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

Jim Tyrone’s baseball career takes you on quite a ride through the golden age of American baseball, stretching from the early 1970s until he hung up his cleats in 1977. Born January 29, 1949, in Alice, Texas, Tyrone grew up to become an outfielder who put together a solid four-season run in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics, right as the sport was changing in big ways.

Tyrone finished his career with a .227 batting average, 8 home runs, and 32 RBIs in 177 games. But honestly, his story is about a lot more than just the numbers—it’s about taking his game overseas and finding new chapters in Japan. His journey through the pros really shows the grind players faced trying to break in during the 1970s, when jobs were scarce and guys bounced between teams all the time.

What really makes Tyrone’s story interesting is how he kept pushing after his MLB retirement. He ended up playing in Japan, and that international experience shaped the last part of his career. Starting from small-town Texas, he made it to the lights of Wrigley Field and the Oakland Coliseum. Tyrone’s path is a testament to determination and being able to adapt, which you absolutely need if you want to stick around in pro baseball.

Jim Tyrone’s Baseball Career Overview

Jim Tyrone’s professional career lasted six years in Major League Baseball, from 1972 to 1977. After that, he played four more seasons in Japan. He suited up for two MLB teams, the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics, before heading overseas to join the Seibu Lions and Nankai Hawks.

Major League Baseball Debut and Early Years

Tyrone debuted in MLB on August 27, 1972, with the Chicago Cubs when he was 23. Born in Alice, Texas, on January 29, 1949, he came up as a promising outfielder in the Cubs’ system.

The Cubs organization really thought they had something in Tyrone during the early ‘70s. He played in parts of four seasons in the big leagues from 1972 to 1977, but the stats make it clear he had a tough time sticking at that level.

Career MLB Statistics:

• Batting Average: .227
• Home Runs: 8
• RBI: 32
• Games Played: 177

Tyrone’s brother Wayne joined the Cubs in 1976, so they became one of those rare sibling duos in team history. Even with both in the same organization for years, neither brother really locked down a regular spot.

Retirement from MLB in 1977

Tyrone’s last MLB season was 1977 with the Oakland Athletics. The Cubs traded him to the A’s, and he ended up playing 96 games, hitting .245—that was his busiest season.

He played his final game on October 2, 1977, and that closed the book on his big league career. Tyrone spent parts of four seasons in the majors but never really grabbed a starting job.

Moving from the Cubs to the A’s didn’t end up being the big break he needed. His overall MLB numbers just didn’t measure up, so he left American pro baseball after that.

Transition to International Play

After his MLB days ended in 1977, Tyrone got a second wind in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He played there from 1979 to 1982, splitting time with the Seibu Lions and Nankai Hawks.

His best year came in 1980 with the Seibu Lions, when he smashed 35 home runs. That kind of power hadn’t really shown up in his MLB years.

Heading to Japan gave Tyrone four more years as a pro. Plenty of American players found new life there back then, and Tyrone’s story fits right in with that trend.

Tenure with the Chicago Cubs

Tyrone spent the start of his career with the Chicago Cubs, from his 1971 draft through 1976. The Cubs picked him out of the University of Texas Pan American, and that’s where he got his first taste of the majors in 1972.

Draft and Minor League Development

The Cubs grabbed Jim Tyrone in the 7th round of the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft. He’d played college ball at the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, and built up his skills as an outfielder there.

At 22, Tyrone joined the Cubs’ system. The front office saw real potential in him and brought him into their minor league pipeline.

He spent some time in the minors after the draft. The team worked with him on his batting and defense before calling him up to the majors.

MLB Debut and Individual Performance

According to Baseball Almanac, Tyrone made his MLB debut on August 27, 1972, at 23. He got into 13 games his rookie year but couldn’t buy a hit—he went 0-for-8.

His best season with the Cubs was 1974. He played 57 games, got 87 plate appearances, and hit just .185, but did manage 3 home runs and 3 RBIs.

In 1975, he barely saw the field, showing up for only 11 games. He did hit .227 that year, with 5 hits in 22 at-bats.

Cubs Career Statistics:

• Games: 81
• Batting Average: .180
• Home Runs: 3
• RBIs: 6

Notable Moments and Trades

Tyrone’s time with the Cubs mostly meant sitting on the bench as a backup outfielder or pinch hitter. He just didn’t get many chances to play.

