View source for Jim Lonborg

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1942)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Jim Lonborg
|image=Jim Lonborg 1969.jpg
|caption=Lonborg in 1969
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1942|4|16}}
|birth_place=[[Santa Maria, California]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 23
|debutyear=1965
|debutteam=Boston Red Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 10
|finalyear=1979
|finalteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=157–137
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.86
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,475
|teams=
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1965}}–{{mlby|1971}})
* [[Milwaukee Brewers]] ({{mlby|1972}})
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1979}})
|highlights=
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1967]])
* [[AL Cy Young Award]] (1967)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|AL wins leader]] (1967)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders|AL strikeout leader]] (1967)
* [[Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''James Reynold Lonborg''' (born April 16, 1942) is an American former professional [[baseball]] right-handed [[starting pitcher]], who played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) with the [[Boston Red Sox]], [[Milwaukee Brewers]], and [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Though nicknamed "'''Gentleman Jim'''", he was known for fearlessly pitching on the inside of the plate throughout his fifteen-year career.

== Early life ==
Lonborg was born on April 16, 1942, in [[Santa Maria, California]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Wisnia |first=Saul |title=Jim Lonborg, Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-lonborg/ |website=SABR.org}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Jim Lonborg Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lonboji01.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> His father was a professor of agriculture.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=MacKay |first=Leigh |date=2018-07-31 |title=The MacKay Files: “Gentleman Jim” Lonborg |url=https://newengland.golf/the-mackay-files-gentleman-jim-lonborg/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=New England dot Golf |language=en}}</ref> Lonborg attended [[San Luis Obispo High School]] in [[San Luis Obispo, California]],<ref name=":0" /> where he excelled in both baseball and basketball.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Cameron |first=Greg |date=2012-07-21 |title=Former Red Sox ace Jim Lonborg discusses magical summer of 1967 |url=https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2012/07/former_red_sox_ace_jim_longbor.html |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=masslive |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> One of his teammates was future major league pitcher [[Mel Queen (pitcher/outfielder)|Mel Queen]], who would also become his brother-in-law.<ref name=":1" />

He attended [[Stanford University]] as a pre-med student on an academic scholarship,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Crehan |first=Herb |date=2024-09-30 |title=The Impossible Dream 1967 Red Sox: Jim Lonborg |url=https://bostonbaseballhistory.com/new-the-impossible-dream-1967-red-sox-jim-lonborg/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Boston Baseball History |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> graduating in 1963.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stanford Hall of Fame - Baseball |url=https://gostanford.com/news/2020/8/31/stanford-hall-of-fame-baseball |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website |language=en-US}}</ref> He pitched on the school's baseball team as a [[Walk-on (sports)|walk-on]],<ref name=":8" /> and was its MVP as a junior.<ref name=":1" /> He was a walk-on player on the basketball team as well, but did not see a future as there was a star player ahead of him.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8" /> He has been inducted into Stanford's Athletics Hall of Fame as a baseball player.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://gostanford.com/hall-of-fame |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website |language=en-US}}</ref>

During his college years, the [[Baltimore Orioles]] had an interest in Lonborg, and he played as an amateur on teams sponsored by the Orioles during his college career.<ref name=":1" /> In 1963, he played in the [[Basin League]] for the Oriole-sponsored Winner Pheasants, along with future Oriole Hall of Fame pitcher [[Jim Palmer]], and future Oriole player and .300 hitter [[Merv Rettenmund]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 17, 2010 |title=Basin League History |url=https://usfamily.net/web/trombleyd/BasinHistory.htm}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Palmer, Jim {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/palmer-jim |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=baseballhall.org}}</ref>

On August 14, 1963, he signed as an amateur free agent with the [[Boston Red Sox]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Jim Lonborg Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=lonboji01 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> The Red Sox had offered him a much higher signing bonus than the Orioles.<ref name=":1" />

