Cleo James
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1968-1973)
Cleo James was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1973 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 6 seasons. In 208 career games, he hit .228 with 87 hits, 5 home runs, and 27 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 176 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1968-04-15
- Last Game
- 1973-09-26
Full name: Cleo Joel James
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 208 | 381 | 69 | 87 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 16 | 28 | 52 | .228 | .299 | .318 | .617 | -128 |
Career AVG .228 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 8.6% below league average.
Career OBP .299 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career SLG .318 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 13.9% below league average.
Career OPS .617 vs. league average .686 across their career seasons — 10.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | LAN | NL | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | CHN | NL | 100 | 176 | 33 | 37 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 24 | .210 | .253 (-17%) | .325 (-9%) | .385 (-16%) | .711 (-13%) | -330.1 |
| 1971 | CHN | NL | 54 | 150 | 25 | 43 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 16 | .287 | .249 (+15%) | .316 (+12%) | .365 (+2%) | .682 (+7%) | 202.2 |
| 1973 | CHN | NL | 44 | 45 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 208 | 381 | 69 | 87 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 16 | 28 | 52 | .228 | — | — | — | — | -128 | ||
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 (208 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 108 | 189 | 38 | 45 | 4 | 16 | .238 |
| Away | 100 | 192 | 31 | 42 | 1 | 11 | .219 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-09-26 | CHC | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-09-23 | CHC | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-09-18 | CHC | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-09-12 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-09-08 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-09-07 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-07-21 | CHC | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-07-19 | CHC | SDP | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-07-17 | CHC | SDP | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-07-15 | CHC | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 2 |
| Left Field | 23 |
| Center Field | 126 |
| Right Field | 16 |
Cleo James: the record in brief
The profile opens with Cleo James's first major league game on April 15, 1968; the last one listed came on September 26, 1973. By club, James's seasons break down as the Los Angeles Dodgers (1968) and the Chicago Cubs (1970 through 1973). At 5 feet, 10 inches and 176 pounds, James is listed as an outfielder. James both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. James was born on August 31, 1940, in Clarksdale, MS, USA. On the record, Cleo James was born Cleo Joel James.
James collected 87 hits in 381 at bats across 208 games, good for a .228 batting average; the totals also include 5 home runs and 27 runs batted in. James's career OPS of .617 combines a .299 on-base mark with .318 slugging. Over the seasons James played, league hitters batted .250; the .228 career figure is 8.6% below that. By OPS the gap is 10.1% below league average (.617 against .686). James collected a career-high 43 hits in 1971. In 1971, a season of regular play, James hit .287 while the league hit .249.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cleo James
- What years did Cleo James play?
- Cleo James played in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1973.
- Was Cleo James a pitcher?
- No. Cleo James was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Cleo James hit?
- Cleo James hit 5 career home runs with 87 hits.
- What was Cleo James's career batting average?
- Cleo James batted .228 over his career, with 87 hits in 381 at bats.
- How many RBI did Cleo James have?
- Cleo James drove in 27 runs in his career.
- Is Cleo James in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Cleo James has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.