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James Howard Sundberg (born May 18, 1951) is an Americans former professional baseball player, television sports analyst, and executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1974 to 1989, most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers where he established himself as one of the top defensive catchers of his era. A three-time All-Star player, Sundberg won six consecutive Gold Glove Awards during his tenure with the Rangers. Later in his career, he won a World Series championship as a member of the Kansas City Royals in 1985. Jim Sundberg Adds Hitting to his Skills on Defense, Baseball Digest, December 1977, Vol. 36, No. 12, Jim Sundberg: Does He Rate As The Number 1 Catcher?, Baseball Digest, November 1978, Vol. 37, No. 11, He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs. Sundberg was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2003.
On April 4, 1974, Sundberg made the rare jump from Class A-level baseball to Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Rangers at the age of 22. As a rookie, Sundberg was selected to be a reserve in the 1974 All-Star Game and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year balloting (teammate Mike Hargrove won the award). 1974 All-Star Game at Baseball Reference 1974 Rookie of the Year voting results at Baseball Reference Sundberg had 101 assists in 1975, becoming the first American League catcher to have more than 100 assists in a season since the end of the Second World War. His solid defense helped the Rangers finish above the .500 winning percentage mark for the first time since the club relocated to Texas from Washington, DC, in 1972.
In December 1983, after 10 years with the Rangers, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Jim Sundberg Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac After playing one season with the Brewers, in which he was named to the American League All-Star team, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals.
Sundberg's veteran experience helped bolster the Royals' young pitching staff, and the team's combined earned run average improved to second-best in the American League. as the Royals narrowly prevailed over the California Angels by one game to win the 1985 American League Western Division championship. Jim Sundberg: Forgotten Man in the Catching Derby, Baseball Digest, December 1988, Vol. 47, No. 12, 1985 American League Team Statistics and Standings at Baseball Reference In the 1985 American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Sundberg, normally known for his defensive skills, became an offensive standout when he drove in four runs in the deciding game seven to help the Royals clinch the American League pennant.
The Royals went on to win the 1985 World Series. In game six of that series, Sundberg scored the dramatic ninth inning winning run by sliding into home plate, skillfully avoiding the Tag out of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter. Sundberg reached base when he laid down a bunt that resulted in a force-out at third. 1985 World Series Game 6 box score at Baseball Reference In 1986, Sundberg helped the Royals pitching staff lead the league in earned run average, but they fell to third place in the American League's Western Division.
Sundberg was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1987, before signing back with Texas, where at the age of 38, he ended his career at the end of the 1989 season.
Sundberg was the first catcher to win six American League Gold Gloves, although Bob Boone won five in the American League and two more in the National League. His 1976 Gold Glove was the first by any Rangers player. He caught 130 shutouts in his career, ranking him fifth all-time among catchers. Sundberg played more games as a catcher than any other player in Rangers history (1,512). Most Games Caught for Team at The Encyclopedia of Catchers At the time of his retirement, Sundberg had caught more MLB games than any man in history except his contemporary Bob Boone. He still ranks fifth today. Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers 800 Games Caught - List By Games Caught Table Richard Kendall of the Society for American Baseball Research devised a study that ranked Sundberg as the third-most dominating fielding catcher in MLB history. Dominating Fielding Catchers at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
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