Jim Lewis – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Jim Lewis isn’t exactly a household name in baseball, but his story in Major League Baseball is all about grit and hanging in there. James Martin Lewis pitched for four seasons in the majors from 1979 to 1985, suiting up for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Minnesota Twins before retiring at age 29. Born in Miami, Florida, Lewis put together a professional career that lasted nearly a decade in organized baseball.

Lewis’s path through the majors wasn’t what you’d call typical. The Seattle Mariners signed him as an amateur free agent in 1977, and he climbed their minor league ladder before making his MLB debut on September 12, 1979.

He bounced from the Pacific Northwest to the Bronx and then to Minneapolis, getting a taste of three very different teams and cities. Each stop brought its own set of challenges and expectations.

Lewis’s career really shows what journeyman pitchers had to deal with in the 1980s. From his early days with the Mariners to his last big league game on August 12, 1985, Lewis dealt with trades, minor league assignments, and the never-ending pressure to prove himself.

He spent time with three organizations and eventually decided to retire, giving us a window into what pro baseball was like back then.

Early Life and Amateur Baseball

James Martin Lewis was born on October 12, 1955, in Miami, Florida. He started his baseball journey in the junior college system, then moved up to a four-year university.

Background and Childhood

Jim Lewis grew up in Miami during the 1960s and early ’70s. Miami’s year-round baseball weather gave kids like Lewis lots of chances to play and improve.

He stood 6’3″ and weighed in at 190 pounds, which gave him a solid pitcher’s frame. He threw and batted right-handed, pretty standard for pitchers of that time.

Baseball in Miami was a big deal. Plenty of future pros came from the area. The warm weather meant high school and amateur teams could play almost all year.

Introduction to Baseball

Lewis honed his skills in local Miami youth programs. As a teen, he started to stand out as a pitcher.

He played college ball at Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus. That school has sent a lot of players to the pros, and its baseball program was well-known in Florida.

After Miami Dade, he transferred to the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Moving up to a four-year university was a big deal for his development.

Path to Professional Baseball

Lewis’s time at South Carolina got him noticed by pro scouts. The university’s team played tough competition in the Southeastern Conference.

His pitching caught the eye of Major League scouts, especially those from the Seattle Mariners.

In 1977, the Mariners signed him as an amateur free agent. He was 21 when he turned pro.

That moment capped off years of hard work in Miami’s youth leagues and college baseball.

Professional Career Overview

Jim Lewis pitched for three MLB teams over four seasons, from 1979 to 1985. He debuted with the Mariners at 23 and later spent time with the Yankees and Twins.

He never really found consistency in the big leagues, but he kept grinding.

Major League Debut and Early Impressions

Lewis made his MLB debut on September 12, 1979, with the Mariners. He came in as a reliever against the Texas Rangers.

That first outing was rough. He threw 1.1 innings, gave up six hits and one earned run, and didn’t record a strikeout or a walk.

He only pitched in two games his rookie year. According to Baseball Reference, he posted a 15.43 ERA over 2.1 innings in 1979.

Lewis allowed 10 hits in that short stretch, which pointed to command issues that stuck with him.

Career Milestones and Highlights

Lewis’s career stats show how tough the majors can be. In four seasons, he went 0-1 with an 8.77 ERA in 11 games.

His busiest stretch came in 1983 with the Twins. He pitched in six games, logging 18 innings and eight strikeouts with a 6.50 ERA.

That year was his longest run in the majors. He faced 82 batters and allowed 24 hits, which showed a bit more control than before.

Lewis’s last big league game was August 12, 1985, with the Mariners. He pitched 3.2 innings against the Angels, gave up eight hits and four earned runs, and that was it for his MLB career.

Teams Played For

Lewis played for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Minnesota Twins.

The Mariners signed him in 1977. He played with Seattle in 1979, then again in his final season in 1985.

He had a brief stop with the Yankees in 1982—just one game. He pitched two-thirds of an inning, gave up three hits and four earned runs, and ended up with a 54.00 ERA.

