Jim Edmonds
Somehow, Jim Edmonds lasted until the 7th round of the amateur draft, but he went on to forge an All-Star career, slugging more than 300 homers and winning a armful of Gold Gloves for his amazing play in center field. In seven seasons with the Angels, Edmonds hit .290-.300 nearly every season and belted 33 homers in his first full season, in 1995. An injury in 1999 prompted his trade to the Cardinals in spring training of 2000. The Angels have been trying to fill his shoes in center ever since. In his first season in St. Louis, the left-handed batting Edmonds hit a career-high 42 homers, teaming with Mark Mcgwire to form a powerful duo. Edmonds won a Gold Glove Award in each of his first six seasons in the National League, often making unbelievable catches in the outfield, in which he twisted, dove, turned, or leapt to make eye-popping catches. Through 2005, he had hit 11 post-season homers, delivering at least one in eight of the nine series he played in.
Played For
California Angels (1993-1996)
Anaheim Angels (1997-1999)
St. Louis Cardinals (2000-2005)
All-Time Rankings
Jim Edmonds ranks #20 among the Top 50 all-time at CF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 2004
He slugged .643 with a .418 on-base percentage (101 walks), with 42 homers, 38 doubles, 102 runs, 111 RBI, and he won the Gold Glove. He was fifth in NL MVP voting.
Where He Played
Probably the best center fielder in baseball from the mid-1990s through 2006.
Born
James Patrick Edmonds was born on June 27, 1970, in Fullerton, CA.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: CF
Primary Team: SLN
Major League Debut
September 9, 1993
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1993
Chipper Jones
Manny Ramirez
Shawn Green
Raul Mondesi
Jim Edmonds
Brad Ausmus
Carlos Delgado
Rondell White
Trevor Hoffman
Similar Players
None. Reggie Smith was similar from the left-side of the plate, but he wasn't the defensive player Edmonds is. Fred Lynn played center with the same abandon.
Post-Season Appearances
2000 National League Championship Series
2000 National League Divisional Series
2001 National League Divisional Series
2002 National League Championship Series
2002 National League Divisional Series
2004 National League Championship Series
2004 National League Divisional Series
2004 World Series
2005 National League Championship Series
2005 National League Divisional Series
Post-Season Notes
Much was made of Edmonds' 1-for-15 performance in the 2004 World Series, but this guy has been a clutch player in the post-season. Through 2005, he had 11 homers, a .541 slugging mark, and 34 RBI in 49 post-season games, all of them with the Cardinals.
Awards and Honors
1997 AL Gold Glove
1998 AL Gold Glove
2000 NL Gold Glove
2001 NL Gold Glove
2002 NL Gold Glove
2003 NL Gold Glove
2004 NL Gold Glove
Hitting Streaks
23 games (1995)
Transactions
June 1, 1988: Drafted by the California Angels in the 7th round of the 1988 amateur draft.
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March 23, 2000: Traded by the Anaheim Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals for Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy.
Bottenfield was an absolute bust in Anaheim in less than one full season. Kennedy became a very useful player, helping the team win the 2002 World Series. But, considering the All-Star seasons Edmonds put up for St. Louis, this deal is one of the worst in Angels history.
All-Star Selections
1995 AL
2000 NL
2003 NL
2005 NL
Replaced
He supplanted Chad Curtis as the Angels' center fielder. In St. Louis, he replaced J.D. Drew.
Replaced By
Garret Anderson, and eventually Darin Erstad, in Anaheim.
Best Strength as a Player
Defensive range in center field.
Largest Weakness as a Player
He's a decent baserunner, but a poor basestealer.
Learn More about Jim Edmonds
Search Amazon.com for Books about Jim Edmonds ⇒
Search for Jim Edmonds at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
