Jim Pendleton

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1953-1962)

Jim Pendleton was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1962 for 5 teams, including the Chicago American Giants, a span of 10 seasons. In 457 career games, he hit .259 with 257 hits, 20 home runs, and 105 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

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

AVG .259
HR 20
RBI 105
H 257
OPS .663
PIV -1,140
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 185 lb
Born
1/7/1924 in St. Charles, MO, USA
Died
3/20/1996 in Houston, TX, USA
MLB Debut
1953-04-17
Last Game
1962-09-30

Full name: James Edward Pendleton

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Jim Pendleton — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
69.0 63.0 17.0 35.0 2.0 2.0 5.0 15.0 7.0 2.0 1.0 .556 .606 .889 1.495

Career Batting Statistics

Jim Pendleton — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
457 994 129 257 32 9 20 105 12 46 151 .259 .294 .369 .663 -1,140

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .294 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 10.9% below league average.

Career SLG .369 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career OPS .663 vs. league average .722 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jim Pendleton Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1948 CAG NAL 13 53 9 17 2 1 1 8 1 3 0 .321 .263 (+22%) .340 (+8%) .379 (+19%) .719 (+14%) 112.8
1953 ML1 NL 120 251 48 75 12 4 7 27 6 7 36 .299 .264 (+13%) .335 (-4%) .397 (+16%) .733 (+7%) 233.4
1954 ML1 NL 71 173 20 38 3 1 1 16 2 4 21 .220 .261 (-16%) .333 (-29%) .390 (-32%) .723 (-31%) -870.0
1955 ML1 NL 8 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1956 ML1 NL 14 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 .000 — — — — 0.0
1957 PIT NL 46 59 9 18 1 1 0 9 0 9 14 .305 .257 (+18%) .323 (+22%) .391 (-9%) .715 (+5%) 84.0
1958 PIT NL 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 — — — — 0.0
1959 CIN NL 65 113 13 29 2 0 3 9 3 8 18 .257 .256 (avg) .323 (-5%) .392 (-10%) .715 (-7%) -127.8
1962 HOU NL 117 321 30 79 12 2 8 36 0 14 57 .246 .257 (-4%) .326 (-14%) .393 (-6%) .719 (-10%) -572.0
Career · 9 seasons 457 994 129 257 32 9 20 105 12 46 151 .259 — — — — -1,140

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 (470 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Jim Pendleton — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home252569741651257.290
Away218427601071254.251

Last 10 Games — Batting

Jim Pendleton — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1962-09-30 HOUSFGL 201000100
1962-09-26 HOULADL 401000000
1962-09-23 HOUSFGL 401000001
1962-09-22 HOUSFGW 000000000
1962-09-20 HOUNYNW 210000000
1962-09-20 HOUNYNW 000000000
1962-09-18 HOUNYNW 100000000
1962-09-18 HOUNYNW 401000000
1962-09-16 HOUATLL 000000000
1962-09-14 HOUATLL 401000001

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Jim Pendleton — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 9 5 56 1 2 5
2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
3B 24 16 16 30 3 0
OF 279 123 401 19 18 1
SS 30 12 51 72 10 13

Season-by-Season Fielding

Jim Pendleton — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1948 CAG SS 13 12 35 41 10 9
1953 ML1 OF 105 0 141 7 6 1
1953 ML1 SS 7 0 11 28 0 3
1954 ML1 OF 50 39 90 5 5 0
1955 ML1 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1955 ML1 OF 1 1 3 0 0 0
1955 ML1 SS 1 0 3 0 0 0
1956 ML1 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1956 ML1 2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1956 ML1 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1956 ML1 SS 3 0 1 2 0 0
1957 PIT 3B 2 2 2 2 1 0
1957 PIT OF 9 7 10 1 1 0
1957 PIT SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1959 CIN 3B 16 14 13 28 2 0
1959 CIN OF 24 9 31 2 1 0
1959 CIN SS 3 0 1 1 0 1
1962 HOU 1B 8 5 54 1 2 5
1962 HOU 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0
1962 HOU OF 90 67 126 4 5 0
1962 HOU SS 2 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Jim Pendleton Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
First Base 10
Second Base 1
Third Base 24
Shortstop 30
Left Field 189
Center Field 41
Right Field 64

Jim Pendleton: the record in brief

Jim Pendleton's season table begins in 1948 with Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB now counts as major league; the bio gives the date of the MLB debut as April 17, 1953, and the final game as September 30, 1962. By club, Pendleton's seasons break down as the Chicago American Giants (1948), the Milwaukee Braves (1953 to 1956), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1957 through 1958), the Cincinnati Redlegs (1959), and the Houston Colt .45's (1962). Pendleton played primarily as an outfielder and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on January 7, 1924, in St. Charles, MO, USA, Pendleton was listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 185 pounds. Pendleton's death is recorded on March 20, 1996, in Houston, TX, USA. On the record, Jim Pendleton was born James Edward Pendleton.

Across 457 games at the plate, Pendleton's career line reads 257 hits in 994 at bats for a .259 average, adding 20 homers and 105 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .294 and .369 give Pendleton a career OPS of .663.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Pendleton

What years did Jim Pendleton play?
Jim Pendleton played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1962.
Was Jim Pendleton a pitcher?
No. Jim Pendleton was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Jim Pendleton hit?
Jim Pendleton hit 20 career home runs with 257 hits.
What teams did Jim Pendleton play for?
Jim Pendleton played for 5 teams: the Chicago American Giants (1948), the Milwaukee Braves (1953–1956), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1957–1958), the Cincinnati Redlegs (1959), and the Houston Colt .45's (1962).
What were Jim Pendleton's career stats?
In 457 games, Jim Pendleton had 257 hits, 20 home runs, 105 RBI, 129 runs, and 12 stolen bases, with a .259 batting average.
What position did Jim Pendleton play?
Jim Pendleton played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Jim Pendleton and how much did he weigh?
Jim Pendleton was listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds.
How many home runs did Jim Pendleton hit each season?
Jim Pendleton's home runs by season: 1 in 1948, 7 in 1953, 1 in 1954, 0 in 1955, 0 in 1956, 0 in 1957, 0 in 1958, 3 in 1959, and 8 in 1962. His most in one season was 8, in 1962.
What was Jim Pendleton's career batting average?
Jim Pendleton batted .259 over his career, with 257 hits in 994 at bats.
How many RBI did Jim Pendleton have?
Jim Pendleton drove in 105 runs in his career.
Is Jim Pendleton in the Hall of Fame?
No. Jim Pendleton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.