With the Twins in 1983, Lewis got his biggest shot. Minnesota used him in six relief appearances, and he pitched a career-high 18 innings.

Seattle Mariners Tenure

Jim Lewis started his pro career with the Mariners in 1977 and made his MLB debut for them in 1979. He had two separate runs with Seattle, including his breakthrough and a return in 1985.

Signing and Early Development

The Mariners signed Lewis as an amateur free agent in 1977. That gave him a chance to develop in their farm system.

He spent his first pro season with the Class A-Advanced Stockton Mariners in 1978. Playing at that level showed the team thought he had potential.

After just one year in the minors, Lewis got called up. He made his MLB debut on September 12, 1979, at 23, becoming the 14,246th player in major league history.

Initial Performance and Challenges

Lewis’s debut with Seattle was tough. In his first game against the Rangers, he pitched 1.1 innings and allowed six hits and one earned run.

His 1979 stats weren’t pretty. He appeared in only two games, posting a 15.43 ERA over 2.1 innings. He gave up 10 hits and seven runs, without a single strikeout.

After 1979, Lewis left the Mariners for a while. He came back in 1985, but things didn’t really improve—he posted a 7.71 ERA in two games.

New York Yankees Experience

Lewis joined the Yankees in 1982 and pitched in just one game that year. His time in New York was short and, honestly, pretty rough.

Trade to the Yankees

The Yankees picked up Lewis before the 1982 season, though the details of the move are kind of murky. He landed in New York after leaving the Mariners in 1979.

For Lewis, joining the Yankees was a shot at reviving his major league career. He’d been out of the majors for three years after his brief Seattle debut.

The Yankees were looking for bullpen help at the time. They brought Lewis in as a possible option.

Time with the Team

Lewis’s stint with the Yankees was about as brief as it gets. He pitched in just one game in 1982.

That outing was rough. He lasted only 0.2 innings, gave up three hits, three walks, and four earned runs. His ERA with the Yankees ballooned to 54.00.

He struggled with control, walking as many as he got out. Those command issues had followed him for most of his career.

The Yankees released him after that game. That ended his short time with one of baseball’s most famous franchises.

Minnesota Twins Period

Jim Lewis landed with the Minnesota Twins in 1983 after the Yankees let him go. His time with the Twins gave him his biggest chunk of major league action.

Joining the Twins

The Twins picked up Lewis in the 1982 minor league draft. He’d just had a rough outing with the Yankees, posting a 54.00 ERA in less than an inning.

Minnesota gave him another chance in the majors. He joined the Twins for the 1983 season at age 27, hoping for a fresh start.

The Twins wanted more depth in their pitching staff. Lewis brought experience from his time with Seattle and New York.

Contributions and Performance

Lewis pitched in six games for the Twins in 1983, all out of the bullpen. He threw 18 innings, put up a 6.50 ERA, and struck out eight.

He allowed 24 hits and seven walks, plus five home runs. Still, he showed a bit more control than he had in New York.

That 1983 season was his longest look in the majors. He didn’t pick up any wins or losses. After the season, Lewis became a free agent and eventually went back to the Mariners in 1984.

Final Years and Retirement in 1985

Jim Lewis returned to the Mariners in 1984 after his time with the Twins. His career wrapped up during the 1985 season after just two appearances for Seattle.

Second Stint with Seattle Mariners

Lewis rejoined the Mariners on February 21, 1984, as a free agent. That brought him back to the team where he’d started out in 1979.

In 1985, Lewis pitched in only two games for Seattle. His final game was on August 12, 1985, against the Angels. He threw 3.2 innings, gave up eight hits and four earned runs, walked one, and didn’t record a strikeout. He took the loss.

That outing summed up the struggles he’d faced in the majors. By 1985, his role with the team had shrunk quite a bit.

Retirement Decision and Legacy

After his August 12, 1985 appearance, the Mariners released Lewis, and that ended his pro baseball career. He was 29 when he finished up in the majors.

