Jim Northrup (ballplayer)

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James Thomas Northrup (born November 24, 1939, in Breckenridge, Michigan) 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 catalyst for Detroit during the 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 striking out 17 Tigers in a 4-0 shutout in Game 1. Gibson pitched his second straight complete game in Game 4, striking out 10 and holding the Tigers to a solo home run by Northrup. Northrup hit a grand slam (his fifth of the year) in the sixth game, starting a 13-1 rally and setting the table for a decisive seventh game. Gibson seemed unbeatable in the final game as he and series MVP 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, giving the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish.

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 cable broadcaster for the Tigers on PASS, serving for nine years. In an October, 2006 interview, Northrup blamed broadcast partner and former teammate Jim Price for his dismissal from the broadcast crew. Northrup stated, "Jim Price got me...dismissed. Price was totally worthless and he still is."^[1] Currently, he is the CEO of Jim Northrup and Associates, a manufacturer'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.