Jim Northrup
|
|
Jim Northrup (November 24, 1939), born James Thomas Northrup in Breckenridge, Missouri, is a former Major League Baseball center fielder/right fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Detroit Tigers (1964-1974), Montreal Expos (1974) and Baltimore Orioles (1974-75).
An excellent streak hitter and catalyzer element for Detroit during 1960s, Northrup was a lead-off batter who had good strike-zone judgment and a short, quick stroke. In the field, he had a decent arm, a quick release and good accuracy.
Northrup will always be remembered by Tigers fans for his great 1968 year in route to the World Series championship. In the regular season, Northrup led his team in hits and runs batted in; broke up three no-hitters, and hit four grand slams (three in a week, two in consecutive at bats).
In the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals took three of the first four games, with Bob Gibson setting a record by strikeout 17 Tigers in a 4-0 shutout at the opening game, and repeating his feat with a one run-4 hits complete game victory in the fourth. Meanwhile, Northrup hit a grand slam (his fifth of the year) in the sixth game, starting a 13-1 rally over St. Louis and setting the table for a seventh game. Gibson seemed unbeatable in the final game as he and Mickey Lolich battled in a pitcher's duel through six innings. With two Tigers on base in the seventh, Northrup lined a triple to deep center field, breaking Gibson's momentum and allowing the Tigers to reach a decisive 4-1 victory in the series.
The following season, Northrup became the first Tiger since Ty Cobb to hit 6-for-6, finishing the game with a 13th-inning game-winning home run over the Tiger Stadium roof. In 1973, he produced another good season, hitting .307 with 12 homers and 44 RBI while playing 116 games in the outfield. His final Detroit season came in 1974, when he was sold to Montreal. On September, after the Expos lost any shot at the playoffs, the club sold him to Baltimore. With the Orioles, Northrup hit .273 with five homers and 29 RBI in 84 games, but he decided to call it quits after the season.
In his 12-seasons career Northrup batted .267, with 153 home runs, 610 RBI, 603 runs, 218 doubles, 42 triples, and 39 stolen bases in 1392 games.
Later, in the mid-1980s, Northrup became a broadcaster for the Tigers, serving for nine years. Currently, he is the CEO of Jim Northrup and Associates, a manufacture's representative firm in Southfield, Michigan. He was inducted in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (2000), and also has been a supporter of many college activities.
Highlights
- Hit five grand slams in a season (ten in his career)
- Set a MLB record with three grand slams in a week
- Hit two grand slams in a single game (in consecutive at-bats)
- Had two eight-RBI games
See also
External links
- Page at the Alma Tau Kappa Epsilon Chapter Alumni (http://www.alma-tke.com/alumni/2000/jtn62.html)
- Statistics at Baseball Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/n/northji01.shtml)