Lewis wrapped up with a 0-1 win-loss record and an 8.77 ERA. He struck out just 9 batters in his MLB career, playing for three teams.

His career stretched from 1979 to 1985. The Mariners had originally signed him as an amateur free agent in 1977.

He also spent time in the minors, including with the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, where he finished his last season in 1985.

Career Statistics and Legacy

Jim Lewis put up modest numbers during his four-season MLB career from 1979 to 1985. He posted an 8.77 ERA across 25.2 innings pitched.

His brief appearances with three American League teams left a limited statistical footprint. Still, his journey through the majors gives a glimpse into what fringe players face in pro baseball.

MLB Pitching and Fielding Stats

Lewis’s major league pitching stats show the uphill battle he faced trying to stick around in the big leagues. He finished with a 0-1 record and an 8.77 ERA in 11 total appearances.

His most extensive work came in 1983 with the Minnesota Twins. That year, he pitched 18.0 innings across six games and put up a 6.50 ERA.

In other seasons, Lewis barely got a chance. In 1979 with the Seattle Mariners, he threw just 2.1 innings and gave up a 15.43 ERA.

His 1982 outing with the New York Yankees lasted only 0.2 innings, and the result was a rough 54.00 ERA.

He didn’t get much opportunity to show his fielding skills either. Over his career, he recorded a .800 fielding percentage, making one error in five chances.

His defensive contributions were minimal, mostly because he just didn’t get much playing time.

Impact on Teams

Lewis didn’t leave much of a mark on his three MLB teams. The Seattle Mariners used him in two separate seasons, 1979 and 1985, but he only pitched 7.0 innings total.

His most notable stint came with the Minnesota Twins in 1983. He appeared in six games as a reliever, but even with more innings, his 6.50 ERA showed he struggled to get big league hitters out.

The New York Yankees gave Lewis his briefest shot in 1982. He didn’t even finish a full inning, and that was pretty much it for him with the team.

Recognition by Baseball Reference

Baseball Reference keeps track of Lewis’s career as part of the game’s history, even if the numbers aren’t eye-catching. The site lists his full MLB totals and gives some context for his short major league run.

His career WAR (Wins Above Replacement) sits at -0.7, which means he performed below replacement level during his time in the majors.

Baseball Reference shows he struck out nine batters and walked 12 in his career, which isn’t a great sign for control. That 0.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio probably didn’t help him stick around.

Life After Baseball

Jim Lewis moved away from professional baseball after the Seattle Mariners released him in 1985. There’s not a lot of public info about what he did next or his current financial situation.

Post-Retirement Endeavors

After his baseball career ended in 1985, Jim Lewis mostly faded from the public spotlight. Unlike some former players who jump into coaching or broadcasting, Lewis seems to have chosen a different path.

The available records don’t say much about his post-baseball career. Plenty of players from his era got into business or coaching, while some just went back to their hometowns and started something new.

He played parts of four seasons in the majors with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Minnesota Twins. His brief MLB career wrapped up with a 0-1 record and an 8.77 ERA in limited action.

Since there’s so little public information, it looks like Lewis preferred to keep things private after his playing days. That’s not unusual for guys who had short MLB careers, especially back in the 1980s.

Net Worth and Personal Life

Jim Lewis hasn’t shared much about his finances after baseball. With such a short MLB career, he probably earned modest sums compared to what players make now.

Back in the 1980s, players just didn’t make the kind of money you see today. Lewis played only a few major league games over four seasons.

He likely got most of his income from minor league stints and the occasional MLB paycheck. That’s not exactly the path to a fortune.

There’s really nothing out there about Lewis’s family, marriages, or kids. Public records don’t reveal where he lives or what he’s up to these days.

Born in Miami, Florida in 1955, Lewis would be nearing 70 now. A lot of players from his era just sort of fade out of the spotlight.

Many of them turn their attention to family or business, keeping low profiles instead of chasing more time in the baseball world.