Jim Rivera

Manuel Joseph "Jungle Jim" Rivera (July 22, 1921 – November 13, 2017) was an American professional baseball outfielder. In 1944, he was found guilty of attempted rape and sentenced to life in prison. He played baseball on the prison baseball team, and caught the attention of the Atlanta Crackers owner who worked to secure a parole for him. Rivera's sentence was later reduced, and after five years in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary he was paroled in 1949, and upon his release he was signed by the Crackers. He played for three Major League Baseball (MLB) teams over ten seasons: the St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox (1952–1961), and Kansas City Athletics (1961).

Early life

Rivera was born to Puerto Rican immigrants in Brooklyn in New York City, and grew up in Spanish Harlem in Manhattan. When he was a boy, he aspired to be a priest.

Career

He was first called "Jim" when he was 17, "Big Jim" when he started playing for the Chicago White Sox during the 1952 season, and "Jungle Jim" in 1953 which was initiated by Chicago Sun-Times sports writer Edgar Munzel. This was due largely to his unorthodox playing style, and for his highly extroverted personality.

Rivera threw and batted left-handed; he stood 6 feet tall and weighed 196 pounds during his playing days. In 1949, playing for the Gainesville G-Men in the Florida State League, he batted .335 (3rd in the league)/.405/.537(2nd) in 529 at bats and led the league in runs (142), triples (16), and stolen bases (55), while coming in second in home runs (13) and RBIs (102), while on defense he played center field and had 24 assists.

In 1950, he played primarily for the Pensacola Fliers of the Southeastern League, for whom in 527 at bats he batted .338(9th in the league)/.388/.552(6th) and tied for the league lead in runs (139) and triples (12), while coming in third in RBIs (135), fifth in home runs (20), and sixth in stolen bases (23), while on defense he played outfield and had 13 assists.

He made his MLB debut at 30 years of age in 1952. In 1953, he led the American League in triples (16; he was in the top 7 in the league three other seasons), in 1955 in stolen bases with 25 (he was second in the league six other seasons), in stolen base percentage in 1957 and 1958 (he was in the top five in five other seasons), and in 1955 in outfield assists (22; he was fourth in the league in one other season), and was the sixth-oldest player in the league in 1961. He was a sparkplug for the 1950s Go-Go White Sox team, eventually winning the American League pennant in 1959. White Sox General Manager Ed Short said: "Jungle Jim may not have the fattest average in baseball, but he gives the fans a show with his daredevil running and sliding, his terrific fielding, and clutch hitting. He runs in the outfield like a deer, on the bases like an express train, and he throws like a rifle." He was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Rivera died on November 13, 2017, at the age of 96.