Jim Baumer

Infobox MLB retired
name=Jim Baumer
position=Infielder


bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1931|1|29|mf=y
city-state|Tulsa|Oklahoma
deathdate=death date and age|1996|7|8|1931|1|29
city-state|Paoli|Pennsylvania
debutdate=September 14
debutyear=by|1949
debutteam=Chicago White Sox
finaldate=April 27
finalyear=by|1961
finalteam=Cincinnati Reds
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.206
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=0
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=2
teams=
*Chicago White Sox (1949)
*Cincinnati Reds (1961)
*Nishitetsu Lions (1963-67)

James Sloan Baumer (January 29, 1931 - July 8, 1996) was an American infielder and front office executive in Major League Baseball.

A righthanded-hitting shortstop born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Baumer had a highly unusual major league playing career. After reaching the majors at age 18 with the by|1949 Chicago White Sox, Baumer hit .400 (four hits in ten at bats, including a double and a triple). He then disappeared into the minor leagues and would not return to MLB until, as a 30-year-old, he had a brief trial with the by|1961 Cincinnati Reds before he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for first baseman Dick Gernert and returned to the minor leagues. Overall, he batted .206 in 18 games and 34 at bats, with two runs batted in. After his major league career, Baumer played for the Nishitetsu Lions in Japan from by|1963 until by|1967.

When his playing career ended, Baumer became a scout with the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers, and became Milwaukee's director of scouting in by|1974. The following season, he succeeded Jim Wilson as the Brewers' general manager. Baumer's most successful transaction during his three-year tenure as GM was his acquisition of first baseman Cecil Cooper from the Boston Red Sox following the by|1976 season. However, the Brewers struggled on the field and after their eighth straight losing season in Milwaukee in by|1977, Baumer was fired and replaced by Harry Dalton.

He then joined the Philadelphia Phillies as a scout, and was promoted to director of the Phils' scouting and farm system operations in 1981. Two laters later, Baumer was named a team vice president. His role diminished after a front-office purge in by|1988, but he remained with the Phillies as an area scout.

Baumer died at age 65 in the Philadelphia suburb of Paoli, Pennsylvania.

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=b/baumeji01 |fangraphs=1000685 |cube=B/jim-baumer