The Cubs gave him a shot to prove himself in the majors, but his bat never really heated up.

In 1977, the Cubs traded Tyrone to the Oakland Athletics, with Gaylen Pitts going the other way. People called it a “nothing for nothing” trade, which kind of sums it up.

His brother Wayne also played for the Cubs in 1976. Even with both brothers around, neither one managed to break into the everyday lineup.

Season with the Oakland A’s and Retirement

Tyrone landed with the Oakland Athletics in 1977 after the trade from Chicago. He played 96 games, hit .245, and then his MLB career wrapped up that same year. The final season was a rough one for the A’s, who finished with a lousy 63-98 record after being a powerhouse earlier in the decade.

Joining the Oakland A’s in 1977

The Cubs sent Tyrone to the Oakland Athletics before the 1977 season, giving him a fresh shot with a new team.

Oakland was in a rebuilding mess in 1977. Most of the stars from their championship runs—guys like Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, and Rollie Fingers—were gone.

Tyrone joined a team that wound up seventh in the AL West. The A’s scored just 605 runs, the lowest in the league, and gave up 749. It was a tough season all around.

Performance Highlights and Challenges

Tyrone played 96 games for Oakland in 1977, batting .245 in what turned out to be his last MLB year.

He really struggled defensively, especially in right field, racking up 9 errors—the second-most among AL right fielders. That didn’t help his case for sticking around.

His hitting just wasn’t enough to make up for the fielding issues. With both the bat and glove not quite there, Tyrone couldn’t lock down a regular job.

Oakland’s overall struggles in 1977 didn’t help, either. With the team scuffling, there weren’t a lot of chances for anyone to shine.

Final MLB Games and Exit from Major League Baseball

Tyrone played his last MLB game on October 2, 1977. That ended a four-season run that started in 1972.

The A’s sent him down to AAA Vancouver in 1978. He played there the next year, but his numbers just weren’t enough to get him back to the big leagues.

After 1977, Tyrone never played another MLB game. He finished up with a .227 average and 8 home runs in four seasons.

He did, however, find a new chapter in Japan. Tyrone played for the Seibu Lions and Nankai Hawks from 1979 to 1982, even hitting 35 home runs for Seibu in 1980. Clearly, he still had something left in the tank overseas.

International Baseball Experience

Once his MLB career wrapped up in 1977, Tyrone looked to Japan for a fresh start. He played four seasons from 1979 to 1982, hitting 43 home runs with the Seibu Lions and Nankai Hawks.

Playing for the Seibu Lions

Tyrone joined the Seibu Lions in 1979 after a short stint with the Miami Amigos in the short-lived Inter-American League. The Lions had just moved from Fukuoka to Tokorozawa under new ownership.

His first year in Japan went pretty well. He played 58 games, hit .291, and knocked 8 home runs with 24 RBIs. Adjusting to Japanese baseball didn’t seem to faze him much.

The team was rebuilding after some ownership drama and scandals. Tyrone brought some much-needed veteran presence as a player who’d seen the majors.

Power Hitting and 1980 Breakout

Tyrone’s second season with the Seibu Lions really stood out. In 1980, he played 128 games and put up power numbers that blew away anything he’d done in the majors.

1980 Season Statistics:

• 35 home runs (career high)
• 68 RBIs (career high)
• .276 batting average
• .505 slugging percentage

Those 35 homers were a huge jump from the 8 he hit in MLB. The longer season and different pitching in Japan seemed to fit his style.

Even though Tyrone put up big numbers, the Lions finished with a so-so 62-64-4 record. His power was a bright spot on a team still figuring itself out.

Seasons with Nankai Hawks

Tyrone moved to the Nankai Hawks in Osaka for the 1981 season. It’s not really clear why he left the Lions after such a good year.

His first season with the Hawks was probably his best overall. He hit .311, got on base at a .353 clip, and slugged .467. His OPS topped anything he’d done before.

By 1982, Tyrone’s numbers dropped to league-average levels with the Hawks. That year marked his final season in pro ball. After four seasons in Japan, the 33-year-old outfielder called it a career.

