Jim Stump

James Gilbert Stump (February 10, 1932 – November 19, 2015) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 11 Major League Baseball games as a relief pitcher for the 1957 and 1959 Detroit Tigers. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 ft tall and weighed 188 lb.

Stump graduated from Saint Mary's High School in his native Lansing, Michigan, and signed with the Tigers in 1951. His first two minor league seasons — sandwiched around a two-year military stint during the Korean War — were noteworthy, as he won 30 of 43 decisions (.698). After winning 14 games for the 1957 Birmingham Barons of the Double-A Southern Association, Stump made his Major League debut for the Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Briggs Stadium, working one inning in relief and giving up a hit, a run and two bases on balls, including one to Ted Williams, in a 6–1 Tiger defeat. But, overall, Stump's first trial with Detroit was successful; he appeared in five more games played, won his only decision, and surrendered a total of only three earned runs in 13$2⁄3$ innings, for a sparkling 2.08 earned run average.

The next two seasons, Stump put up identical 8–11 records with the Triple-A Charleston Senators, before receiving his second and final audition with the Tigers in 1959, pitching in 11$1⁄3$ innings and posting another strong ERA (2.38). He played two more seasons of minor league ball — coincidentally, posting a third straight 8–11 season in the American Association in 1960 — and retired after the 1961 campaign.

During his two MLB trials, Stump worked in 24 $1⁄3$ innings pitched; he allowed 23 hits and 12 bases on balls, but only seven runs, six of them earned, for a career ERA of 2.19. He struck out eight.