==Professional baseball career==

=== Boston Red Sox ===
Longborg spent only one year in the Red Sox minor league system (1964) before being called up to the team in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jim Lonborg Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lonbor001jam |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In his rookie year for Boston, Lonborg had a 9–17 win loss record and 4.47 [[earned run average]] (ERA). In 1966, he improved his record to 10–10, and his ERA to 3.86.<ref name=":0" />

In the 1967 Red Sox' [[1967 Boston Red Sox season|"Impossible Dream" season]],<ref name=":3" /> Lonborg tied for the [[American League]] (AL) lead for pitchers in [[Win (baseball)|wins]] (22) and [[games started]] (39), and led the AL in [[strikeout]]s (246).<ref name=":4" /> He also led the league in hitting batters (19),<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=1967 American League Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1967-pitching-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> after his pitching style changed under the tutelage of pitching coach [[Sal Maglie|Sal "The Barber" Maglie]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sal “The Barber” Maglie: A Baseball Legend – Baseball: Past and Present |url=https://baseballpastandpresent.com/mlb/sal-the-barber-maglie-baseball-legend/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=baseballpastandpresent.com}}</ref>

That year, the Red Sox were involved in a four-way race for the AL pennant with the [[Detroit Tigers]], [[Minnesota Twins]], and [[Chicago White Sox]]; the race was reduced to three teams after the White Sox lost a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] to the [[History of the Oakland Athletics|Kansas City Athletics]], on September 27. The Red Sox and Twins faced each other in the season's final series and entered the final day (October 1) tied for first place; the Tigers were half a game out of first and needed to sweep a doubleheader from the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] to force a playoff between the winner of the Red Sox–Twins game. Lonborg outdueled Twins [[Ace (baseball)|ace]] [[Dean Chance]] in that finale, while the Tigers defeated the Angels in the first game but lost the second, putting the Red Sox in the [[1967 World Series|World Series]] for the first time since {{by|1946}}.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andres |first=Andy |title=The 1967 AL Pennant Race: The 30,315,229 to 1 Possibility, 1967 Boston Red Sox Essays, Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-1967-al-pennant-race-the-30315229-to-1-possibility/ |website=SABR.org}}</ref>

In that World Series against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], Lonborg pitched a one-hit shutout in Game 2 on October 5,<ref>{{Cite web |title=1967 World Series Game 2 Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=196710050BOS |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> only the fourth one-hitter in Series history. He followed that up with another victory in Game 5 four days later by limiting the Cards to three hits, and pitching a complete game again.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1967 World Series Game 5, Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals: October 9, 1967 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196710090.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Longborg's boyhood idol [[Sandy Koufax]] was calling the World Series as a television broadcaster, and gave Longborg game preparation advice on visualizing himself pitching, that aided Longborg's success in his two victories.<ref name=":1" />

Called upon to pitch the seventh and deciding game with only two days rest, he lasted six innings, but allowed six earned runs in a 7–2 loss.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1967 World Series Game 7, St. Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox: October 12, 1967 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196710120.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Teammate [[Dan Osinski]] remembered, "Lonborg couldn't break a pane of glass in the bullpen when he was warming up. We all knew that, and [Dick Williams] still started him. You know he could have pitched the bullpen an inning apiece, or something. It just gave Gibson too big a lead against us that we couldn't come back from."<ref name="Osinski">{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Ron|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/08419936|title=Dan Osinski|work=SABR|access-date=May 2, 2020}}</ref> Shortly after being fired by the Red Sox, pitching coach [[Sal Maglie]] also criticized Williams's handling of Lonborg. "It was obvious Lonborg didn't have it. Williams should have gotten him out sooner, and I told him so. It was a crime that he let a man who'd done such a great job for him all season take a pounding like that. It was degrading."<ref>{{cite web|page=22|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19671102&id=ZR8rAAAAIBAJ&pg=2408,990205|title=Maglie Raps Williams On Judgement, Courage|work=The Reading Eagle|date=November 2, 1967|access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref>