Statistical Achievements and Playing Style

Tyrone’s four years in Major League Baseball didn’t produce eye-popping stats, but he did have his moments with the Cubs and A’s. His best season came in 1977 with Oakland, when he played 96 games and hit .245.

Career Batting and Fielding Statistics

Over 177 games from 1972 to 1977, Tyrone put up a .227 batting average. He collected 92 hits in 405 at-bats and drove in 32 runs.

His power numbers were modest, with 8 home runs in four seasons. In 1977 with Oakland, he hit 5 of those homers and batted .245 with 26 RBIs.

Key Career Statistics:

• Batting Average: .227
• Home Runs: 8
• RBIs: 32
• Games Played: 177
• On-Base Percentage: .281

Tyrone’s fielding stats show he was a steady outfielder, especially in 1974 when he posted a .962 fielding percentage. His range factor that year, at 1.75 runs per 9 innings, was a bit below the league average of 2.27.

Role as an Outfielder

Tyrone mostly played left field and right field throughout his career. He often showed defensive versatility and filled different outfield spots for both the Cubs and Athletics when the teams needed him.

In 1977, he played 81 games as an outfielder for Oakland. He made 167 putouts and handled 181 total chances over 680.2 innings.

His defensive range was decent, though he didn’t really stand out as exceptional. The stats say he covered a bit less ground than most outfielders from that era.

Tyrone sometimes filled in at third base too. In 1974, he got into one game at that position, which added to his value as a bench player for managers looking for defensive options.

Noteworthy Home Runs

Tyrone really found his power during his last MLB season in 1977. He hit five of his eight career home runs with the Oakland Athletics that year.

His power numbers jumped when he got more playing time in Oakland’s lineup. That 1977 season was actually the only time he had more than 300 plate appearances.

He only hit 3 home runs in three years with Chicago. The Cubs didn’t give him many chances, so he couldn’t really build up his power stats there.

Baseball Almanac points out that Tyrone’s home run rate went up a lot when he moved from the National League to the American League. His slugging percentage climbed from .297 with Chicago to .340 with Oakland.

Personal Life and Legacy

Jim Tyrone grew up in small-town Texas, and that really shaped who he became both on and off the field. His family’s baseball ties went beyond just his own career, and after retiring, he spent a lot of time teaching younger players the game.

Early Life in Alice, Texas

Jim Tyrone was born January 29, 1949, in Alice, Texas, about 45 miles from Corpus Christi. He grew up in this close-knit South Texas town and fell in love with baseball pretty early on.

He went to William Adams High School in Alice. There, he stood out both in the classroom and on the field. That small-town environment gave him strong values that stuck with him through his professional life.

After high school, Tyrone went on to the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, where he kept playing baseball. The school was close to home, so he could stay connected to his roots while working on his education and his game.

Family and Life After Baseball

Baseball was a family thing for the Tyrones. Jim’s brother Wayne also chased a professional baseball career, and both brothers got drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1972 Amateur Draft. Wayne went in the 20th round, and Jim got picked in the 7th.

The two finally played together again with the Miami Amigos in the Inter-American League in 1979. That was the first time they’d shared a team since high school, since they never ended up as teammates in the Cubs organization.

After he retired from pro baseball in 1982, Tyrone settled down in Arlington, Texas. He spent his post-baseball years giving back to the sport, teaching young players hitting techniques. Coaching let him pass along what he’d learned to the next wave of players, right up until he retired from teaching.

Influence and Recognition

Jim Tyrone didn’t really become a household name during his playing days, but he left his mark on baseball in ways that numbers just don’t capture.

He grew up in a small Texas town, then found his way into pro baseball in America and Japan. That kind of journey really shows how many different routes athletes can take if they’re determined enough.

If you look for his biggest highlight, it’s probably his time in the Inter-American League. He snagged the batting title there, hitting .364 for the Miami Amigos.

Then there was his run with the Seibu Lions in Japan. Smacking 35 home runs in 1980? That’s not easy, and it says a lot about how he could adjust to new baseball cultures and styles.

Later on, Tyrone threw himself into youth baseball instruction. He taught kids how to hit and, honestly, that might be his most lasting impact.

He stayed close to the game, helping shape the next generation of players. It’s kind of inspiring, isn’t it?