41 | 15 | .184 | .248 (-26%) | .320 (+9%) | .369 (-19%) | .689 (-6%) | -41.2 |
| 1970 | WS2 | AL | 69 | 166 | 20 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 38 | 23 | .211 | .253 (-17%) | .325 (+10%) | .385 (-33%) | .711 (-13%) | -193.6 |
| 1971 | WS2 | AL | 14 | 41 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | .146 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 234 | 607 | 53 | 119 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 51 | 3 | 121 | 78 | .196 | — | — | — | — | -645 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (234 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 129 | 331 | 27 | 64 | 2 | 25 | .193 |
| Away | 105 | 276 | 26 | 55 | 3 | 26 | .199 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-05-14 | TEX | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1971-05-09 | TEX | MIN | L | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-05-05 | TEX | MIL | L | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-04-29 | TEX | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1971-04-27 | TEX | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-04-26 | TEX | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-04-24 | TEX | MIL | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-04-21 | TEX | NYY | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1971-04-18 | TEX | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-04-17 | TEX | CLE | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 220 |
| Left Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio University | Athens | OH | 1961, 1962, 1963 |
Jim French: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jim French's first major league game on September 12, 1965; the last one listed came on May 14, 1971. Every season row on the page belongs to the Washington Senators, from 1965 through 1971. French is listed as a catcher at 5'8" and 180 pounds. French batted left-handed and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is August 13, 1941, in Warren, OH, USA. Jim French was the playing name; the full given name is Richard James.
French collected 119 hits in 607 at bats across 234 games, good for a .196 batting average, plus 5 homers and 51 RBI. Reaching base at a .328 clip and slugging .262, French finished with a .590 OPS. Measured against the leagues French played in, the .196 career average compares with a .247 league average over the same seasons, 20.5% below the league. No season topped the 35 hits of 1970. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .211 in 1970, did not top the league's .253.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim French
- What years did Jim French play?
- Jim French played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1971.
- Was Jim French a pitcher?
- No. Jim French was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jim French hit?
- Jim French hit 5 career home runs with 119 hits.
- What teams did Jim French play for?
- Jim French played for one team, the Washington Senators (1965–1971).
- What were Jim French's career stats?
- In 234 games, Jim French had 119 hits, 5 home runs, 51 RBI, 53 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .196 batting average.
- What position did Jim French play?
- Jim French played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jim French and how much did he weigh?
- Jim French was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jim French hit each season?
- Jim French's home runs by season: 1 in 1965, 0 in 1966, 0 in 1967, 1 in 1968, 2 in 1969, 1 in 1970, and 0 in 1971. His most in one season was 2, in 1969.
- What was Jim French's career batting average?
- Jim French batted .196 over his career, with 119 hits in 607 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim French have?
- Jim French drove in 51 runs in his career.
- Is Jim French in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim French has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.