Lonborg received the {{by|1967}} [[Cy Young Award]], with 90% of the votes,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=1967 Awards Voting |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1967.shtml#AL_CYA_voting_link |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> (becoming the first Red Sox pitcher so honored<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cy Young Award Winners {{!}} History |url=https://www.mlb.com/awards/cy-young?msockid=31c91dd1af7d6ac902e90889aebf6b02 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>). He was selected to the 1967 AL All-Star Team, though he did not play in the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=1967 All-Star Game Box Score, July 11 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1967-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> and finished prominently in voting for the [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MLB Most Valuable Player]] (MVP) award (placing 6th in the voting, with teammate Yastrzemski winning the award).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" />

[[File:Jim Lonborg 1971.JPG|thumb|180px|left|Lonborg in 1971]]
In December of 1967, Lonborg tore the ligaments in his left knee while skiing, and his pitching career thereafter was marked by many injuries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 26, 1967 |title=Jim Lonborg hurt skiing, Gettysburg Times |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19671226&id=2lFAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o_8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6127,477398&hl=en |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=news.google.com}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Hurford |first=Daphne |date=May 31, 1976 |title=A gentler style for a gentleman |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1976/05/31/a-gentler-style-for-a-gentleman |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220627024437/https://vault.si.com/vault/1976/05/31/a-gentler-style-for-a-gentleman |archive-date=2022-06-27 |access-date=2024-12-17 |work=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com |language=en-us}}</ref> In trying to compensate for his knee injury, he developed right shoulder problems that lasted the remainder of his career.<ref name=":1" /> After pitching 273.1 innings in 1967, he never threw more than 167.2 innings in a season over the next four years with the Red Sox, and won only 27 games from {{by|1968}} through 1971.<ref name=":0" /> In both 1970 and 1971, he spent time with the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[Louisville Colonels]] while trying to recover from his injuries and to regain his pitching form, and he finished the 1971 season with the Red Sox going 10–7, his best record since 1967.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jim Lonborg Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lonbor001jam |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> It would not be until 1976, years after leaving Boston, that Lonborg's right shoulder would be pain free.<ref name=":7" />

=== Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies ===
Lonborg was traded along with [[George Scott (first baseman)|George Scott]], [[Ken Brett]], [[Billy Conigliaro]], [[Joe Lahoud]] and [[Don Pavletich]] to the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] in a ten-player trade that also sent [[Tommy Harper]], [[Marty Pattin]], [[Lew Krausse Jr.|Lew Krausse]] and minor-league outfielder Pat Skrable to the Red Sox on October 10, 1971.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1971-10-11 |title=RED SOX, BREWERS IN 10‐PLAYER DEAL (Published 1971) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/11/archives/red-sox-brewers-in-10player-deal-lonborg-scott-conigliaro-traded-to.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240913083509/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/11/archives/red-sox-brewers-in-10player-deal-lonborg-scott-conigliaro-traded-to.html |archive-date=2024-09-13 |access-date=2024-12-17 |work=New York Times |language=en}}</ref> In 1972, he had his second best season to date, with at 14–12 record, 2.83 ERA, and 143 strikeouts in 223 innings for the Brewers.<ref name=":0" /> His success was in part attributable to pitching coach [[Wes Stock]], who changed Lonborg from a power pitcher into one who relied on control and change of speed.<ref name=":7" />

With the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] needing to improve its pitching staff beyond [[Steve Carlton]], a future Hall of Fame pitcher and 329 game winner,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carlton, Steve {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/carlton-steve |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=baseballhall.org}}</ref> both Lonborg and Brett were acquired along with [[Ken Sanders (baseball)|Ken Sanders]] and [[Earl Stephenson]] from the Brewers for [[Don Money]], [[John Vukovich]] and [[Bill Champion (baseball)|Bill Champion]] on October 31, 1972.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/01/archives/phillies-obtain-jim-lonborg-in-7man-deal-with-brewers-don-money-key.html "Phillies Obtain Jim Lonborg In 7‐Man Deal With Brewers," ''United Press International'' (UPI), Tuesday, October 31, 1972.] Retrieved April 13, 2020</ref> Like Stock, Phillies pitching coach [[Ray Rippelmeyer]] suggested adjustments that improved Lonborg's pitching significantly.<ref name=":7" /> 

Lonborg spent the next six and a half seasons with Philadelphia before his release midway through the 1979 season.<ref name=":6" /> In 1974, he was 17–13 with a 3.21 ERA, leading the Phillies starting pitchers (including Carlton) in wins and ERA; and in 1976 Lonborg was 18–10 with a 3.08 ERA, second among starting pitchers in wins (Carlton had 20), and first in ERA.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1974 Philadelphia Phillies Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1974.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1976 Philadelphia Phillies Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1976.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Phillies reached the NL Championship Series in [[1976 National League Championship Series|1976]] and [[1977 National League Championship Series|1977]], losing both times. Lonborg pitched one game in each series, losing each.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia Phillies Team History & Encyclopedia |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/index.shtml |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Phillies lost the NL championship again in 1978, but Lonborg did not appear in the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1978 Philadelphia Phillies Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1978.shtml |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Lonborg's MLB career statistical totals include a 157–137 record with 1,475 strikeouts, a 3.86 ERA, 90 [[complete games]], 15 [[shutouts in baseball|shutouts]], and {{frac|2464|1|3}} [[innings pitched]] in 425 games.<ref name=":0" /> Lonborg was selected to the [[Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame]] in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Sox Hall of Fame {{!}} Boston Red Sox |url=https://www.mlb.com/redsox/history/red-sox-hall-of-fame?msockid=31c91dd1af7d6ac902e90889aebf6b02 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

Longborg's nickname was "Gentleman Jim".<ref name=":7" />

==Personal life==
After retiring, Lonborg attended the [[Tufts University School of Dental Medicine]], and graduated in 1983 and began practicing.<ref name=":8" /> He worked as a general [[dentist]] in [[Hanover, Massachusetts]], until he retired in 2017.<ref name=":1" /> He is active in many [[nonprofit organizations]], including [[Catholic Charities USA|Catholic Charities]], [[Little League Baseball]], and [[The Jimmy Fund]],<ref name=":1" /> as well as the Susan G. Komen foundation and those seeking to treat cystic fibrosis.<ref name=":8" /> Lonborg lives in [[Scituate, Massachusetts]].<ref name=":8" />

On the Boston-based [[sitcom]] ''[[Cheers]]'', the photo of [[Sam Malone]] pitching is actually that of Lonborg. At times, Sam also wore Lonborg's number 16 Red Sox jersey.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacKay |first=Leigh |date=2018-07-31 |title=The MacKay Files: “Gentleman Jim” Lonborg |url=https://newengland.golf/the-mackay-files-gentleman-jim-lonborg/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=New England dot Golf |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{baseballstats|mlb=117886|espn=24350|br=l/lonboji01|fangraphs=1007724|brm=lonbor001jam|retro=L/Plonbj101}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|8eb88355}}
*[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lonboji01 Jim Lonborg] at Baseball Almanac
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081202212145/http://sonsofsamhorn.net/wiki/index.php/Jim_Lonborg Jim Lonborg] at SoSH (Sons of Sam Horn)

{{AL Cy Young}}
{{AL wins champions}}
{{AL strikeout champions}}
{{Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year Award}}
{{Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lonborg, Jim}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American dentists]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League strikeout champions]]
[[Category:American League wins champions]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox players]]
[[Category:Cy Young Award winners]]
[[Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Brewers players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Scituate, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Hanover, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:Seattle Rainiers players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Plymouth County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Santa Maria, California]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Santa Barbara County, California]]
[[Category:Stanford Cardinal baseball players]]
[[Category:Tigres de Aragua players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Tufts University School of Dental Medicine alumni]]
[[Category:Winston-Salem Red Sox players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]